Sam Bankhead

Hall of Famer and Negro League legend Judy Johnson called Sam…
Cool Papa Bell (CENTER FOR NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL RESEARCH)

Cool Papa Bell

“He was a beautiful person. Yes he was. Cool Papa Bell. He…
William Bell (Courtesy of Center for Negro League Baseball Research)

William Bell

The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords are often considered to be the…
Ted Bond (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Ted Bond

“What did I do to deserve this?” If Theodore Bond had asked…
Spoon Carter (JAY-DELL MAH)

Spoon Carter

Although Ernest “Spoon” Carter was never in the top tier…
Oscar Charleston (NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME LIBRARY)

Oscar Charleston

“Charleston not only has the speed of a Carey, the arm of a…
Jimmie Crutchfield (NOIRTECH RESEARCH)

Jimmie Crutchfield

The 1935 East-West All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in Chicago,…
Roosevelt Davis (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Roosevelt Davis

The June 6, 1945, headline in The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois)…

Josh Gibson

"There is a catcher that any big league club would like to buy…
Greenlee Field in Pittsburgh (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Greenlee Field (Pittsburgh)

Greenlee Field, located in the 2500 block of Bedford Avenue,…

Gus Greenlee

Gus Greenlee, famed owner of the Pittsburgh Crawfords, came…
Curtis "Popeye" Harris

Curtis "Popeye" Harris

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, a time when black baseball…
David "Bill" Harvey (COURTESY OF ROBERT D. RETORT ENTERPRISES)

Bill Harvey

Bill Harvey was a left-handed pitcher and outfielder who played…
Carl Howard (COURTESY OF ROBERT D. RETORT ENTERPRISES)

Carl Howard

Among potentially awkward encounters between semipro baseball…
Bert Hunter (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Bert Hunter

Often referred to as the Pittsburgh Crawfords’ “normal…

Judy Johnson

“Judy Johnson was the smartest baseball player I ever came…
Harry Kincannon (COURTESY OF ROBERT D. RETORT ENTERPRISES)

Harry Kincannon

In the 1920s, Harry Kincannon left the coalfields of southern…
Leroy Matlock (COURTESY OF ROBERT D. RETORT ENTERPRISES)

Leroy Matlock

Fittingly, pitcher Leroy Matlock was called “the Black Carl…
Spoony Palm (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Spoony Palm

With both Josh Gibson and Bill Perkins, the 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords…
Andrew "Pat" Patterson (NOIRTECH INC.)

Andrew Patterson

Andrew Lawrence Patterson was born on December 19, 1911, in Chicago.1…
William "Cy" Perkins (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Bill Perkins

“My catcher was George Perkins, who handled a pitcher like…
Roy Sparrow (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Roy Sparrow

Roy Sparrow was a likable hustler, huckster, and self-promoter…
Sam Streeter (CENTER FOR NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL RESEARCH)

Sam Streeter

In 1981 the Smithsonian Institution hosted an exhibition called…
Chester Williams (NOIRTECH RESEARCH, INC.)

Chester Williams

Over the years, the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s…