September 10, 1942: Satchel Paige vs. Josh Gibson

Satchel Paige (left) and Josh Gibson

September 10, 1942: The men generally recognized as the greatest pitcher and the greatest hitter in the history of the Negro Leagues have a showdown.

Josh Gibson was a catcher, and people who saw him -- nearly all of them black -- said he was the greatest catcher ever. That was defensively. Offensively, some people called him "The Black Babe Ruth." Others called Ruth "The White Josh Gibson." In a career that began in 1930, he starred for the Homestead Grays, who, for reasons I've never been able to figure out, divided their home games between Pittsburgh, near the coal-mining town of Homestead, for which they were named; and Washington, D.C. He also spent significant time with the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

How far could Gibson hit a baseball? He was alleged to be the only man ever to hit a fair ball out of the original Yankee Stadium in New York. No proof of this has ever been found. A historian decided to try to prove it, figuring that, if it had happened, the sources most likely to say so at the time were the black newspapers, such as New York's Amsterdam News, the Philadelphia Tribune, the Baltimore Afro-American, the Washington Afro-American, the Pittsburgh Courier, the Chicago Defender, and the Kansas City Call. He found plenty of references to Gibson playing in games at Yankee Stadium, and a few to him hitting home runs, some very long -- but none to him hitting one that left the complex in fair territory.

Another legend is that Gibson and the Crawfords played the Philadelphia Stars in Pittsburgh, and he hit a ball so far, nobody ever saw where it landed. After the game, the teams got on their respective buses, and went across Pennsylvania to play in Philadelphia the next day. And as they're getting ready to play, a ball comes out of nowhere, and one of the Stars' players catches it. The same umpire was on hand, saw this, pointed to Gibson, and said, "Yer out, yesterday in Pittsburgh!"

Gibson is credited with hitting 84 home runs in a season, and over 800 for his career. However, that's for all the games he played. That means many more than the 154 that major league teams then played in a regular season, because they played wherever they could, both within their league and without, so they could make more money. And how often did Gibson face a pitcher with major league talent? Only occasionally -- but one such pitcher, and then some, was Satchel Paige.

Leroy Robert Paige was known as "Satchel" because he always seemed to be carrying one, because he always seemed to be on the move. He first played in 1926, for the Chattanooga Black Lookouts, named for the all-white team of the same name. He starred for the Birmingham Black Barons, the Kansas City Monarchs, was a teammate of Gibson's on the Crawfords, and, in 1941, pitched for the New York Black Yankees. (They weren't nearly as successful as their namesakes: If there were a "Yankees of the Negro Leagues," it was the Monarchs, with the Grays not far behind.)

In 1942, the Monarchs won the Negro American League Pennant, while the Grays won the Negro National League Pennant. For the 1st time since 1927, there would be a Negro World Series. Oddly, each game was played in a different city.

Game 1 was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington -- one of the Grays' home fields -- on September 8. Paige pitched 5 innings, Jack Matchett 4, and the Monarchs won, 8-0.

Game 2 was played at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh -- the Grays' other home field -- on September 10. In the bottom of the 6th inning, the Monarchs led, 2-0, with Hilton Smith pitching a shutout, but Paige was brought in to relieve. In the 7th inning, the Grays loaded the bases with 2 outs, and Gibson came up to bat.

Gibson and Paige had long speculated as to what would happen if they faced each other in a truly big situation, a case of "the irresistible force vs. the immovable object." Gibson fouled off the 1st 2 pitches. He missed the 3rd: Paige struck him out.

As with the meeting between Grover Cleveland Alexander and Tony Lazzeri in Game 7 of the 1926 World Series, the legend has this confrontation happening in the 9th inning, ending the game, not just the inning. As with the preceding, it actually happened in the 7th inning, and the game was far from over. In the 8th, the Monarchs extended their lead to 5-0. The Grays came back to make it 5-4. But in the 9th, the Monarchs put the game away, and won, 8-4.

