Baseball pitcher and manager. Big Bill was a star pitcher and baseball manager in the 1930s Negro Leagues. He was a 6-foot 7-inch, 240-lb, right-handed ball player who won 117 games for a dozen teams between 1906 and 1928. He managed the St. Louis Stars and the Birmingham Black Barons and founded the first Negro National League, which he managed for the first few seasons. He pitched no-hitters in the Negro National League in June 1921 against the Cinncinnati Cuban Stars and again in 1926. He coached both James "Cool Papa" Bell (and gave him his nickname) and Satchell Paige. He is attributed with teaching Mr. Paige his "hesitation pitch." A grave marker was donated and installed by the Negro Leagues' Grave Marker Project to honor him in April 2009.
Baseball pitcher and manager. Big Bill was a star pitcher and baseball manager in the 1930s Negro Leagues. He was a 6-foot 7-inch, 240-lb, right-handed ball player who won 117 games for a dozen teams between 1906 and 1928. He managed the St. Louis Stars and the Birmingham Black Barons and founded the first Negro National League, which he managed for the first few seasons. He pitched no-hitters in the Negro National League in June 1921 against the Cinncinnati Cuban Stars and again in 1926. He coached both James "Cool Papa" Bell (and gave him his nickname) and Satchell Paige. He is attributed with teaching Mr. Paige his "hesitation pitch." A grave marker was donated and installed by the Negro Leagues' Grave Marker Project to honor him in April 2009.
Inscription
NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL
PITCHER AND MANAGER
"BIG BILL"
WILLIAM M. GATEWOOD
1881 1962
