Ambrose Reid

In an era when roster flexibility was a necessity, Ambrose Reid became a fixture across the diamond, playing nearly every defensive position during a 13-year Negro League career from 1920 to 1932.1 Found most often in left field and at third base, the right-hander stood six feet tall and weighed 181 pounds. Nicknamed Buck,2 Reid was regarded as a solid contact hitter with speed on the basepaths, who played above-average defense.3 His surname was frequently misspelled as “Reed” in contemporary game accounts and box scores.

Ambrose Leevolio Reid was born on December 3, 1898, in Eatonton, Georgia. A 1900 census record noted that he resided with his grandmother, Kate Rainey.4 Unfortunately, the available census data does not indicate which of Kate’s children – Katie (age 25), Willie (23), Tommie (21), Jessie (19), or Claudia (16) – may have been his parent. Nothing is known about his other parent either. The family lived in a rental house in Eatonton, where his grandmother worked from home as a seamstress.5 Little is known about Reid’s education or upbringing, or early interest in baseball.

Before beginning his professional baseball career, Reid served in the United States Army during World War I. He first registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, in Eatonton, Georgia.6 At the time, the 21-year-old listed his occupation as a blacksmith who was employed by C.D. Leonard in Eatonton, and reported that he was single.7 The registration card described him as tall with brown eyes and black hair.8

Reid later entered military service on April 1, 1918. According to the Veterans Administration Master Index, he served as a private in the 44th Company of the 157th Depot Brigade, a training and replacement unit of the United States Army.9 His service lasted until December 8, 1918, when he was discharged in St. Louis, Missouri, shortly after the armistice ended the war.10

He surfaced in the professional baseball ranks in 1920, beginning his career in his native Georgia. At that time, the Negro Southern League (NSL) stood as the South’s principal professional circuit, functioning largely as a minor league within organized Black baseball.11 Joining Atlanta put Reid close to home, as the city lay roughly 64 miles from Eatonton. He debuted as a 21-year-old third baseman for the Atlanta Black Crackers on July 10, 1920,12 doubling in a victory over the Pensacola Giants.13

Reid remained with the Black Crackers for the rest of the season, hitting well throughout. On August 26, he helped stop pitcher Walter “Steel Arm” Dickey’s 24-game winning streak with a 3–1 win over the Knoxville Giants.14 “Reid, Atlanta’s right fielder, led the willow attack, slamming out a triple and three singles out of five times at bat.” The following day, he added two hits in a 3–2 loss to Knoxville.15 On September 2, he recorded three more hits in a 6–2 win over the New Orleans Black Pelicans and was cited as one of the fielding stars of the game.16 Reid’s efforts, however, were not enough to lift Atlanta out of fifth place, as the Black Crackers finished with a 45–44 (.505) record.17

Reid returned to Atlanta in 1921,18 but the Black Crackers were initially excluded from the Negro Southern League.19 The team alleged that the league dropped Atlanta because the franchise “had the greatest colored team in the South,” a dubious claim given the Black Crackers’ second-division finish the previous year.20 Atlanta rebranded as the Cubs and joined the Negro Southeastern League (NSEL).21 During spring training, Reid reached base after being hit by a pitch and scored the only run in a 1-0 win over Rube Foster’s Chicago American Giants.22 Reid and his teammates raced to a 12–1 start, but Atlanta soon returned to the NSL after purchasing the franchise rights to the Gadsden Giants, who had fallen on hard times.23

Reid performed well for the Black Crackers. In a 7-3 loss to the Birmingham Black Barons in June, he showed off his defense as “Reid made an impossible running catch in the second off [Will] Holt.”24 He collected four hits and a sacrifice over the next two days as Atlanta became the first NSL club to win a series against the Black Barons at Rickwood Field.25 Reid followed that up with two hits, including a double, with a stolen base and a run scored in the Black Crackers’ doubleheader sweep of Birmingham the following month at Ponce De Leon Park.26

By mid-July, with Atlanta’s fortunes fading in the NSL, the Black Crackers sold eight players to teams in the Negro National League I (NNL I).27 One report reminded fans that the players were part of “… the crew who shut the Fosterites [Rube Foster’s Chicago American Giants] out last winter …”28 Seven joined the Columbus Buckeyes, while the Detroit Stars acquired Reid, elevating him to the highest level of Black professional baseball.29 Once again, the Black Crackers finished in fifth place in the NSL.30

In Detroit, the Stars were optimistic about the acquisition, as one Detroit newspaper noted, “Reid, the new outfielder from Atlanta, is a wonderful performer, who can hit, run and field splendidly.”31 Reid’s production was limited, as he batted just .161 for the fifth-place Stars, based on the available box scores. Late in July, however, he collected three hits and a stolen base in a doubleheader exhibition against Briscoe Motors.32 Reid’s tenure with the Stars ended after only one season, although the circumstances of his departure from Detroit are not documented in surviving accounts.

In 1922, Reid joined the Atlantic City–based Original Bacharach Giants, not to be confused with the short-lived New York Bacharach Giants.33 He played for the team through 1929, the longest continuous tenure of his professional career.

By March of 1922, he was listed among the players assembling for spring training under manager Dick Lundy as the reorganized franchise prepared for an extended Southern tour.34 In late May, Reid played well in a series of victories over Cressona, recording a hit in a 4–2 win,35 adding a stolen base and a sacrifice in another 4–2 decision,36 and tripling in an 8–6 triumph before a record twilight crowd at Harlan Field.37

In June, he had three hits, including a triple, in a win over J.J. Dobson.38 He starred in a July 4, 1922, doubleheader sweep over Chester, slugging a double and a homer for the Bacharach Giants while scoring three runs.39 He followed that up with a three-hit performance against Nativity40 and added four more hits in a 5-4 win over the Baltimore Black Sox the next week.41 He also had a hit and scored three runs in a 12-4 win over the Japanese All-Stars of Tokyo.42 He was not without missteps, dropping a first-inning fly in a May 27 loss to Brooklyn that led to two runs.43 Overall, Reid had a fine year and batted .277 for the independent Bacharachs.

