Former Birmingham Black Barons player grateful MLB recognizing Negro League stats Negro League players now recognized as major leaguers By Josh Gauntt | December 17, 2020 at 11:25 PM CST - Updated December 18 at 6:42 AM BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A former Negro League player is calling a recent decision by Major League Baseball an honor. Up until this week, MLB didnât officially consider the Negro League as a major league. William âBillâ Greason had a pretty mean curve ball and could strike you out in a heartbeat with his fastball. âIf I got two strikes on you, it was over,â Greason said. Greason, now 96, reminiscing of the days when he played for the Birmingham Black Barons which is a part of the Negro League. Before that, he was a member of the Montford Point Marines , Americaâs first group of African Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He ended up on Iwo Jima.