Wikipedia - "Greenlee Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, was the first black-built and black-owned major league baseball field in the United States. The field was the dream of Gus Greenlee, owner of the Pittsburgh Crawfords. In 1931, construction started on Bedford Avenue between Chauncy and Duff in Pittsburgh's Hill District. The park opened on April 29, 1932, and reportedly cost $100,000 ($1.5 million today). The first game was the next day, April 30, 1932 and had hall of famers Satchel Paige pitching to catcher Josh Gibson. Greenlee Field held 7500 spectators and it was the home field for the Crawfords throughout the Depression era. The Homestead Grays also played there for a time. It was located a few blocks up Bedford Avenue from Ammon Field, home to the Pittsburgh Keystones."
Wikipedia
W - Gus Greenlee
W - Pittsburgh Crawfords
W - Homestead Grays
Gus Greenlee and Greenlee Field
What Did Greenlee Field Look Like?
Project Ballpark
SABR: Gus Greenlee
Owner of the Legendary Crawford Grill and the Pittsburgh Crawfords
Louis Bellinger and Central Baseball Park
Bill, I'm a big fan of the Crawfords and read everything I can get my hands on about the team, the players, the owner, Pittsburgh in those years, etc. Thanks for posting this. Where did you find the photo?
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you read, "Sandlot Season: Sport in Black Pittsburgh" by Rob Ruck?