In 1923, as the club formally competed as the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants, Reid continued in a regular outfield role, providing stability amid the transition to Eastern Colored League (ECL) play. Previews listed him among the returning core under manager Lundy. He made an immediate impact in the opening stretch; in the April 22 opener at Egg Harbor, Reid homered with two men aboard as part of a 15-1victory.44 Throughout May and June, he appeared regularly in center and right field in box scores reflecting his entrenched status in the everyday lineup. In late July, he had three hits and scored two runs in an exciting 10–7 come-from-behind win over the Brooklyn Royal Giants at Bacharach Park.45 While the Bacharachs finished in fourth place, Reid‘s batting average rose to .302. His solid hitting and defensive versatility made him a steady contributor from 1924 to 1926, as the Bacharach Giants gradually improved against ECL competition.

In 1924, Atlantic City posted a 35–32–2 (.522) record (its first winning season) but finished fourth, with the now 25-year-old Reid batting .287 and recording 21 multi-hit games.46 His offensive output was so strong that one report hyperbolically referred to him as “the ‘Babe Ruth’ of the league,” while another story called him “‘Ty’ Reid,” as a comparison to Ty Cobb.47 Defensively, the Pittsburgh Courier called him a “sensation at the ‘hot’ corner” for his work at third base, adding:

“If Reed [sic] had flivvered on the job it’s a sugar-coated cinch the crew from the land of salt water taffy would not be up there in the thick of the fight for the top rung. Never a flashy player, but of the plugging, consistent type. Reed [sic] is overlooked by many critics in chronicling the achievements of the knights of the cleated hoofs.”48

Later that summer, after the Bacharach Giants acquired Johnny George and shifted Reid back to the outfield,49 he continued to impress, with one report highlighting his “sensational fielding” in left field.50

In 1925, Reid returned as a regular in the Bacharach Giants’ outfield after being shifted permanently from the infield during the spring reorganization.51 Early coverage listed him among the established players as Atlantic City prepared for ECL play.52 The Giants finished 26–28–2 (.481) and again placed fourth. Although Reid’s batting average slipped to .248, he continued to supply timely offense and aggressive baserunning. In April, he drove a “screaming double” to the right-field wall,53 and in July, he sprinted from first to home on a misplay in center to score what proved the winning run against Brooklyn.54 Later that month, his double in the ninth inning helped secure a 4–3 victory over Camden.55 The campaign did not produce a dramatic breakthrough for either Reid or the club, but he remained firmly embedded in the everyday lineup. A more decisive turn awaited the following year.

By 1926, the Bacharach Giants coalesced into a championship-power, finishing 43–28–2 (.606) and emerging as a serious ECL power. Spring reports listed Reid, who was now 27, among the established regulars in a reorganized outfield under manager Lundy.56 In May, Reid’s triple to deep left helped spark a 6–3 victory over Chester.57 He hit another timely triple in a win over Hilldale the next month,58 and later delivered a run-scoring double in another win against Chester.59 In July, his two-run double helped secure a 7–3 victory over Lincoln.60 Reid’s defensive versatility was evident throughout the campaign: he filled in at first base during a mid-June contest.61 He even took the mound in August, pitching in an 11–0 rout of the Atlantic City Police.62 Late-August standings reflected Atlantic City’s position near the top of the league;63 Reid continued to hit well, homering in a narrow loss to Baltimore64 and collecting two hits in the following day’s victory.65 By season’s end, both Reid and the Bacharachs had moved beyond contention into command, as the club won the ECL pennant ahead of Harrisburg and Hilldale.66

The 1926 Negro League World Series pitted the ECL champion Bacharach Giants and the NNL pennant-winning Chicago American Giants. In a preview, the Afro-American described him as “the plugging consistent Ambrose Reed [sic].”67

After the first eight contests, the Bacharachs held a 4–2 advantage with two ties (Games One and Four) and appeared positioned to secure the championship.68 The series ultimately extended to 11 games with Chicago claiming the title, five games to four.69 To do so, the American Giants mounted a dramatic comeback, capturing the final three games of the series.70

One of the most remarkable performances of the series came in Game Three, when Atlantic City’s Red Grier hurled a perfect game against Chicago—an extraordinary feat on such a stage.71 Through seven games, Reid was among the series’ most productive performers. He batted .387 with 12 hits, including a double and a triple, scored eight runs, and drove in six RBIs.72 Defensively, Reid committed just one error,73 but demonstrated his versatility by appearing at all three outfield positions during the series, including center field in place of Chaney White, who was sick.74 In Game Six, Reid delivered one of the series’ defining defensive plays by throwing out a runner at the plate from center field; he also collected four hits in that contest.75 Despite his strong play, Reid’s participation ended after Game Seven. He did not appear in the final four games of the series,76 and contemporary accounts do not explain his absence.

