Foundation hopes to keep Negro League stories alive
When Josh Gibson Field's renovation -- slated to begin Aug. 1 -- wraps up in the Hill District in spring 2009, there's little doubt that hundreds of Little League players around the city will benefit from the revamped complex.
It's more uncertain whether those players will realize the significance of the field's legendary namesake and the league he played for. But Gibson's grandson, Sean, is hoping that the legacy of the Negro Leagues won't be forgotten.
"It's very important," said Sean Gibson, president of the Pittsburgh-based Josh Gibson Foundation. "These guys paved the way for a lot of these baseball players who are making a lot of money right now."
To help keep alive the stories of the league born out of baseball's segregated era, the Gibson Foundation hosted the third annual Remembering the History Negro League All-Star Gala and Silent Auction on Saturday at Heinz History Center.
The event celebrated the Negro Leagues and its players - several of whom were present for the event.
"I appreciate what Sean has done," former Chicago American Giants outfielder John "Mule" Miles said. "He's done a lot for the Negro Leagues. It's an honor for us to be out here and converse with people about the Negro Leagues."
The money raised from the gala and auction is going toward the educational and community programs that the foundation sponsors. Educating kids in computer and other skills remains a top priority, but remembering the Negro Leaguers is high on the organization's priority list, too.
"The Negro Leagues are the foundation of what we see today on the field," said ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jay Harris, who's on the foundation's board of directors. "What these guys did under the conditions they played in ... It's a history that should be remembered, showcased and celebrated."
Major League Baseball, the organization that shunned black players before Jackie Robinson broke that barrier in 1947, has implemented several programs to honor the Negro Leagues.
Over half of the teams in the majors have tribute nights, where they wear jerseys representing Negro League clubs that played in their respective cities.
In addition, a special committee established in 1971 has inducted players into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., once a province for white players only.
And on June 5, Major League Baseball had an honorary draft in which each team selected one surviving ex-Negro League player to add to its roster. Locally, the Pirates drafted Homestead Grays catcher James Tillman, an 88-year-old who backed up Josh Gibson.
"Everything can be improved, but I think (Major League Baseball has) done a great job," Sean said.
Time is running out on honoring the players, though.
Only about 150 players from an era that ended in 1951 still are alive, according to Raymond Doswell, deputy director of the National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo.
"And probably only a third of that number can still travel and do things like this," Sean said. "Right now is the time to pay tribute to these guys and let them know that what they've done is appreciated."
Juan Marichal, the keynote speaker at the gala, is a former major-league pitcher who appreciates the Negro League players' contribution to the game. He grew up in the Dominican Republic in the 1940s, a time when many Negro Leaguers played on the island.
"When I was a kid, I was crazy about baseball," said Marichal, a Hall of Famer. "They used take me to the games just to see some of the players in the Negro Leagues."
In those days, Marichal's most cherished possession was a picture of a 1937 Dominican team that included renowned Negro League players such as Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige and "Cool Papa" Bell.
Sean Gibson is hopeful the memory of that era will linger with the children who will play on Josh Gibson Field in the spring.
"You have to start at the generation below you, and hopefully, they'll pass it along," he said. "My grandfather passed (the memories of the Negro Leagues) on to me. I'll pass it on to my kids, and they'll pass it on to their kids. That's the way it has to work."
Negro League highlights
• The league's first pro team was established in 1885.
• In 1932, the Pittsburgh Crawfords fielded a team that included five future Hall of Famers: Satchel Paige, center fielder "Cool Papa" Bell, catcher Josh Gibson, third baseman Judy Johnson and outfielder/manager Oscar Charleston.
• From the late 1930s through the 1940s, the Homestead Grays played their home games at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. Gibson and Hall of Fame first baseman Buck Leonard led the Grays to nine consecutive National League titles, starting with the 1937 season.
• Among the Major League Baseball stars who competed in the Negro Leagues early in their careers: Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, Larry Doby and Jackie Robinson.
• The last major Negro League season is considered 1951.
