Willis Jefferson Flournoy (August 9, 1895 â November 22, 1964) was an American baseball pitcher in the Negro leagues. He played from 1919 to 1932. He was nicknamed Jesse, Lefty, and Pud. He won the Eastern Colored League earned run average (ERA) title in 1926 for the Brooklyn Royal Giants.
On August 19, 1925, Flournoy struck William Williams, 18, while driving at a Brooklyn intersection. He then drove Williams, who was found to have a fractured skull and possible internal injuries, to the hospital for treatment. Flournoy reported the incident to police, who did not press charges.