The Bacharach Giants entered 1927 defending their ECL title, with Reid again projected as a key member of the squad. In early reports, he was listed among the returning regulars as Lundy prepared to “stage lively battle for positions.”77 By late April, he had assumed the shortstop role and immediately produced at the plate, collecting two doubles in a loss to Camden.78 His versatility quickly became evident. In May, he appeared at second base and had a key sacrifice in a 3-2 win over Brooklyn,79 and on May 30, he paced the attack with three hits in an 11–1 victory over Harrowgate.80

By midsummer, Reid continued shifting positions as needed. In late July, he filled in at shortstop during a lopsided defeat,81 and on August 6, playing first base, he had two hits and scored the winning run in a 3–2 victory over Paterson.82 Two days later, he delivered one of his biggest offensive performances of the season, tripling in both the first and second innings in a 19-hit rout of Hilldale.83 He remained hot through the end of August, collecting three hits, including a double, along with a walk and a sacrifice in a 9–3 win over Brooklyn.84 By September 22, the Bacharachs were confirmed once more as ECL champions,85 with Reid listed among the eligible World Series players.86

The 1927 Negro League World Series again matched the Bacharach Giants against the NNL champion Chicago American Giants. Chicago seized early control, winning the first four games in the West (6–2, 11–1, 7–0, and 9–1) before the series shifted east.87 Atlantic City responded behind Luther Farrell’s no-hit performance in Game Five for its first victory of the series.88 Game Six ended in a 1–1 tie.89 The Bacharachs then captured Game Seven, 8–1, though Reid did not appear in that contest.90 He returned in Game Eight, and his eighth-inning sacrifice fly scored what proved to be the winning run in a 6–5 victory.91 Despite that rally, Chicago closed the series by winning the ninth and deciding game, 11–4, to take the championship five games to three with one tie.92

Reid appeared in eight of the nine contests, missing only Game Seven. He finished the series batting .269 (7-for-26) with two doubles. Defensively, he also had an assist in Game Four, cutting down a runner during Chicago’s decisive early surge.93

The Bacharach Giants entered the 1928 season still among the strongest members of the ECL. During the spring, Lundy led an experienced roster as preparations were made for an extended southern training trip before returning east for league play.94 However, by mid-April, the league folded, and its members opted to play independent baseball.95 Atlantic City continued to feature many of its established stars, including Reid, and remained a competitive independent attraction all summer.

Reid remained an important part of the Bacharach lineup and continued to provide timely hitting. In June, he delivered a decisive blow when his single in the ninth inning secured a victory over the Cuban Stars.96 A few weeks later, he again provided the margin of victory against Hillidale, driving in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.97 Such moments reflected Reid’s continued role as a reliable run-producer during the late 1920s. The Bacharachs remained competitive and continued to draw strong crowds in Atlantic City and on the road.98 For his part, Reid was named to the Eastern League Stars and hit .400 in two games.99

Reid’s life away from the ballfield during this period can be partially reconstructed from federal census records. By 1930, he was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he headed a household that included his wife, Fanny.100 The census reported that Reid had married at age 28, indicating that the couple wed around 1928 while he was still playing for the Bacharach Giants. Reid, who was listed as 33 at his most recent birthday, reported his usual occupation as “ball player,” with the industry identified simply as a “baseball team.”101 Both Reid and his wife could read and write, though neither had advanced schooling. Fanny, who had been born in Virginia, was listed as a homemaker, and the couple had no children at the time.102

By the start of 1929, Reid was 30 years old, entering what would become his final season with the Bacharach Giants, who joined the American Negro League (ANL), which was formed by four members of the former ECL.103 The Bacharachs also underwent an important leadership change when veteran first baseman Ben Taylor assumed the managerial duties after Lundy’s departure.104 Early reports noted that Taylor had blended a talented roster that still included several established veterans, including Reid, who remained a versatile utility player capable of appearing at multiple positions.105 Despite the change in leadership, the season proved challenging. Injuries and inconsistent play hampered their efforts, and Reid himself began to suffer from a troublesome throwing arm that increasingly limited his effectiveness in the field. Taylor openly discussed the problem, remarking that “Ambrose Reid’s arm has been useless,” a comment that reflected the severity of the ailment and the difficulty he faced in keeping his lineup intact.106 Reports noted that Reid struggled physically, further affecting his availability and performance.107 Despite this, he appeared with Danny McClellan’s All Stars.108

The combination of injuries and roster instability prevented the Bacharach Giants from maintaining the dominance they had enjoyed in previous years as Atlantic City finished with a record of 19-45-2 (.297) near the bottom of the ANL standings. By the end of 1929, the franchise was entering a transitional period, and Reid’s ongoing arm troubles foreshadowed the end of his tenure in Atlantic City.

In 1930, after eight years with the Bacharach Giants, Reid joined the Hilldale Club of Darby, Pennsylvania, an independent outfit, which was often referred to as the “Daisies” in contemporary accounts. Former Bacharach players, including Reid, Willie Jones, and Chaney White, helped to bolster the Hilldale roster, with Reid appearing primarily in the infield.109 Despite these additions, Hilldale struggled and finished with a poor overall record of 8–30–1 (.211).

Reid nonetheless played well in multiple ways. In one early contest, he collected a pair of hits in a Hilldale victory over the Black Sox, while other accounts highlighted his defensive play in the field.110 In July, he was cited as one of the fielding standouts in a game against the Lincoln Giants despite Hilldale suffering a shutout defeat.111 He was among the more productive hitters in another loss to Baltimore, when he and teammate Jesse Hubbard each recorded two hits.112 Although the season proved difficult for Hilldale overall, Reid remained a regular presence in the lineup, but his time with the Daisies had ended.

Reid entered 1931 as part of Cum Posey’s powerful independent Homestead Grays, although details of his acquisition are lost to history. Reports out of spring training at Hot Springs, Arkansas, suggested that Posey believed they would contend with the best clubs in Black baseball. Reid was listed among the outfielders as the Grays prepared to open the campaign against the St. Louis Stars.113

Early coverage also highlighted the growing prominence of young catcher Josh Gibson, who was expected to bat cleanup.114 With Gibson anchoring the middle of the lineup, Reid often found himself batting ahead of the prodigious slugger, a position that would place a premium on his ability to reach base.

