FANFEST NOTEBOOK / MARTIN HENDERSON : Green Now Relishes His Place in History Books

What Pumpsie Green lacked on the baseball field, he made up for in civil rights.

Though he played only five years and batted .246, Green really didn’t understand what his legacy was in professional baseball until he saw his name in a history book.

He broke the color barrier in Boston.

Green signed autographs Sunday at the Upper Deck All-Star FanFest at the San Diego Convention Center, and most of those who waited in line for a Bobby Richardson and Pumpsie Green signature didn’t know what they were getting with the latter.

Green, 58, broke in with Boston in 1959 and played there for four years before joining the New York Mets in 1963. He played 139 games at second base, 104 at shortstop.

“Any person going to the big leagues for the first time, that’s enough pressure,” Green said. “This (color barrier issue) is brought up continuously, but then, I’m glad they haven’t forgotten it, really.

“It means a great deal now. I hadn’t given it much thought at the time--I just wanted to play ball--but then I saw my name in a couple of magazines and history books.”

Green, who played in the Texas, California and International leagues, said the abuses he faced in Boston were no worse than any place else he played.

“Boston just had the reputation,” he said. “I couldn’t differentiate anything.”

Green has been coaching baseball at Berkeley High School for the past 16 years.

“We’re a perennial second-place team,” he said. “It’s hard to get young people to go to school, stay eligible and play ball nowadays.”

Just happy to be here: Among the players who have participated under the Upper Deck Heroes of Baseball banner are Frank “Noodles” Zupo (18 at-bats and three hits over three years), Nick Willhite (6-12, 4.55 ERA over five years), Roger Freed (717 at-bats, .245 over eight years) and Joe Charboneau, who had 29 home runs in a three-year career, but 23 in his rookie season.

Among the other heroes who have penned their signatures for the masses were Juan Marichal, Fergie Jenkins, Steve Garvey, Bobby Bonds and Dick Allen.

Hot ticket: Enos “Country” Slaughter, 76, who batted .300 over a 19-year career from 1938-1959 (there was a break during World War II), is enjoying the residuals of having coached baseball at Duke University from 1971 to 1977: He’s got season tickets for the NCAA champion basketball team. He says he doesn’t paint his face blue, though.

Slaughter is now growing tobacco and raising cattle on a farm in Roxboro, N.C.

“The kids today, they’re not aware of who I am,” said Slaughter, who signed autographs for two hours. “They come up and want to know what team I played on, but I’m happy to accommodate them.”

Slaughter played in five World Series games, two for St. Louis and three for the Yankees.

Hot rumor: Tom Selleck, former star of Magnum P.I., might visit FanFest today. Look for guys wearing Tigers paraphernalia.

Overheard: San Diego’s Paul MacKenzie, 18, and his brother, John, were doing a voice-over on videotape of Steve Garvey’s Game 4 home run in 1984. John, 12, made a great call.

A sound bite:

Paul: “(First pitch to Garvey) That’s a ball, high and outside.”

John: “Actually, I’d walk him, Paul.”

FanFest Notes

Spotted: A man had “All-Star tickets for sale” taped to his back and both shoulders. The tickets, in plaza level, section 23, were $200 apiece. He had two. He sold two earlier in the day. He is a Padre employee. . . . Among the attractions at Diamond Theatre: Tony Gwynn at 10 a.m.; Randy Myers, Dann Bilardello, Frank Seminara and Kevin Ward at 11 a.m.; Dan Quisenberry at noon; FanFest spokesman Rollie Fingers at 3 p.m.; Randy Hundley at 4 p.m.; Donald Fehr, head of the Players Assn., at 5 p.m.; Rick Aguilera, Dennis Eckersley, Jeff Montgomery, Norm Charlton and Doug Jones in a round-table discussion at 6 p.m.; and the HBO premiere of “When It Was a Game II. . . . Negro League players from 1930-50 will take part in the autograph signing session at the Heroes of Baseball exhibit. Players include Sammy Haynes, Buster Haywood, Lorenzo “Piper” Davis, Eugene Benson, Marlin Carter, Verdell Mathis, Leon Day, Alfred “Slick” Surrat, John Miles and Andy Porter.