Bill Perkins (baseball)

Bill Perkins
Bill Perkins
	Catcher / Corner outfielder
	Born: June 26, 1906; Dawson, Georgia, U.S.
	Died: January 24, 1958 (aged 51); Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
	Batted: Right Threw: Right
Negro league baseball debut
	1928, for the Birmingham Black Barons
Last appearance
	1948, for the Baltimore Elite Giants
Teams
	Birmingham Black Barons (1928); Brooklyn Royal Giants (1929); Birmingham Black Barons (1930); Cleveland Cubs (1931); Baltimore Black Sox (1931); Pittsburgh Crawfords (1931–1936); Cleveland Stars (1932); Homestead Grays (1932); Santo Domingo Stars (1937); Philadelphia Stars (1938–1939); Baltimore Elite Giants (1940); Diablos Rojos del Mexico (1941); Industriales de Monterrey (1942); Birmingham Black Barons (1945); New York Black Yankees (1945-1946); Philadelphia Stars (1946); Baltimore Elite Giants (1947–1948);
Career highlights and awards
	2× All-Star (1934, 1940);

William Gamiel Perkins (June 26, 1906 – January 24, 1958) was an American professional baseball catcher and corner outfielder who played in the Negro leagues and the Mexican League from 1928 to 1948 with several teams.

A native of Albany, Georgia, Perkins is best known for being "Satchel Paige's personal catcher throughout his career" and wearing a chest protector that read, "Thou shalt not steal!"^[1] While playing for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, Perkins served as Hall of Famer Josh Gibson's backup catcher; but, even as backup catcher, he was the one to whom Paige most often threw his fastballs.^[2] He played in two East-West All-Star Games, in 1934 and 1940.^[3]

Perkins was one of the "jumpers" who jumped to Santo Domingo when tropical countries started summer seasons in competition with American leagues.^[4] He was temporarily suspended from playing in the United States in 1938, but the suspension was short and he then signed with the Philadelphia Stars.^[5] He served in the US Army during World War II,^[6] and was shot in a restaurant in 1948 with very limited details about the event.^[5]^[1]

References

1 2 Sturm, James; Tommaso, Richard; Early, Gerald (2007). Satchel Paige : striking out Jim Crow (1st ed.). New York, N.Y.: Jump at the Sun. ISBN 978-0786839018. OCLC 171152733.
↑ Ribowsky, Mark. (1995). A complete history of the Negro leagues, 1884 to 1955. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Pub. Group. ISBN 1559722835. OCLC 31656278.
↑ Riley, James A. (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-0959-6.
↑ Ribowsky, Mark (1995). A complete history of the Negro leagues, 1884 to 1955. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. pp. 208. ISBN 1559722835.
1 2 "Bill Perkins". Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum. 2006. Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
↑ "Negro Leaguers Who Served With The Armed Forces in WWII". baseballinwartime.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.

External links

Career statistics from MLB · Baseball Reference and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats and Seamheads
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Archived 2011-02-18 at the Wayback Machine

[:0-1] 1 2 Sturm, James; Tommaso, Richard; Early, Gerald (2007). Satchel Paige : striking out Jim Crow (1st ed.). New York, N.Y.: Jump at the Sun. ISBN 978-0786839018. OCLC 171152733.

[2] Ribowsky, Mark. (1995). A complete history of the Negro leagues, 1884 to 1955. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Pub. Group. ISBN 1559722835. OCLC 31656278.

[Riley-3] Riley, James A. (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-0959-6.

[4] Ribowsky, Mark (1995). A complete history of the Negro leagues, 1884 to 1955. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. pp. 208. ISBN 1559722835.

[:1-5] 1 2 "Bill Perkins". Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum. 2006. Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2019.

[6] "Negro Leaguers Who Served With The Armed Forces in WWII". baseballinwartime.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.

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