Bill Perkins (baseball)

William Gamiel Perkins was an American baseball catcher from Albany, Georgia who played in the Negro Leagues from 1928 to 1948 with several teams. He is best known for being "Satchel Paige's personal catcher throughout his career" and wearing a chest protector that read "Thou shalt not steal!"[1] While playing for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, Perkins served as Josh Gibson's backup catcher; but, even as backup catcher, he was the one to whom Paige most often threw his fastballs.[2] He played in two East-West All-Star Games, in 1934 and 1940.[3]

Bill Perkins
Catcher
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Negro league baseball debut
1928, for the Birmingham Black Barons
Last appearance
1948, for the Baltimore Elite Giants
Teams

His baseball card read:

Bill was the catcher who was the battery mate of a young rookie named Satchel Paige when Paige joined the Black Barons. The two went to the Pittsburgh Crawfords together, and Perkins was a constant .300 threat with the bat.[4]

Perkins was one of the "jumpers" who jumped to Santo Domingo when tropical countries started summer seasons in competition with American leagues.[5] He was temporarily suspended from playing in the United States in 1938, but the suspension was short and he then signed with the Philadelphia Stars.[6] He was shot in a restaurant in 1948 with very limited details about the event.[6][1]

References
  1. Sturm, James, 1965- (2007). Satchel Paige : striking out Jim Crow. Tommaso, Rich., Early, Gerald Lyn,, Center for Cartoon Studies. (1st ed.). New York, N.Y.: Jump at the Sun. ISBN 978-0786839018. OCLC 171152733.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Ribowsky, Mark. (1995). A complete history of the Negro leagues, 1884 to 1955. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Pub. Group. ISBN 1559722835. OCLC 31656278.
  3. Riley, James A. (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-0959-6.
  4. Fritsch, Larry. (1986). Negro League Baseball Stars: #94 Bill Perkins. Larry Fritsch Cards.
  5. Ribowsky, Mark (1955). A complete history of the Negro leagues, 1884 to 1955. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. pp. 208. ISBN 1559722835.
  6. "Bill Perkins". Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum. 2006. Retrieved 2019-11-07.


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