Black, Joe

JOE BLACK

By the time Joe Black made it to the big leagues in 1952, he already had played eight years in the Negro Leagues, twice pitching the Baltimore Elite Giants to championships.

And even though Black also starred in the Major Leagues, earning the 1952 NL Rookie of the Year award, it was his off-field success that distinguished him.

Upon retirement, Black joined Greyhound Bus Lines in the late 1950s and rapidly rose up the corporate ladder.

Black always kept a close relationship with baseball, influencing players to plan for their post-competitive careers and lobbying for pension benefits for Negro League players.