The Grays opened strongly in April, and Reid helped spark the offense. In the opening series against the St. Louis Stars in St. Louis, Homestead swept three games, highlighted by a decisive 8–1 victory in which Reid smashed a home run.115 The early weeks of the campaign saw the Grays playing frequently against both professional and strong semiprofessional competition, and Reid was regularly included in the starting lineup in left field. A photograph published that spring showed him among the regulars on what local newspapers described as a “crack 1931 aggregation.”116

By May, the Grays’ offense was operating at full strength, and Reid was an important presence in a lineup that also included Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Vic Harris, Jud Wilson, and other prominent Negro league players. In a 16–4 victory over Wheeling, the Homestead attack pounded out 14 hits while Reid added to the barrage.117 Days later, the offense erupted again, overwhelming Swissvale, 22–5, with Reid, Harris, and Gibson each collecting four hits in the contest.118 Such performances reflected the Grays’ offensive depth, and Reid’s consistent hitting helped keep rallies moving in front of Gibson and the heart of the order.

The Grays continued their heavy rule through late May and into June, facing a mixture of local industrial clubs and high-level Black teams. Reid remained a regular presence in the lineup and frequently appeared in the box scores. In a 20–3 rout of the Wally Smith club at Ammon Field, the Grays’ offense again erupted, with Ted Page, Reid, and Charleston among the hitters leading the attack.119 Gibson was emerging as one of the Grays’ most feared power hitters—famously blasting three home runs in one game against Edgewood—but Reid’s ability to reach base and deliver timely hits made him an effective table-setter.120

The summer brought the Grays into frequent competition with other top Negro League caliber outfits, including Hilldale and the Pittsburgh Crawford Giants. Homestead defeated the Crawfords 9–0 in mid-June, as Reid scored a run and played flawlessly in left field.121 Against Hilldale, which had returned to prominence after a poor showing a year earlier, the teams split a doubleheader; Homestead then captured a 5–2 victory the following day.122 These matchups represented some of the highest-level competition in the Negro Leagues.

Statistically, 1931 proved to be Reid’s finest as a hitter. Based on the available box scores and game accounts, he collected 67 hits, including 40 games with at least one hit and 18 multi-hit performances.123 Baseball historian Phil S. Dixon determined that Reid’s performance with the Grays was even more impressive, writing:

“Reid was the first Grays’ batter to log a multiple home run game, a feat he achieved in St. Louis on April 13. He was also the first Grays’ player to get seven hits in a double header, a feat he accomplished on May 31, when he went 7-for-10 and scored four runs. A virtual hitting machine, in his brief stay with Posey’s 1931 Grays, Reid posted twelve games of two hits, six games of three hits, two four hit games and a pair of five-hit encounters. In the sixty-two box scores which he appeared Reid failed to get a hit only eleven times.

. . .

Prior to his uniting with Greenlee’s revamped Pittsburgh Crawfords, Reid accumulated over 91 hits, scored in excess of 51 runs, while slamming 12 doubles and 4 home runs as a Homestead Grays’ player.”124

Despite Reid’s strong performance, his tenure with the Grays ended abruptly in mid-summer. His last confirmed appearance for Homestead was on July 1, as he had a hit in a 10-4 win over Altoona.125 One report stated that the Grays had simply dropped Reid,126 but no explanation for Posey’s decision has been uncovered. By mid-July, he had joined Gus Greenlee’s Pittsburgh Crawford Giants,127 another powerful Black team that would soon become a cornerstone of the NNL. With Pittsburgh, Reid continued to hit and slugged two homers on August 20 against the Newark Browns.128

According to Seamheads, he batted .304 in 1931, while posting a 128 OPS+,129 as he performed at a level well above league average offensively. His production made Posey’s decision to release him all the more curious. Yet even as Reid enjoyed his finest statistical season, the sun was beginning to set on his playing career.

When Oscar Charleston was named manager of the Pittsburgh Crawfords in January of 1932, early reports listed Reid among the players expected to form the nucleus of the team, which Greenlee intended to showcase in a new ballpark then under construction in Pittsburgh.130 The stadium—later known as Greenlee Field—was part of Greenlee’s  ambitious effort to elevate the Crawfords into one of Black baseball’s premier clubs.131 However, Reid did not return to Pittsburgh. Instead, he returned to the Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro Southern League, where his career had begun.132

Reid, now 33, appeared in Atlanta’s early-season lineup as a pitcher as they opened the schedule at Ponce de Leon Park.133 Within days, he was also appearing in the lineup in right field as the Black Crackers attempted to stabilize their roster.134 However, he did not remain with Atlanta for long. The available box scores suggest that he last appeared in a game as a relief pitcher on May 14 in a 13–1 loss to Nashville.135

After that appearance, Reid disappears from contemporary newspaper accounts and box scores, and no further records of his professional playing career have surfaced. Whether he was released by Atlanta, chose to retire, or continued playing outside the reach of surviving documentation is unknown. If May 1932 indeed marked the end of his career, Reid concluded his time in organized baseball after more than a decade spent with prominent clubs such as the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants, Homestead Grays, and Pittsburgh Crawfords.

Little is known about Reid’s life after his playing days ended. He again appeared in federal records when he registered for the World War II “Old Man’s Draft” on February 16, 1942, while living in Chester, Pennsylvania.136 That registration listed him working at the Viscose Company mill in nearby Marcus Hook and noted a distinguishing physical feature—a dent in his right cheek.137

By 1950, Reid was residing in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Anna, and their young daughter, Roslyn.138 The census that year listed Reid, then 51, working full-time as a laborer for a rayon manufacturing company, while Anna, age 39, was employed as a domestic worker for a private family.139 The surviving records leave gaps about his family life. Reid had married a woman named Fanny during his playing career, but what became of that marriage is unknown.

