Sports and Torts: Bill White

Bill White is a true baseball pioneer. He began his career as the only black player in a Southern minor league, and became an all-star in the big leagues. He was the first Black person to regularly do play-by-play for a major league team and served five years as National League president—the highest-ranking Black exec in all of pro sports at the time. We touch upon all of that in this candid interview with one of baseball\'s most respected figures.

Sports and Torts: Smiles with Alicia Harris

The lovely Alicia talks about her transition from record stetting college track star to successful figure competitor and fitness consultant.

Bill White

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 RBIs 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 few MLB players who have hit at least .300 and driven in at least 100 runs in three consecutive seasons. 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. After ending his playing career White became a sportscaster for WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV) in Philadelphia. While in Philadelphia, White became the first African-American to broadcast NHL hockey when he called several Flyers\' games.
In 1971 White joined the New York Yankees\' broadcast team. He called Yankee games from 1971 to 1988, 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 worked with Rizzuto and Messer on WPIX. 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. WPIX and its usual Rizzuto-Messer-White broadcast trifecta carried the ALCS in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1981, providing New York viewers a local alternative to the nationally-broadcast telecasts. From 1989 to 1994, White served as president of the National League. White was the first African-American to hold such a high executive position in sports.

Bill\'s Career Stats

Alicia Harris

I believe passionately in the Lord and my spiritual self and give all the glory to God for blessing and molding me. My number one priority is
him, followed by my family then my own health & wellness. Growing up in Illinois, I am extremely fortunate to have loving parents who
instilled very strong values in me that shine through today. One of their strongest and exemplified values was that of love, not only with
your significant other but through God. Both of my parents were athletes which was the driving factor to my ability to have great genetics. My father
was a collegiate basketball, football and track athlete and my mother was a track and field athlete in the
country of Guyana, South America and now is an experienced tennis player. My athletic background has
encompassed basketball, track and most recently Figure competitions. My parents athleticism does not stop
with me by any means however. One of my brothers played in the National Football League, went on to the
European Football League obtaining All American honors and now is running professionally representing
Guyana, South America.


I was a scholarship athlete in Track and Field at Eastern Illinois University, receiving many honors and setting
records that still stand to this day. I went on to receive my Masters in Sports Management at Northern
Illinois University.


My professional experience has included game day assistance with the Chicago Bears
National Football League team, Chicago Sky Women’s National Basketball Association,
the Arena Football team, Chicago Rush and other Chicago teams.



How did I get into competing? Honestly, I was missing the camaraderie of collegiate Track & Field so I decided to
embark in the bodybuilding world as a figure competitor. Within two years I worked my way from the local competition
level to the national level competing for the first time professionally in 2009.


Follow Alicia on Twitter

Alicia\'s Website