Joshua (Josh) Gibson (1911-1947)
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Hailed as Negro leagues' greatest slugger, he hit some 800 home runs in a baseball career that began here at Ammons Field in 1929. Played for Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords, 1930-46. Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, ' 72.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Before Major League Baseball opened its doors to Black players, some of the game's greatest talent thundered through the ballparks of the Negro leagues — and few hit harder than Josh Gibson. His career began at Pittsburgh's Ammons Field in 1929, and through the 1930s and '40s he powered the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords with a bat that reportedly launched some 800 home runs. Denied the big-league stage in his lifetime, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, a quarter century after his early death.
Why it matters
Gibson stands as one of the finest sluggers in baseball history and a lasting symbol of the extraordinary talent that segregation shut out of the major leagues.
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Related people
- · Josh Gibson
Related events
- · Negro leagues baseball
Themes & tags
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