I’m going to assume those who visit this blog on a semi-regular basis don’t require an extended introduction about Josh Gibson. Real quick: He was a catcher, played in the Negro Leagues, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame during the Nixon administration. He was the so-called “Black Babe Ruth,” in large part because of his ability to hit baseballs a long, long way; and although much of his Negro League career has been unearthed and calculated- here in August of 2009, over sixty years after he died- more than 50% of his career is still missing, yet to be pulled from the rubble.
We don’t have YouTube clips of Josh, or historic audio files of Vin Scully or whomever describing him in action, as he cut his swath across the black baseball landscape. But we do have newspaper clippings. Hundreds of them, in fact, written by those fortunate enough to have seen the man in action. These are baseball letters from the past, penned by black and white reporters from small towns and large cities, chronicaling the accomplishments of Gibson, Satchel and John Beckwith. Their reports have become gifts to us, dispatches from the great beyond.
To follow, in chronological order, is Volume One of Josh Gibson’s greatest hits, a text-based highlight reel of the legendary catcher at the plate. These are pulled from actual newspaper accounts of Pittsburgh Crawfords’ and Homestead Grays’ games, little vignettes of the man some called “The Basher.” Hope you enjoy them…
1931
“Josh Gibson, a local lad, furnished part of the batting fireworks by pounding out a long home run with one on the paths.”
“…the Grays clouted three home runs. Gibson clouting one of the longest balls that have been hit at the park this season, straight over the center field fence.”
1932
“Gibson, who is billed as the champion Negro long distance hitter, came though for the fans when he sunk one in the lake in deep left center. It was a terrific smash.”
“Josh Gibson’s four-base wallop into the center field stands in the last inning of Saturday’s second game, also scoring Page, spelled out a 4 to 3 defeat for the hustling Jamestown (NY) Spiderwebs.”
1934
“Josh Gibson thrilled (the crowd) with a long home run.”
1935
“Gibson hit two of the longest home runs ever witnessed in Delaware county. One of these mammoth home runs cleared the railroad tracks in left centerfield, and the other landed on the concrete base of the tower on these same tracks and bounced down to the Dewey School, or so it seemed.”
“Josh Gibson then greeted a Bennett pitch with a hidden dynamo and it sailed far, wide and handsome, over the railroad tracks…..(and then later) Gibson was the first at bat in the third, and the rugged receiver almost duplicated his smack, for the second home run in two tries.”
1937
“…the prodigious wallop that Josh Gibson, hefty home run slugger of the Grays, lofted clear over the left field fence in the first game.”
1938
“Josh Gibson led the parade with a mighty drive which sailed over the ticket office in deep centerfield and crashed into the railroad wall across the alley from the park.”
“In the second game, Gibson sailed one over the extreme centerfield fence, the ball passing out of the lot at a point where the big tree stands at the end of the fence and start of the garages in centerfield.”
“Gibson, regular catcher for the Homestead club, was sent to (play) right field and during the encounter cracked four home runs.”
“The big feature of the fray was a resounding home run smash by Herculean Josh Gibson, the Babe Ruth of colored baseball, who socked the old apple over the garages in deep left-center field.”
1942
“The big sensation of the first contest was a running catch by “Chin” Green, center fielder for the Black Yankees, on Josh Gibson’s fly to center field in the first inning. The ball went about 450 feet out near the flagpole and a quick return (throw) enabled the home team to make a double play and end the inning.” (at Yankee Stadium)
1943
“Gibson, in the sixth inning, gave the fans what they had been waiting for when he lifted one of Miller’s slants mid-way up into the center field bleachers for a home run, driving Leonard in ahead of him.”
“(Gibson) hit for a total of 12 bases, including a 440-foot, two-run home run to left field.”
“Josh Gibson opened up the second inning with a powerful homer, his seventh, far up in the left field bleachers, with none on.”
“Gibson, next up, leaned on one of his serves for a 430-foot line drive home run to win the game 6 to 5.”
“Josh Gibson hit the first ball Joe Hooker pitched to him for the circuit. The clout landed more than midway up in the centerfield bleachers and permitted “Cool Papa” Bell to score ahead of the Grays’ catcher.”
“Gibson, after taking a two-and-two count, hit the next ball 435 feet into the centerfield stands to put the Grays up 2-0.”
(Most of Gibson’s 1943 highlights were at Griffith Stadium, the Senators home park in Washington DC)
1944
“Gibson whaled out a 408-foot triple in the 7th.”
“The final Grays’ tally arrived in the eighth when Leonard singled to right and scored on Josh Gibson’s 408-foot double that carried to the wall in deep left.”
“Josh Gibson, Grays slugger, stealing individual honors by blasting two home runs, the first into the right field stands in the third, and the second into the left field stands in the seventh.”
“Josh Gibson plastered one of Johnny Markham’s offerings for a 370-foot homer in right center with one on in the fourth and none out to put the Grays out in front, 2-0.”
“A terrific 420 foot home run blast into the left field bull pen by Josh Gibson with two on base featured the first game.” (at Yankee Stadium)
1945
“Josh Gibson banged a 415-foot homer in the third to pace the seven-hit Grays attack.”
1946
“Sparked by Josh Gibson’s 354-foot homer into the lower deck of the leftfield stands…the Washington Homestead Grays took both ends of the twin bill from the Chicago American Giants before 10,000 at Comiskey Park Sunday.”
1947
JOSH GIBSON DIED AT AGE 35. JACKIE ROBINSON MADE HIS DEBUT WITH THE BROOKLYN DODGERS.
