Phil Cockrell

Who was Phil Cockrell?

Phillip "Fish" Cockrell, born Phillip Williams, was a baseball player in the Negro Leagues.

Cockrell started his career as a top-level Negro League pitcher in 1917, playing for both with the Lincoln Giants and Hilldale. He pitched for Hilldale from then until the team's demise in 1932.

He was pitcher and outfielder from 1917 to 1934.

Cockrell was the first pitcher to pitch in the first Negro League World Series. Game One of the Negro League World Series occurred on October 3, 1924 at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Cockrell was also the first Negro League pitcher to pitch at historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey. He started the first game of a doubleheader between the Paterson Pros and the Bacharach Giants on August 14, 1932. While with Hilldale he formed a close friendship with teammate George Washington "Dibo" Johnson that extended beyond the baseball diamond, and he and Johnson roomed together after their playing careers ended.

He lived in Philadelphia after his retirement as a player, rooming with former teammate George Johnson. After Dibo Johnson died, Cockrell led a fundraiser to get money for a memorial tablet for his grave.