Joe Reliford
Encyclopedia
Joe Louis Reliford was an African-American Minor League Baseball
batboy
who became the youngest person to participate in a professional baseball game on July 19, 1952. He was inserted into a game for the Fitzgerald Pioneers of the Georgia State League
at the age of 12 years and 234 days.
When the Pioneers fell behind to the Statesboro Pilots 13-0, heading into the eighth inning, the crowd started chanting for club manager Charley Ridgeway to "put in the batboy." He was sent to the plate against pitcher Curtis White
and grounded out to third base
. He the continued to play in the game as the center fielder
. Reliford was released shorty after the incident, Ridgeway was suspened for five days and fined $50, and umpire Ed Kubrick was fired by the league. Reliford not only became the youngest person to play in professional baseball, he broke the color barrier in the George State League.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
batboy
Batboy
A batboy is an individual who carries the baseball bats around to a baseball team. A batboy may also lay out the equipment and mud the baseballs to be used in the game.Mascots and batboys had both been part of baseball since the 1880s....
who became the youngest person to participate in a professional baseball game on July 19, 1952. He was inserted into a game for the Fitzgerald Pioneers of the Georgia State League
Georgia State League
The Georgia State League was an American Class D minor league in professional baseball that existed in 1906, 1914, 1920-21 and 1948-56. During its last incarnation, it existed alongside two nearby Class D circuits, the Georgia-Florida League and the Georgia-Alabama League.The version of the GSL...
at the age of 12 years and 234 days.
When the Pioneers fell behind to the Statesboro Pilots 13-0, heading into the eighth inning, the crowd started chanting for club manager Charley Ridgeway to "put in the batboy." He was sent to the plate against pitcher Curtis White
Curtis White
Curtis White is an American essayist and author. He serves as professor of English at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, and as President of the Board of Directors of the Center for Book Culture. Most of his career has been spent writing experimental fiction, but he has turned recently...
and grounded out to third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
. He the continued to play in the game as the center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. Reliford was released shorty after the incident, Ridgeway was suspened for five days and fined $50, and umpire Ed Kubrick was fired by the league. Reliford not only became the youngest person to play in professional baseball, he broke the color barrier in the George State League.