New Briggs Field
Jackie Robinson, the first Black player to play in the big leagues, was honored all across Major League Baseball on April 15, the 79th anniversary of his 1947 debut. As has been done for years, all players wore No. 42 on that day, a traditional event.
Meanwhile in Paterson, N.J., an event was held on the same date honoring Johnny Briggs, the native who played 12 years in the Majors. He was originally signed by the Phillies in 1963 and wore their hat for the ceremony. He made his big league debut with the Phils the following season. In September 1982 after he retired, the city’s Little League field where he started was renamed “John Briggs Athletic Field."
On Jackie Robinson Day, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh oversaw a rededication ceremony to open a refurbished John Briggs Field. “But today, it’s all about Johnny Briggs. And Johnny Briggs knows that his city loves him. And today, as a token of our appreciation for Johnny Briggs, we have completely transformed the field named in his honor.”
Sayegh continued, “Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League with the Brooklyn Dodgers so that Johnny Briggs and many others could play on a baseball field in the Major Leagues,” Sayegh said. “And so, Johnny Briggs, a trailblazer in his own right … who today I’m going to call an MVP -- Most Valuable Patersonian -- we’re honoring a local legend, an MVP, with a new and improved field to pay tribute to the past, to focus on the present and to, of course, have a brighter future,” reported MLB.com’s Dan Cichalski.
It’s all a part of a larger renovation of Paterson’s Westside Park that is expected to be completed in September. Briggs Field is the first of the refurbished facilities to reopen, with a riverwalk, baseball field, playground and more to follow.
Briggs and Larry Doby are the only baseball players in the Paterson Eastside High School Hall of Fame. Doby was the first Black player in the American League on July 5, 1947.
Among the many who attended this year’s event were Briggs’ wife, Renvy, and their two sons, Julian and Jalen. Now 82, Briggs lost his eyesight to an aggressive form of glaucoma while battling a cancerous stomach tumor nearly 10 years ago.
In addition to being a star athlete in Patterson, Briggs spent 25 years as a correction officer with the Passaic County Sheriff’s department after his playing career ended. He volunteered his time, too, serving as a recreation supervisor in the city overseeing baseball leagues, holding clinics and counseling youngsters. He retired as a lieutenant in 2008.
Baseball Career
Briggs, a left-handed-hitting outfielder, was signed to an $8,000 bonus by the Phillies in September 1962 following the New Jersey State American Legion tournament. His pro debut came the following year with the Bakersfield Bears in the Class A California League. The 19-year-old hit .297 in 120 games with 20 doubles, 21 homers, 20 stolen bases and 83 RBIs. He never played Minor League ball again.
Because of MLB bonus rules, Briggs was in the big leagues all of his second season, 1964. His playing time increased each of the next five seasons: pinch-hitting, pinch-running, playing all three outfield positions and learning how to play first base. In his eight seasons with the Phillies, he hit .251 with 85 doubles, 52 home runs and 209 RBIs in 695 games.
Briggs’ roommates included Richie Allen, Wes Covington, Tony Taylor, Tony Gonzalez and Larry Hisle. He was the Phillies' starting left fielder when Veterans Stadium opened on April 10, 1971.
He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers that same month. He played for the Brewers into the 1975 season when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins where he played his final 87 games. He was a regular for the Brewers in his first five seasons, hitting 21, 21, 18, 17 and 10 home runs. One of his teammates in 1975 was Hank Aaron.
Greatest Game
On Aug. 4, 1973, Briggs entered the record book by getting six hits in six at-bats in a 9-4 win against the Indians in Cleveland. He was the 22nd player in American League history to go 6-for-6. In Milwaukee Brewers history, no one has matched the feat.