Greenlee Field
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Located here from 1932 to 1938, this was the first African American owned stadium in the Negro Leagues. Home of Gus Greenlee's Pittsburgh Crawfords baseball team, 1935 Negro League champs. Players included Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Cool Papa Bell.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1932, Pittsburgh numbers baron Gus Greenlee built something no Black baseball owner had ever possessed: his own ballpark. From 1932 to 1938, Greenlee Field was the first African American–owned stadium in the Negro Leagues and home to his Pittsburgh Crawfords, the 1935 league champions. Its diamond hosted some of the greatest players in the sport's history — Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Cool Papa Bell among them.
Why it matters
In the era of segregation, a Black-owned stadium was both a haven for excluded talent and a statement of ownership and pride, marking the Negro Leagues as a cornerstone of African American economic and cultural life.
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Related people
- · Gus Greenlee
- · Satchel Paige
- · Josh Gibson
- · Cool Papa Bell
Themes & tags
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