Colquitt County Hall of Famer John Glenn dies in New Jersey

Dec. 2—MOULTRIE — Moultrie's John Glenn had a long career as a professional baseball player, although only 32 games of it came in the major leagues.

But Glenn, who died at 93 on June 4, 2023, in Delran, N.J., did not complain.

"I wouldn't take anything for it," the 1946 graduate of the Moultrie High for Negro Youth said several years agos. "Baseball made it possible for me to know what life was all about and to live with people of different cultures."

Glenn played 14 seasons in the minor leagues with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and other organizations from 1950-1963, retiring with a career minor league batting average of .275.

After he retired from professional baseball, he lived in New Jersey for the rest of his life.

He visited Moultrie often, including in 2000 when he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Colquitt County Sports Hall of Fame.

Glenn was born July 10, 1928, in Moultrie and spent part of his youth in Thomas County.

He played little baseball growing up, but in high school was an outstanding football and basketball player.

Glenn was a two-way end for the Rams under coach A.F. Shaw, making good use of his speed.

His play on the Rams' basketball teams coached by William H. Dennis earned him the opportunity to compete at Morehouse College in Atlanta for a year before he joined the Marine Corps.

He was impressive enough playing softball at Camp Pendleton that he was asked to join the base's baseball team.

In 1950, he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

It took the young outfielder a decade to reach the major leagues, partly because the Dodgers' center field position was held by future Hall of Famer Duke Snider.

Glenn was with several Dodgers farm clubs, including the one in Hornell, N.Y., where he played against the Batavia, N.Y., team that featured fellow Moultrian RC Stevens, who was then in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

In 1953, Glenn and Charley Neal were the first Blacks to play in the Piedmont League when both were members of the Dodgers' Newport News, Va., club.

He played in Pueblo, Colo., in 1955 and the following year was the first Black to play for the Macon Peaches.

Glenn spent three seasons at the Dodgers' Class AAA team in St. Paul, Minn.

Surgery on an injured knee cost him a chance to reach the majors in 1958.

On June 15, 1960, Glenn was traded by the Dodgers to the St. Louis Cardinals for Duke Carmel and Jim Donahue and he made his major league debut against Cincinnati at Crosley Field the next day.

Glenn went into the game as a pinch runner for Bob Nieman in the first inning and remained in the game to play left field.

He flied out in his first at bat, but in the fifth inning, got his first major league hit, a single off right-hander Bob Purkey.

Among his St. Louis Cardinal teammates were Stan Musial, Julian Javier, Ken Boyer, Curt Flood, Bob Gibson and Tim McCarver.

Glenn remained with the Cardinals until July 31.

During that time, he played in 32 games, starting six, going 8-for-31, hitting .258 with a triple and five runs batted in.

He went 2-for-4 with a triple in a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on June 26 and 2-for-4 again on July 3 in a 7-5 win over the Milwaukee Braves.

But he was hitless in his next nine at bats before he was sent to Rochester, the Cardinals' AAA team in the International League.

Glenn spent the next three seasons with several minor league clubs before retiring after the 1963 season.

He also played winter baseball in the Caribbean for several years and in 1953 played for the Jackie Robinson All-Stars.

He said his highest salary was $12,000 when he was traded to the Cardinals.

During Glenn's professional baseball career, his wife Helen taught school in Moultrie.

When he retired, Glenn and his wife settled in New Jersey. He attended RCA technical school and worked in the chemical industry before retiring.

His wife died in 1990.

Glenn is survived by his son John Glenn III, who lives in Moultrie, and seven daughters.