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Bill White (first baseman)

William De Kova "Bill" White (born January 28 1934 in Lakewood, Florida) is a former professional baseball first baseman who played for the New York and San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals (-65, ) and Philadelphia Phillies (-68).

White became a full-time sportscaster for 18 years after his playing career ended.

White then served as president of the National League from 1989 to 1994.

Playing career

As a minor-leaguer, Bill White was the second black player to ever play for a Carolina League team - the Danville Leafs (1953). Percy Miller Jr. broke the color barrier for that league in 1951.

In his 13-season major league career, Bill White batted .286 with 202 home runs and 870 RBI in 1673 games. He was also one of the top defensive first basemen of his time, winning seven straight Gold Glove Awards (1960-66). White batted and threw left-handed.

White is also one of the select few MLB players who have hit at least .300 and driven in at least 100 runs in 3 consecutive seasons.

Broadcasting career

White earned a sports program on KMOX radio in St. Louis while he was still playing for the Cardinals. After he was traded to the Phillies, he did a program there. Later, White joined the New York Yankees broadcast crew. He called Yankee games from to , most often with Phil Rizzuto and Frank Messer. He did radio as well as television during most of that stretch. Bill White was the first African-American to do play-by-play regularly for a major-league sports team.

On New York City radio, White was featured on WMCA from 1971 to 1977, after which the Yankees switched over to WINS. In 1981, the Yankee broadcast team moved over to WABC.

On television, White spent all of his Yankee years announcing the Bronx Bombers with Rizzuto and Messer on WPIX-TV Channel 11.

In , calling the American League East championship game on WPIX-TV, White authored one of baseball's most famous calls -- that of Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent's home run in the seventh inning against the host Boston Red Sox:

Deep to left! Yastrzemski will not get it -- it's a home run! A three-run home run for Bucky Dent and the Yankees now lead it by a score of three to two!

White also did sports reports for the CBS Radio Network and helped call several World Series for CBS Radio (along with Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Ross Porter and later, Jack Buck). He also did pre-game reports for the ABC coverage of the 1977 Series, also along with Porter, and handled the post-game trophy presentation for ABC after the Yanks clinched the world title in the sixth game.