Ambrose Reid died in the Misericordia Hospital in Philadelphia of unknown causes on April 7, 1966, at the age of 67 and was buried at the Haven Memorial Cemetery in Chester Township, Pennsylvania.140 By the time of his death, Ambrose Reid was retired141 and living in Pennsylvania after spending many years working for the American Viscose Company at its Marcus Hook plant,142 employed as a machinist’s helper.143 His widow was listed as Anna Reid, and he was survived by his daughter, Roslyn.144 Notably, his obituary made no mention of his long career in Black professional baseball.

Reid spent more than a decade playing professional baseball during the formative years of the Negro leagues. Though he was never among the most celebrated stars of the era, newspaper accounts consistently depicted him as a versatile and dependable player capable of filling nearly any role on the field. During his career, he appeared at multiple infield positions, played all three outfield spots, and even pitched when called upon. Box scores and game summaries show that he was often a productive hitter as well. Like many Negro League players, his contributions were recorded primarily in brief game accounts rather than in lengthy feature stories.

Reid left few personal traces in the historical record. None of the surviving newspaper accounts include direct quotes from him, and no feature stories devoted specifically to his career have been uncovered. As a result, much of what can be reconstructed about his life comes from box scores, brief mentions in game coverage, and scattered public records. Those documents reveal a man who worked outside of baseball for much of his life.

In 2020, Major League Baseball announced that seven professional Negro leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948 would be recognized as major leagues.145 As a result, Ambrose Reid—whose career spanned several of those leagues and independent clubs that competed regularly against them—has finally been recognized as a major-league ballplayer for eight of his seasons in Black professional baseball.

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Cassidy Lent, a reference librarian at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, who provided Reid’s clip file. It is also sometimes difficult to have a full-time career and still find time to research and write a biography. Accordingly, the author appreciates his wife Stephanie’s enduring patience.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author relied on Seamheads.com for statistical information, except where otherwise indicated.

Notes

1 “Orgy Of Hits And Runs Is Daisy Parade,” Chicago Defender, September 3, 1927: 9 (pitcher, left field, and shortstop); “Bacharach Giants Lose Grip On First Division,” Press of Atlantic City, June 15, 1926 (first base); “Dollard’s Circuit Blow Defeats Brooklyn, 3-2,” Press of Atlantic City, May 10, 1927: 15 (second base); “B-Giants Execute Triple Play In Swamping LeDroit Tigers,” Press of Atlantic City, May 19, 1922: 14 (third base); “Bacharach Giants Lose First Battle To Camden,” Atlantic City Sunday Press, April 24, 1927: 30 (shortstop); “Farrell Holds Visitors As Locals Make 19 Hits,” Press of Atlantic City, August 9, 1927: 12 (left field); “Bacharach Giants Lose Grip On First Division,” Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1922: 17 (center field); “Lindsay’s Sacrifice Hit Wins Game In 9th Inning” Press of Atlantic City, June 12, 1929: 12 (right field)

2 https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=reid-01amb Late in the 1923 season, Reid was regularly referred to as “Amos” in the Atlantic City Gazette-Review’s game accounts. See “Giants Defeat Fast New Yawkers,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, July 19, 1923: 6; “Local Ball Nine Drops Second Tilt To Baltimoreans,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, July 19, 1923: 5; “Bacharach Giants Drop Ball Game,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, Aug. 14, 1923: 6; “Bacharachs Lose To Cuban Outfit,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, August 29, 1923: 5; “Bacharach Giants Topple Potomacs,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, September 14, 1923: 6; “Bacharach Giants Shutout Camden Nine In Fast Game,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, September 22, 1923: 5. The usage appears confined to that newspaper’s reporting during 1923 and was not adopted in other contemporary accounts. No independent records have surfaced confirming that “Amos” was a personal nickname.

3 James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues (New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1994), 658; https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=reid-01amb

4 Georgia. Putnam County. 1900 Census.

5 Georgia. Putnam County. 1910 Census.

6 Ambrose Levolio Reid, World War I Draft Registration Card, June 5, 1917, Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia; “Georgia, United States Records,” imaged database, FamilySearch (accessed March 4, 2026), citing United States National Archives and Records Administration, Atlanta Branch.

7 Ambrose Levolio Reid, World War I Draft Registration Card, June 5, 1917, Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia; “Georgia, United States Records,” imaged database, FamilySearch (accessed March 4, 2026), citing United States National Archives and Records Administration, Atlanta Branch.

8 Ambrose Levolio Reid, World War I Draft Registration Card, June 5, 1917, Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia; “Georgia, United States Records,” imaged database, FamilySearch (accessed March 4, 2026), citing United States National Archives and Records Administration, Atlanta Branch.

9 Ambrose Levolio Reid, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917–1940 Prior War Service, listing service as Private, 44th Company, 157th Depot Brigade; enlistment April 1, 1918; discharge December 8, 1918; digital image, FamilySearch (accessed March 4, 2026), citing U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

10 Ambrose Levolio Reid, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917–1940 Prior War Service, listing service as Private, 44th Company, 157th Depot Brigade; enlistment April 1, 1918; discharge December 8, 1918; digital image, FamilySearch (accessed March 4, 2026), citing U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

11 William J. Plott, The Negro Southern League: A Baseball History, 1920-1951 (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland Publishing, 2014), 1.

12 The team was initially known as the Cubs but changed its name to the Black Crackers at the beginning of the season. Plott, 20.

13 “Atlanta Cubs Beat Locals,” Pensacola News Journal (Pensacola, Florida), July 11, 1920: 6.

