Josh Gibson - The Black Babe Ruth.
To be honest I can only tell you what I can look-up around the internet about the tragic short but remarkable life of Josh Gibson.
Unfortunately Josh died at the age of 35 from a massive stroke brought on by a brain tumor he refused to have removed when it was discovered four years before his death. Josh Gibson's life long dream was to play in the major leagues but he died suddenly 3 months before Jackie Robinson broke the color line and played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
His duels with Hall of Famer Sachel Page are legendary and depicted by the character of Leon Carter played by James Earl Jones in the movie "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings". There is a scene in the movie when The All Stars were set to play an exibition against The Dodgers back in the mid 40s but Josh's only chance to show his stuff against all white major league baseball was rained out breaking Gibson's heart. However that scene was part of the movie and used for dramatic purposes as Gibson did play in several exibitions against the big leagues during his career.
Born December 21, 1911, Buena Vista, Georgia, U.S.—died January 20, 1947, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) .
American professional baseball player called the black Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players kept from the major leagues by the unwritten rule (enforced until the year of his death) against hiring black ballplayers.
Gibson played as a catcher for the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1927–29 and 1932–36) and the Homestead Grays of Pennsylvania (1930–31 and 1937–46).
Although precise records do not exist, he is believed to have led the Negro National League in home runs for 10 consecutive seasons and to have had a career batting average of .347. He hit 75 home runs for Homestead in 1931. His catching ability was praised by Walter Johnson and other major league stars against whom he played in exhibition games.
Josh Gibson never got a chance to play in the majors, but he's considered one of the greatest sluggers ever.
Gibson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. When his accomplishments were finally recognized, along with Buck Leonard, and they became the second and third Negro League players, behind Satchel Paige, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1928, Gibson met Helen Mason, whom he married on March 7, 1929. Tragically in 1930 young Mrs. Gibson's who was pregnant with twins, went into premature labor and died while giving birth to a twin son, Josh Gibson, Jr., and daughter, named Helen after her mother. The children were raised by Helen's parents.
Negro League Baseball is full of lore and legend, one story involving Gibson goes like this:
In the last of the ninth at Pittsburgh while playing for The Pittsburg Crawfords, down a run, with a runner on base and two outs, Gibson hits one high and deep, so far into the twilight sky that it disappears from sight, apparently winning the game. The next day, the same two teams are playing again, now in Washington. Just as the teams have positioned themselves on the field, a ball comes falling out of the sky and a Washington outfielder grabs it. The umpire yells to Gibson, "You're out! In Pittsburgh, yesterday!".
The Washington Nationals are planning to honor Josh Gibson as a "Washington baseball legend" with a statue at Nationals Park. The statue is slated to be dedicated sometime in 2009.
Josh Gibson played baseball in the United States, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Mexico. His Home Runs-Hall of Fame plaque recognizes "almost 800" home runs for his career, a stat actually impossible to verify due to Negro League teams barnstorming around the Eastern Seaboard and the South during the 30's and 40's taking on all comers but not keeping accuarate game records.
All things considered The great Josh Gibson lived a tragic and way to brief life.
Recommended:
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976) is an affectionately comedic sports film about a team of enterprising ex-Negro League baseball players in the era of racial segregation. It starred Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones and Richard Pryor. Directed by John Badham, the movie was produced by Berry Gordy for Motown Productions and Rob Cohen for Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on November 17, 1976.
Available on Amazon and probably E-Bay.
wil.
To be honest I can only tell you what I can look-up around the internet about the tragic short but remarkable life of Josh Gibson.
Unfortunately Josh died at the age of 35 from a massive stroke brought on by a brain tumor he refused to have removed when it was discovered four years before his death. Josh Gibson's life long dream was to play in the major leagues but he died suddenly 3 months before Jackie Robinson broke the color line and played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
His duels with Hall of Famer Sachel Page are legendary and depicted by the character of Leon Carter played by James Earl Jones in the movie "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings". There is a scene in the movie when The All Stars were set to play an exibition against The Dodgers back in the mid 40s but Josh's only chance to show his stuff against all white major league baseball was rained out breaking Gibson's heart. However that scene was part of the movie and used for dramatic purposes as Gibson did play in several exibitions against the big leagues during his career.
Born December 21, 1911, Buena Vista, Georgia, U.S.—died January 20, 1947, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) .
American professional baseball player called the black Babe Ruth, one of the greatest players kept from the major leagues by the unwritten rule (enforced until the year of his death) against hiring black ballplayers.
Gibson played as a catcher for the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1927–29 and 1932–36) and the Homestead Grays of Pennsylvania (1930–31 and 1937–46).
Although precise records do not exist, he is believed to have led the Negro National League in home runs for 10 consecutive seasons and to have had a career batting average of .347. He hit 75 home runs for Homestead in 1931. His catching ability was praised by Walter Johnson and other major league stars against whom he played in exhibition games.
Josh Gibson never got a chance to play in the majors, but he's considered one of the greatest sluggers ever.
Gibson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. When his accomplishments were finally recognized, along with Buck Leonard, and they became the second and third Negro League players, behind Satchel Paige, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1928, Gibson met Helen Mason, whom he married on March 7, 1929. Tragically in 1930 young Mrs. Gibson's who was pregnant with twins, went into premature labor and died while giving birth to a twin son, Josh Gibson, Jr., and daughter, named Helen after her mother. The children were raised by Helen's parents.
Negro League Baseball is full of lore and legend, one story involving Gibson goes like this:
In the last of the ninth at Pittsburgh while playing for The Pittsburg Crawfords, down a run, with a runner on base and two outs, Gibson hits one high and deep, so far into the twilight sky that it disappears from sight, apparently winning the game. The next day, the same two teams are playing again, now in Washington. Just as the teams have positioned themselves on the field, a ball comes falling out of the sky and a Washington outfielder grabs it. The umpire yells to Gibson, "You're out! In Pittsburgh, yesterday!".
The Washington Nationals are planning to honor Josh Gibson as a "Washington baseball legend" with a statue at Nationals Park. The statue is slated to be dedicated sometime in 2009.
Josh Gibson played baseball in the United States, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Mexico. His Home Runs-Hall of Fame plaque recognizes "almost 800" home runs for his career, a stat actually impossible to verify due to Negro League teams barnstorming around the Eastern Seaboard and the South during the 30's and 40's taking on all comers but not keeping accuarate game records.
All things considered The great Josh Gibson lived a tragic and way to brief life.
Recommended:
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976) is an affectionately comedic sports film about a team of enterprising ex-Negro League baseball players in the era of racial segregation. It starred Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones and Richard Pryor. Directed by John Badham, the movie was produced by Berry Gordy for Motown Productions and Rob Cohen for Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on November 17, 1976.
Available on Amazon and probably E-Bay.
wil.