Game 3 was played on September 13, at Yankee Stadium. Paige was tired, and left after 2 innings, but Matchett pitched well the rest of the way, and the Monarchs won, 9-3. Game 4 was not played until September 20, at Ruppert Stadium in Kansas City, home of the Monarchs and the Kansas City Blues, the Yankees' top farm team. (It was later renamed Kansas City Municipal Stadium.) Stricken with injuries, the Grays brought in "ringers" like Leon Day. The Grays won, with Day outpitching Paige, but because of the ringers, the Monarchs lodged a protest. It was upheld, and Game 4 was stricken from the record.

So a new Game 4 was played on September 29, at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. (It was later renamed Connie Mack Stadium.) The Monarchs won, 9-5, completing a sweep. In the 5 games, including the one that didn't count, Paige appeared in each, going 16 innings, giving up 6 runs on 8 hits, striking out 18.

In early 1943, Gibson was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He refused the option of surgical removal, and lived the next four years with recurring headaches. In 1944, Gibson was hospitalized in Washington, D.C. at Gallinger Hospital, for mental observation. Gibson continued to play through the 1946 season, with intense pain, self-medicating, and getting addicted to prescription drugs. On January 20, 1947, Gibson died of a stroke in Pittsburgh. He was only 35 years old. Three months later, Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier.

The following year, Paige made his MLB debut, at age 42, with the Cleveland Indians, He helped them win the World Series, and remained in the white majors until 1953, with a one-game return in 1965, at 59, making him the oldest player in major league history.

In 1966, Ted Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In his acceptance speech, he asked that Negro League players be allowed the chance for election to the Hall, specifically naming Paige and Gibson. In 1971, Paige was the 1st such player so honored. The following year, Gibson and his Grays teammate Walter "Buck" Leonard were elected. Paige died in 1982.

Statues of Gibson now stand outside the current ballparks in the cities where he played most of his home games: Nationals Park in Washington and PNC Park in Pittsburgh. A statue of Paige stands in Cooper Park in Cooperstown, New York, around the corner from the Hall of Fame.

*

September 10, 1942 was a Thursday. These games were played in the white major leagues:

* The New York Yankees lost to the St. Louis Browns, 9-0 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Denny Galehouse pitched a 3-hit shutout, while Wally Judnich hit 2 home runs. Joe DiMaggio went 0-for-3 with a walk.

* The New York Giants lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-1 at the Polo Grounds. Stan Musial went 0-for-4. Mel Ott, also the Giants' manager at this point, hit a home run for the team's only run.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Chicago Cubs, 10-2 at Ebbets Field.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Boston Braves, 6-2 at Braves Field in Boston.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Danny Litwhiler doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-4 at Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium) in Detroit. Ted Williams and Dom DiMaggio hit home runs for the BoSox, but it wasn't enough.

* A doubleheader was split at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The Chicago White Sox won the opener, 7-1. The Washington Senators won the nightcap, 5-4.

* And the Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Athletics were not scheduled.

September 10, 1933: The 1st Negro League All-Star Game

There is no known photo of the 1933 game,

but this photo from the 1934 game has many of the same players.

September 10, 1933: Just 2 months after the 1st All-Star Game in what is now called Major League Baseball was played at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the 1st Negro League East-West Game is played at the same venue.

Comiskey was not just a good logistical choice, since it was easy for pretty much anyone in the country to get to Chicago, but a symbolic choice: It was the home not just of the American League's Chicago White Sox, but of one of the best-known Negro League teams, the Chicago American Giants, whose greatest player, Rube Foster had founded the original Negro National League.

Fan balloting was conducted in the major black newspapers of the day. The most popular vote-getter was Oscar Charleston, with Willie Foster, Rube's brother and teammate, finishing 2nd, and 1st among pitchers. It was still relatively early in the careers of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, who would become the best-known pitcher and hitter, respectively, in Negro League play, so they didn't do as well in the voting as would now be expected: Paige was 4th among pitchers, while Gibson was 2nd to Biz Mackey among catchers.

The East team, managed by John Henry "Pop" Lloyd:

* From the Pittsburgh Crawfords: Starting 1st baseman Oscar Charleston, starting center fielder James "Cool Papa" Bell, starting pitcher Sam Streeter, starting 2nd baseman John Henry Russell, starting left fielder Vic Harris, reserve pitchers Leroy "Satchel" Paige and Bertrum Hunter, reserve 3rd baseman William "Judy" Johnson, and reserve outfielders Ted Page and Leroy Matlock.