14 Fred Haney, “‘Steel Arm’ Dickey Is Knocked Out By The Black Crackers,” Atlanta Constitution, August 26, 1920: 9.

15 Fred Haney, “Knoxville Giants Beat Black Crackers in Pitcher’s Duel,” Atlanta Constitution, August 27, 1920: 10.

16 Fred Haney, “Black Pels Easy for Black Crackers In First Of Series,” Atlanta Constitution, September 3, 1920: 12.

17 Plott, 22.

18 “American Giants Play Local Team At Morris Brown,” Atlanta Journal, March 28, 1921: 12; Plott, 205.

19 Plott, 24.

20 “Black Crackers To Form New Dixie Colored League,” Atlanta Constitution, March 13, 1921: 3.

21 Plott, 24.

22 “Black Crackers Win Last Game Of Series From Giants, 1-0,” Atlanta Constitution, March 31, 1921: 8.

23 “‘Tigers’ Home Thursday To Play Black Crackers,” Chattanooga Daily Times, May 17, 1921: 12; “Negro Southern League Teams In Three-Game Series At Andrews Field,” Chattanooga Daily Times, May 19, 1921: 10; Plott, 27.

24 “Black Barons Beat Atlanta,” Birmingham News, June 7, 1921: 13.

25 “Atlanta Stops Black Barons,” Birmingham News, June 8, 1921: 15; “Atlanta Beats Black Barons,” Birmingham News, June 9, 1921: 14.

26 “Black Crackers Win Twin Bill Affair From Black Barons,” Atlanta Constitution, July 9, 1921: 8.

27 “New Interest Aroused In League Race,” Chicago Whip, July 23, 1921: 7.

28 “New Interest Aroused In League Race.”

29 “New Interest Aroused In League Race.”

30 Plott, 31.

31 “‘Ace’ Moundsmen Are Slated For Sunday’s Game,” Detroit Free Press, July 31, 1921: 18.

32 “State Title Is Clinched By Briscoes,” Jackson Citizen Patriot (Jackson, Michigan), September 19, 1921: 7.

33 Louis Greenberg, “2 Bacharach Teams Listed For Summer,” Press of Atlantic City, February 28, 1922: 7.

34 “Bacharach Giants Have Re-Organized,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, March 27, 1922: 3.

35 “Bacharach Giants Defeat Cresona,” Philadelphia Inquirer, May 21, 1922: 23.

36 “Bacharach Giants Win Again,” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), May 22, 1922: 10.

37 “Lundy’s Two-Circuit Clouts Bring Victory,” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), May 20, 1922: 12.

38 “Bacharach’s Bump Dobson, 12-1,” Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware), June 20, 1922: 7.

39 “Bacharach Giants Win Two Holiday Games,” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), July 5, 1922: 13

40 “Nativity Wins 21st Of Last 23 Games,” Philadelphia Inquirer, July 12, 1922: 19.

41 “Bacharach Giants In Win Over Balto. Sox,” News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), July 21, 1922: 16.

42 “Bacharach Giants Humble Strong Japanese All-Stars,” News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), August 23,1922: 10.

43 “Errors Cost Giants Game,” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), May 29, 1922: 10.

44 “Hobson Fans Eleven, Egg Harbor Beaten,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 23, 1923: 13.

45 “Brooklyn Loses to Bacharachs in Hard Tilt,” Press of Atlantic City, July 25, 1923: 13.

46 “Farmers Divide Double Header With Bacharachs,” Brooklyn Daily Times, May 5, 1924: 11 (two hits in first game); “B-Giants Execute Triple Play In Swamping LeDroit Tigers,” Press of Atlantic City, May 19, 1924: 11 (three hits); “Lincoln Gts. Take League Lead By Wins, Pittsburgh Courier, May 31, 1924: 7 (two hits in second game); “Bacharach Giants Again Spank Lincolns, 6-5,” Press of Atlantic City, June 11, 1924: 14 (three hits); “Bees Smother Cuban Stars Easily, 20-0,” Press of Atlantic City, June 24, 1924: 12 (three hits); “Bacharach Giants Again Tumble Cuban Stars, 3-2,” Press of Atlantic City, June 25, 1924: 12 (two hits); “Giants Take Second Game Of Series In Hectic Afternoon,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, July 1, 1924: 6 (two hits); “Lloyd Hangs Up Batting Record,” Afro-American, July 11, 1924: 14 (four hits in a doubleheader); “Veni, Vidi, Vici, Declare Baltimore Black Hose,” Press of Atlantic City, July 16, 1924: 14 (three hits); “Cuban Stars Batter Down B-Giants In Return Game,” Press of Atlantic City, July 22, 1924: 8 (three hits – two doubles and a triple); “Hilldale Defeats Bacharach Giants In A Slugfest,” Afro-American, July 25, 1924: A1 (two hits including a home run); “Bees Smother Ascension In Free Hitting Contest,” Press of Atlantic City, July 28, 1924: 14 (two hits including a triple); “Bacharach Giants Blank Brooklyn Royals, 2-0,” Press of Atlantic City, July 29, 1924: 14 (three hits); “Bacharachs Put St. Louis To Route With Ease, 18-0,” Press of Atlantic City, August 7, 1924: 14 (two hits); “Giants Lose In Closing Stanza,” Evening News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), August 16, 1924: 11 (two hits and a stolen base); “Bacharach Giants Upset Taylor’s Potomacs, 6-2,” Press of Atlantic City, August 19, 1924: 14 (three hits); “Bacharach, 8; Glassboro, 5,” Gloucester County Times (Woodbury, New Jersey), August 23, 1924: 6 (two hits including a triple); “Misplay Costs P’Ville Honors,” Press of Atlantic City, September 15, 1924: 12 (two hits); “Lockhart Almost Enters Baseball Hall Of Fame By Defeating Cuban Stars,” Atlantic City Gazette-Review, September 16, 1924: 5 (two hits); “Bacharach Giants Lose, 6 To 4, To Boyertown Club,” Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania), October 6, 1924: 13 (three hits); “Bacharach Giants Blank McInnnes’ Stars,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 11, 1924: 22 (two hits).

