| William Edward White | |
|---|---|
.jpg) White photographed as a member of the 1879 Brown University baseball team | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: October 1860 Milner, Georgia, U.S. | |
| Died: March 29, 1937 (aged 76) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Unknown Threw: Unknown | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 21, 1879, for the Providence Grays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 21, 1879, for the Providence Grays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games played | 1 |
| Runs | 1 |
| Hits | 1 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
William Edward White (October 1860 – March 29, 1937) was a 19th-century Americanbaseball player. He played as a substitute in one professional baseball game for theProvidence Grays of theNational League, on June 21, 1879.[1]Work by theSociety for American Baseball Research (SABR) suggests that he may have been the firstAfrican-American to play major league baseball, predating the longer careers ofMoses Fleetwood Walker and his brotherWeldy Walker by five years, andJackie Robinson by 68 years.[2][3][4][5][6]
Very little is known about White, who replaced the regular first baseman,Joe Start, after the latter was injured. White was a student atBrown University and played for the college's team. He went 1-for-4, scored a run, and recorded 12putouts as Providence won 5–3. It is unknown why White did not play for the Grays again. He was replaced in the next game by futureHall of Famer"Orator Jim" O'Rourke.[7]
SABR's research indicates that the William Edward White who took the field that day was born into slavery as the son of a plantation owner fromMilner, Georgia, Andrew Jackson White, and a black woman owned by White, Hannah. University records give Milner as the student's birthplace, and the only person of his name listed in the 1870 census was a nine-year-oldmulatto boy who was one of three children living with his mother Hannah. All three of these children are named in A.J. White's 1877 will, which described them as the children of his servant Hannah White and stipulated that they be educated in theNorth. If the research by SABR is correct, then William White was not only the first black player in the major leagues, but may also have been the only formerslave.[8][9] Unlike the Walker brothers, Whitepassed and self-identified in multiple Census records as white, and may not have faced the virulentracism prevalent in the late 19th century.[10]
According to 1900 and 1910 census records, White moved toChicago and became abookkeeper. He is listed there as having been born inRhode Island and being white. He died inChicago on March 29, 1937 fromblood poisoning resulting from a fall.[11]