Bill Blair (1940s pitcher)

For the Bill Blair born in Pennsylvania in 1863, see Bill Blair (American Association pitcher).

William Blair (October 17, 1921 – April 20, 2014) was an American Negro league pitcher.^[1]

Bill Blair
Pitcher
Born: (1921-10-17)October 17, 1921 Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Died: April 20, 2014(2014-04-20) (aged 92) Campbell, Texas, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Left
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Indianapolis Clowns (1948) Cincinnati Crescents (Barnstorming)

Blair graduated Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas and briefly attended Prairie View A&M University. He began his baseball career at the age of 16, playing for a barnstorming team in Mineola, Texas, and went on to join the United States Army, where he became the youngest African American to serve as a first sergeant in the Army during World War II.

He pitched from 1946 to 1951, for teams including the Indianapolis Clowns, Cincinnati Crescents, and was a player-manager for the Dallas Black Giants. He played against players such as Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, and Hilton Smith. After retiring from baseball, he became a fixture in the community, running a local newspaper, the Elite News, and organizing golf tournaments and parades. He died in Campbell, Texas in 2014.^[2]

William Blair Park in South Dallas, formerly Rochester Park, was named after him.