Joe Greene

Greene caught for the perennial Negro American League champion Kansas City Monarchs from 1939 through 1947. Strong pitching was a Monarch trademark; Greene handled some of the best, including Satchel Paige. His career opened with the Atlanta Black Crackers, and ended there with a NAL title series in 1938, canceled after the Memphis Red Sox won two games. He was the starting catcher for the West in the 1940 and 1942 East-West all-star games, and in the Monarchs’ 1942 Black World Series triumph he batted .444 with a home run and eight RBI. He was decorated for combat service in WWII. In 1947 he hit a long home run off Bob Feller in an exhibition game. In his last three years in the NAL, Greene batted .293.