47 “Bacharach Giants To Play Potomacs,” Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), September 24, 1924: 17 (Ruth reference); “Bacharach Giants To Get J. Henry Lloyd as Leader,” Press of Atlantic City, January 12, 1924, 14 9 (Cobb reference).

48 “Reed Proves Sensation at ‘Hat’ Corner,” New Pittsburgh Courier, May 31, 1924: 7.

49 “Giants Give Up Johnny George,” Evening News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), August 22, 1924: 14.

50 “Hilldale and Bacharach Giants Divide Two-Game Series,” Afro-American, September 19, 1924: 11.

51 “Bacharachs Plan for 1925 Season,” Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), March 23, 1925: 11.

52 “Eastern League Clubs Preparing for 1925 Pennant,” Afro-American, February 28, 1925: A8.

53 “Bacharach Giants Take Scalp of Morris Guards,” Press of Atlantic City, April 23, 1925: 12.

54 “B-Giants’ Clever Running Turns Tables on Brooklyn,” Press of Atlantic City, July 8, 1925: 13.

55 “Camden Weakens and Giants Win,” Evening Courier (Camden, New Jersey), July 14, 1925: 16.

56 “Bacharach Giant Roster Moulding Together for 1926,” Press of Atlantic City, April 20, 1926: 22.

57 “B-Giants Outwit Chester in First of Series, 6 to 3,” Press of Atlantic City, May 25, 1926: 16.

58 “B-Giants Humble Mighty Hilldale in Thrilling Test,” Press of Atlantic City, June 10, 1926: 17.

59 “Bacharachs Nose Out Chester in League Tilt,” Evening Courier (Camden, New Jersey), June 21, 1926: 24.

60 “Lincoln Giants Succumb to Farrell’s Curves, 7-3,” Press of Atlantic City, July 22, 1926: 13.

61 “Bacharach Giants Lose Grip on First Division,” Press of Atlantic City, June 15, 1926: 20.

62 “Ambrose Reid, An Outfielder, Beats Coppers,” Press of Atlantic City, August 20, 1926: 15.

63 “Eastern League,” Afro-American, August 28, 1926: 9.

64 “Sox Pounce on Lockhart to Win, 6 to 5,” Press of Atlantic City, September 8, 1926: 12.

65 “Bees Revenge for Defeat by Blanking Sox,” Press of Atlantic City, September 9, 1926: 12.

66 “Eastern League Standing,” Pittsburgh Courier, September 25, 1926: 14; “City Gets World’s Series Game Kansas City v. Bachar’chs,” Afro-American, September 25, 1926: 9; “Bees Prepare for Monarchs,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, September 26, 1926: 17.

67 “Bacharachs Picked To Win World Series, Afro-American, October 2, 1926: 17. In the same story, the Afro-American concluded that the Kansas City Monarchs would be the Bacharachs’ opponent.

68 “Game Will Be Replayed In Resort Today,” Press of Atlantic City, October 2, 1926: 16; “Bees-Chicago Will Battle Here Again,” Press of Atlantic City, October 5, 1926: 15; “Bees Capture Another Game From Chicago,” Press of Atlantic City, October 6, 1926: 12; “Reds’ Grier Is Victor Again Over Chicago,” Press of Atlantic City, October 7, 1926: 16; “Chicago Giants Nose Out Bees,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, October 10, 1926: 14; “Bees Need One Game To Cop,” Pittsburgh Courier, October 16, 1926: 14.

69 “B-Giants Lose HeartBreaking Contest, 1-0,” Press of Atlantic City, October 15, 1926: 12.

70 “Chicago Wins Ninth Game Of Series,” Press of Atlantic City, October 12, 1926: 16; “B-Giants Lose Heart Breaking Contest, 1-0.”

71 “Grier Heaves Perfect Game To Even Series,” Press of Atlantic City, October 4, 1926: 12.

72 “Bees Favored To Win Colored Title,” Press of Atlantic City, October 9, 1926: 20; “Chicago Giants Nose Out Bees,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, October 10, 1926: 14.

73 “Chicago American Giants Win First Tilt In Series, Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, October 13, 1926: 14.

74 “‘Reds’ Grier Is Victor Again Over Chicago,” Press of Atlantic City, October 7, 1926: 16.

75 “‘Reds’ Grier Is Victor Again Over Chicago.”

76 “Bees Need One Game To Cop.”; “Resort Team Plays Poorly To Lose, 6-3,” Press of Atlantic City, October 12, 1926: 16; “Willie Powell Holds Resort Clan Scoreless,” Press of Atlantic City, October 14, 1926: 22; “B-Giants Lose HeartBreaking Contest, 1-0.”

77 “Bees To Stage Lively Battle For Positions,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, February 27, 1927, 20.

78 “Bacharach Giants Lose First Battle to Camden,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, April 24, 1927, 30.

79 “Dollard’s Circuit Blow Defeats Brooklyn, 3-2,” Press of Atlantic City, May 10, 1927, 15.

80 “Roberts Holds Visitors; Bees Slug Out 11-1 Win,” Press of Atlantic City, May 31, 1927, 13.

81 “Skeeters Hand Out Drubbing To Bees, 15-5,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, July 31, 1927, 30.

82 “Bacharach Giants Beat Paterson Silk Sox, 3-2,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, August 7, 1927, 30.

83 “Farrell Holds Visitors As Locals Make 19 Hits,” Press of Atlantic City, August 9, 1927, 12.

84 “Brooklyn Royals Victims Of Heavy Clouting, 9 to 3,” Press of Atlantic City, August 30, 1927, 15.

