Willie Mays---1969
The late 1940s and early 1950s was
a time when minorities were making
their way to the big leagues. While
the Dodgers and Indians cautiously
jumped into the integration of major
league baseball by signing Jackie
Robinson and Larry Doby, the
Boston Red Sox were painfully slow
in making the transition. This brings
to mind a story told by long-time Red
Sox scout George Digby, who signed
close to 50 major leaguers during his
career.
Digby recalled a time when he was
watching the Red Sox farm team in
Birmingham. His friend Eddie
Glennon, the general manager of the
Birmingham Barons, recommended
he stay over and see the Birmingham
Black Barons of the Negro League
play. While staying over would cause
Digby to change his itinerary for the
scouting the rest of the Southern
Association, Glennon promised he
would not be disappointed.
After watching a 17-year-old
outfielder play in a weekend series,
both Digby and Glennon agreed the
kid was a big league prospect,
prompting a call to Joe Cronin, the
Red Sox general manager at the time.
Glennon knew Cronin well, but Digby
had never net his boss. After
listening to the pair describe the
phenom, Cronin dispatched his friend
Larry Woodall, who worked out of the
Boston front office and served as an
extra coach when needed.
But on Woodall’s recommendation,
the Red Sox purchased the contract
of Piper Davis, a 29-year-old third
baseman, and passed on the 17-
year-old outfielder on the club. Davis
was assigned to Scranton (Class A)
of the Eastern League and never
played a day in the majors.
The young outfielder, whom Glennon
and Digby recommended to Cronin,
went on to become a Hall of Famer
with the Giants. He was none other
than--- Willie Mays.
(6/5/08)
a time when minorities were making
their way to the big leagues. While
the Dodgers and Indians cautiously
jumped into the integration of major
league baseball by signing Jackie
Robinson and Larry Doby, the
Boston Red Sox were painfully slow
in making the transition. This brings
to mind a story told by long-time Red
Sox scout George Digby, who signed
close to 50 major leaguers during his
career.
Digby recalled a time when he was
watching the Red Sox farm team in
Birmingham. His friend Eddie
Glennon, the general manager of the
Birmingham Barons, recommended
he stay over and see the Birmingham
Black Barons of the Negro League
play. While staying over would cause
Digby to change his itinerary for the
scouting the rest of the Southern
Association, Glennon promised he
would not be disappointed.
After watching a 17-year-old
outfielder play in a weekend series,
both Digby and Glennon agreed the
kid was a big league prospect,
prompting a call to Joe Cronin, the
Red Sox general manager at the time.
Glennon knew Cronin well, but Digby
had never net his boss. After
listening to the pair describe the
phenom, Cronin dispatched his friend
Larry Woodall, who worked out of the
Boston front office and served as an
extra coach when needed.
But on Woodall’s recommendation,
the Red Sox purchased the contract
of Piper Davis, a 29-year-old third
baseman, and passed on the 17-
year-old outfielder on the club. Davis
was assigned to Scranton (Class A)
of the Eastern League and never
played a day in the majors.
The young outfielder, whom Glennon
and Digby recommended to Cronin,
went on to become a Hall of Famer
with the Giants. He was none other
than--- Willie Mays.
(6/5/08)
