William Garfield Dumpson, Sr.
Nickname: Showboat
Career: 1950-1953
Positions: p, of
Teams: Indianapolis Clowns (1950), Homestead Grays, Philadelphia Stars (1950-1952), New York Black Yankees
Born: February 12, 1930, Port Washington, Long Island, New York
He had a record of 0-2 while pitching in 5 games with the Indianapolis Clowns and Philadelphia Stars in 1950, when the Negro American League was struggling to survive the loss of players to organized baseball.
Baseball Career Highlights:
"I was fortunate to played on the same teams with Oscar Charleston (manager), Ben Little, Satchel Paige, Bob Trice and Charles White (Philadelphia Stars); Hank Aaron, "Speed" Merchant, "Piggy" Sands and "Goose" Tatum (Indianapolis Clowns); Josh Gibson, Jr. and Buck Leonard (Homestead Grays) and Buster Haywood (New York Black Yankees). I was blessed to have met so many legends and to have played with and against them."
Professional/Personal Accomplishments:
Dumpson's true love was basketball. "Bill Dumpson was probably the Jackie Robinson of Nassau basketball," said Bart Cosolito, sports editor of the Port Washington News. "People weren't into the showboating. But he was brilliant." Dumpson started his own basketball team called "Showboat and the Court Jesters" in 1965. He played basketball with the New York Broadway Clowns, Harlem Globetrotters and the Tan Novelty Travelers. In addition, he was the first recreational supervisor for the Nassau County (New York) Correctional facility and worked there for 25 years. "The Negro Leagues and teams like the Harlem Globetrotters meant a lot to the world. I'm just sorry that the Negro Leagues are a part of history, and not still competing today."
Awards, Honors, Titles, Championships,
Schools, Colleges:
• Port Washington Senior High School Hall of Fame
(youngest black to be elected)
• Newsday All Scholastic Team
• Long Island Ambassador Civic Association Hall of Fame - 1967
• Associates' Degree, Nassau Community College in Nassau
County, New York
Sources:
NLBM Legacy 2000 Players' Reunion Alumni Book, Kansas City Missouri: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Inc., 2000.
James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994.
William Dumpson