* From the Philadelphia Stars: Starting catcher James "Biz" Mackey, starting 3rd baseman Ernest "Jud" Wilson, starting right fielder Herbert "Rap" Dixon, and starting shortstop Dick Lundy.

* From the Homestead Grays: Reserve pitcher George Britt. (Not to be confused with George Brett.)

* And from the Kansas City Monarchs (even though they were a West team): Reserve pitcher Andy Cooper.

Charleston, Bell, Paige, Johnson, Mackey, Wilson and Cooper were later elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The West team, managed by Larry Brown (a player-manager):

* From the Chicago American Giants: Starting catcher Larry Brown, starting pitcher Willie Foster, starting 1st baseman George "Mule" Suttles, starting shortstop Willie Wells, starting center fielder Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, starting 3rd baseman Alex Radcliffe, starting left fielder Walter "Steel Arm" Davis, reserve pitcher William "Sug" Cornelius, and utility player Jack Marshall.

* From the Nashville Elite Giants: Starting right fielder Sammy Bankhead, reserve catcher Tommy Dukes, and reserve pitchers Jim Willis and Percy Bailey.

* From the Cleveland Giants: Starting 2nd baseman Leroy Morney.

* And from the Kansas City Monarchs: Reserve 2nd baseman Newton "Newt" Allen, and utility player T.J. Young.

Foster, Suttles, Wells and Stearnes would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

None of the West's bench players got into the game. The East batted first. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 3rd, when Stearnes singled Bankhead home. The East made it 3-1 in the top of the 4th, but a Suttles home run was part of a 4-3 West lead. Wilson singled home 2 runs in the top of the 5th, making it 5-4 East.

The West took control from there, scoring 3 runs in the 6th, 3 more in the 7th, and 1 in the 8th. The East scored 2 in the 9th, but it wasn't enough, and the West won, 11-7. Gibson made the final out. There was no most valuable player in the game, but Suttles would have been the best choice, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and 3 RBIs.

The East-West Game continued to be played until the Negro American League folded in 1962.

*

September 10, 1933 was a Sunday. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was born.

In the still-all-white major leagues, these games were played:

* The New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Detroit Tigers, 2-1 and 9-1 at Yankee Stadium. Lefty Gomez and Johnny Allen were the winning pitchers. Over the 2 games, Babe Ruth went 1-for-4

 with a walk before sitting out most of the 2nd game, Lou Gehrig went 2-for-5 with a home run, 2 walks and 2 RBIs, and Hank Greenberg went 2-for-8 with an RBI.

* The New York Giants swept the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1 and 2-1 at Redland Field in Cincinnati. (The next season, the ballpark was renamed Crosley Field.) In the opener, Giants player-manager Bill Terry went 2-for-5 with an RBI. So did Mel Ott. So did Travis Jackson. In the nightcap, Terry went 0-for-4 with a walk, but had an RBI on a sacrifice fly; and Jackson went 0-for-4, but Ott went 3-for-5.

* A doubleheader was split at Ebbets Field. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1st game, 2-1. The Brooklyn Dodgers won the 2nd game, 3-2. Over the 2 games, Paul Waner went 4-for-8, and Lloyd Waner went 2-for-7 with a walk and an RBI.

* The St. Louis Browns swept the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 and 4-0 at Fenway Park in Boston. George Blaeholder of the Browns and Johnny Welch of the Red Sox battled to a 0-0 tie for 10 innings. Welch ran out of gas in the top of the 11th, and the Browns scored 4 runs.

* The Washington Senators beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-3 at Griffith Stadium in Washington.

* The Chicago Cubs swept the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0 and 4-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Bud Tripping pitched a 6-hit shutout in the 1st game.

* The St. Louis Cardinals swept the Boston Braves, 7-0 and 10-5 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Bill Hallahan pitched a 4-hit shutout in the 1st game.

