Josh Gibson was a big man. At the age of eighteen, he weighed 190 pounds, stood six feet two inches tall, had a barrel chest, and had strong, powerful legs. He was a superb athlete with a keen batter's eye. He made history and spawned legends in his years with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays.
Born near Macon, Georgia, in 1911, he came to Pittsburgh to work in the mills with his family. One legend was that he was called from near the stands, where he was eating a hot dog, to replace an injured catcher. He had an excellent amateur reputation, and the manager may have told him to be ready to come into the game.
Teams of the Negro leagues played in many ballparks, including Forbes Field (located in the Oakland District of Pittsburgh), Yankee Stadium, and other baseball landmarks, playing strictly against their own.
The opening of baseball's big leagues to blacks was years away. It was in Yankee Stadium that Josh hit a 500-foot homer, a feat that brought him wide attention. Long hits became a trademark with him, and writers began to call him the "Colored Babe Ruth." He once swung on a curve ball, holding the bat with one hand, driving it 375 feet for a home run. His teammate Satchel Paige claimed that Josh's scoreboard hit in Wrigley Field would have been a 700-foot straight drive.
Through the 1930s and early 1940s, Josh Gibson played in Pittsburgh leagues, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. He suffered tragedy in his personal life when his first wife died, leaving him to care for twins, a son and a daughter. He encountered more troubles and estrangement because of his frequent absence from Pittsburgh, yet he continued to play - to catch brilliantly and bat powerfully. Three Halls of Fame eventually recognized his achievements. During one season, he batted a .526 average.
During the 1940's, his prowess declined. His knees were gone, and his health was failing. He suffered severe hypertension and may have had a brain tumor. He died of a stroke in 1947 at the age of 36, impoverished and in pain.
For many years, his grave was unmarked because there had not been enough money for a stone. In 1975, Ted Page and Pete Zorilla sought out the grave and started gathering money for a marker. Willie Stargell pledged the first $100 and offered more. When word reached the Commissioner of Baseball, a simple marker was provided and placed in Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Note: Just a short distance from Josh Gibson is the grave of the Pittsburgh Crawfords' owner.
