Four Enter Barons Hall of Fame Wednesday
May 26, 2015 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Four have been named to the Birmingham Barons Hall of Fame and will be inducted Wednesday during the 20th Annual Rickwood Classic at Rickwood Field. Birmingham Black Baron William Greason, former manager John McNamara, journalist Doug Segrest and bat boy Bo Landreth will be recognized between innings of the throwback game.
William Greason was a member of the Birmingham Black Barons from 1948 - 1951 and went on to pitch for St. Louis in 1954. Greason, 29-years-old at the time, was the first black pitcher to take the mound for the Cardinals. He spent six to seven weeks with the big league club and retired as a member of the Cardinals farm system in 1959. The right-hander's career spanned more than 12 seasons. Greason currently resides in Birmingham and is the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church Berney Points.
John McNamara managed the Barons in 1965 and 1967, claiming a championship under the newly-formed Southern League in his final season in Birmingham. In the Barons first season back at Rickwood Field after a two-year absence, McNamara led Birmingham to an 84-55 record, taking the championship by 3.5 games. It was Birmingham's first Southern League Championship. The manager went on to break into the majors in 1969 with Oakland and spent two seasons with the Athletics. During his 19-year career in Major League Baseball, McNamara also managed San Diego, Cincinnati, California, Boston and Cleveland.
Doug Segrest enters the Barons Hall of Fame as a member of the media. A native of Montgomery, Ala., Segrest covered the Barons for 13 consecutive seasons before leaving the Birmingham News after the 2012 season. During his tenure, he was named Southern League Sports Writer of the Year three times and Alabama Sports Writer of the Year in 2012.
Bo Landreth becomes the first bat boy elected to the Barons Hall of Fame. Landreth was a full-time bat boy from 1991 - 1995, and spent five more seasons as a part-time bat boy after the 1995 season. During his time in the dugout, Bo worked with skippers Tony Franklin and Terry Francona. Through the help of Francona, Landreth made his big-league debut with the Chicago White Sox September 17, 1995 at Comiskey Park. He would go on to make appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox while Francona was manager.
The four members will be recognized on the field between innings of the Rickwood Classic. First pitch for Wednesday's Classic is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. as the Barons host Jacksonville.
To order tickets, visit Barons.com or call (205) 988-3200. For more information, visit us at www.barons.com, www.facebook.com/birminghambarons or on Twitter: @bhambarons.
Southern League Stories from May 26, 2015
- Generals off the Mark in Loss to Biscuits - Jackson Generals
- Biscuits Pound Generals with 17 Hits - Montgomery Biscuits
- Four Enter Barons Hall of Fame Wednesday - Birmingham Barons
- Hultzen to DL, Kittredge Returns to Jackson - Jackson Generals
- Bohn to Jupiter; Martinez to Jacksonville - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- M-Braves Homestand Highlights May 27 - June 5 - Mississippi Braves
- Pensacola's Big Comeback Downs Jackson in Finale - Jackson Generals
- Pensacola Captures Series, 3-2, against Jackson - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