* And the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics were rained out at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader the next day. The A's swept, 5-3 and 8-0. In the 1st game, Lefty Grove outpitched Ted Lyons. In the 2nd game, Johnny Marcum pitched a 5-hit shutout.

January 20, 1947: The Death of Josh Gibson

January 20, 1947: Josh Gibson dies of a brain tumor in Pittsburgh. The Negro Leagues' most renowned slugger was only 35 years old. Jackie Robinson desegregated the major leagues 3 months later.

Born on December 21, 1911 in Buena Vista, Georgia, Gibson was a catcher, playing most of his career with the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-36) and the Homestead Grays (1930-31, 1937-39, 1942-46), who divided their games between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

He made 12 Negro League All-Star Games. He won 3 Negro National League batting titles, and 2 Triple Crowns. He led the Grays to the Negro World Series title in 1943 and 1944. He is said to have hit as many as 84 home runs in a season, and over 800 in his career. However, that was due to teams playing many non-league exhibition games on "barnstorming tours," because it was the only way to make as much money as in "the white major leagues."

And how much of that was against major-league quality pitching? There is no way to know, any more than we can know how the white stars of the time would have done against the era's top black pitchers. While there are several surviving photographs of him playing, there is no known surviving film, so we can't analyze his swing or see where he hit the ball. We can't "break down his mechanics" or make a "spray chart" for him. For the most part, we can only guess.

The legend that he hit a fair ball completely out of the original Yankee Stadium is just that: A legend. Someone once tried to prove it true by looking at the sources most likely to say that it happened at the time, if it did: The nation's black newspapers, such as New York's Amsterdam News and Gibson's hometown Pittsburgh Courier. He found records of plenty of games that Gibson played at Yankee Stadium, and a few home runs, some of them apparently very long. Not one of those newspapers that would have been most favorable to him said at the time that he hit one all the way out of Yankee Stadium. So this is one legend that can be put to rest.

Another legend is that Gibson and the Crawfords played the Philadelphia Stars in Pittsburgh, and he hit a ball so far, nobody ever saw where it landed. After the game, the teams then got on their respective buses, and went across Pennsylvania to play in Philadelphia the next day. And as they're getting ready to play, a ball comes out of nowhere, and one of the Stars' players catches it. The same umpire was on hand, saw this, pointed to Gibson, and said, "You're out, yesterday in Pittsburgh!"

In early 1943, Gibson was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He refused the option of surgical removal, and lived the next 4 years with recurring headaches. In 1944, Gibson was hospitalized in Washington, D.C. at Gallinger Hospital, for mental observation. He continued to play through the 1946 season, despite the pain, and the self-medication that led to him becoming addicted to prescription drugs. On January 20, 1947, Gibson died of a stroke, caused by the tumor, in Pittsburgh.

If Gibson had not gotten sick, could he have played in the majors? He always had the talent. But if Satchel Paige could get in the next year at age 42, surely, the man known as "The Black Babe Ruth" – leading some black fans to call Ruth "The White Josh Gibson" – could have made it at 35.

If black players had always been allowed, would Gibson have broken Ruth's records? Unlikely. In every game, he would have been facing major league quality pitchers and major league quality umpires, who would have been unwilling to give him a break. He might have hit 500 home runs. He would not have hit 715 to exceed Ruth, or 756 to exceed Hank Aaron, or 763 to exceed Barry Bonds.

Because the Grays split their games between the Steel City and the nation's capital, both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals have elected him to their team halls of fame, and both have dedicated statues of him outside their ballparks.

In addition to Gibson, the Pittsburgh Pirates have honored Grays players center fielder Oscar Charleston, 1st baseman Walter "Buck" Leonard and pitcher Ray Brown.

*

January 20, 1947 was a Monday. Baseball and football were out of season. And there were no games scheduled in the NBA for that day. There were 2 games played in the Basketball Association of America, in its 1st season. In 1949, after its 3rd, it would take on some teams from the National Basketball League, and become the National Basketball Association.

The Chicago Stags beat the Boston Celtics, 81-54 at the Boston Garden. And the Pittsburgh Ironmen beat the Detroit Falcons, 62-57 at the Duquesne Gardens in Pittsburgh.