85 “Nutter Settles Row About Pennant When Strothers Fails To Attend Meeting,” Philadelphia Tribune, September 22, 1927, 10.

86 “Bees to Open World Series In West On October 1st,” Philadelphia Tribune, September 22, 1927, 10.

87 “Chicago Lays Low B-Giants In First Tilt,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, October 2, 1927, 29; “Hubbard, Lockhart Hit Hard By Americans, 11-1,” Press of Atlantic City, October 3, 1927, 11; “Trio Of Twirlers Fail To Halt Westerners, 7-0,” Press of Atlantic City, October 4, 1927, 13; “Chicago Hands B-Giants Fourth Straight On Chin,” Press of Atlantic City, October 5, 1927, 8.

88 “Farrell Hurls Hitless Game As Bees Win,” Atlantic City Sunday Press the Sunday Gazette, October 9, 1927, 29.

89 “Sixth Colored Series Game Still Undecided,” Press of Atlantic City, October 11, 1927, 14.

90 “B-Giants’ Bats Capture Seventh Game, Score 8-1,” Press of Atlantic City, October 12, 1927, 12.

91 “Reid’s Sacrifice Sends Run Home Which Wins, 6-5,” Press of Atlantic City, October 13, 1927, 14.

92 “Westerners Win Deciding Game From B-Giants, 11-4,” Press of Atlantic City, October 14, 1927, 14.

93 “Chicago Hands B-Giants Fourth Straight On Chin.”

94 “Charleston Will Play With Bacharach Giants,” Press of Atlantic City, March 17, 1928, 22.

95 “Disband Eastern Colored League, Delaware County Times (Chester, Pennsylvania), April 14, 1928: 17.

96 “Ambrose Reid’s Single In Ninth Gives B-Giants Victory Over Cubans, 8-7,” Press of Atlantic City, June 20, 1928, 15.

97 “Reid’s Sacrifice Fly Decides Close Contest,” Press of Atlantic City, July 4, 1928, 11.

98 “Bacharachs Win Brace From St. Louis Giants,” Press of Atlantic City, July 5, 1928, 12.

99 https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/team.php?yearID=1928&teamID=ELS&LGOrd=4

100 Pennsylvania. Philadelphia County. 1930 Census.

101 Pennsylvania. Philadelphia County. 1930 Census.

102 Pennsylvania. Philadelphia County. 1930 Census.

103 “Bacharachs Join New Negro Baseball League, Press of Atlantic City, January 16, 1929: 17. The former ECL members that formed the ANL were the New York Lincoln Giants, Baltimore Black Sox, Cuban Stars East, and the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants. The Homestead Grays and the Hilldale Club also joined the new league.

104 “Bacharach Giants Trade Lundy For Two Players,” Press of Atlantic City, January 23, 1929, 14.

105 “Bees To Begin Practice Today,” Press of Atlantic City, April 8, 1929, 17.

106 “Taylor Hunts Bees’ ‘Jinx,’” Press of Atlantic City, July 11, 1929, 14; “Ben Taylor Searching For Bacharachs ‘Jinx,’” Philadelphia Tribune, July 25, 1929, 11.

107 “Black Sox On Way To League Pennant,” Afro-American, August 3, 1929, 14.

108 https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/team.php?yearID=1929&teamID=DMS&LGOrd=3

109 “Former B-Giants Help Baltimore, Hilldale Clubs,” Press of Atlantic City, May 8, 1930, 17.

110 “Hilldale and Blacksox Split,” Pittsburgh Courier, May 10, 1930, A5.

111 “Hilldale Shut Out by Lincoln Giants,” Afro-American, July 5, 1930, A14.

112 “Daisies Fail to Hold Sox; Succumb 8-5,” Philadelphia Tribune, September 11, 1930, 10.

113 “Grays Get Ready For Inaugural Contest,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 6, 1931, 17.

114 “Josh Gibson May Bat Clean-up for Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 8, 1931, 18.

115 “Grays Sweep Series With St. Louis Club,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 14, 1931, 17.

116 “Strong Gray Team Primed for Local Opener,” Pittsburgh Courier, April 18, 1931, 15.

117 “Wheeling Walloped By Homestead Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 4, 1931.

118 “Grays Wallop Swissvale,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 7, 1931, 20.

119 “Grays Swamp Smiths,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1931, 21.

120 “Clouts Three Homers,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 19, 1931, 21.

121 “Grays Blank Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 20, 1931, 13.

122 “Grays Divide Twin Bill With Hilldale,” Pittsburgh Press, June 28, 1931, 36; “Grays Defeat Hilldale 5–2,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 29, 1931, 14.

123 Reid’s single hit games: “Grays Open Season by Beating Stars,” Pittsburgh Press, April 12, 1931: 42 (one hit); “Grays Defeat Dayton,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 16, 1931: 20 (one hit); “Grays Wallop Rivals, 24 to 3,” Pittsburgh Press, April 19, 1931: 44 (one hit); “Renew Battle Wednesday,” Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), April 29, 1931: 12 (one hit); “L. Williams Master as Grays Win; Score 15-1,” New Pittsburgh Courier, May 2, 1931: 14 (one hit); “Wheeling Walloped by Homestead Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 4, 1931: 17 (one hit); “Grays Win Pair From Cuban Davids,” Pittsburgh Press, May 17, 1931: 40 (one hit); “Grays Score Pair of Wins,” Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, May 17, 1931: 24 (one hit in each game); “Cubans Defeat Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 19, 1931: 20 (one hit); “Book Blanked by Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 22, 1931: 22. (one hit – a double); “Smoky Joe Defeats Cleveland in Nite Go,” New Pittsburgh Courier, June 6, 1931: 14 (one hit); “Grays Blank Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 20, 1931: 16 (one hit); “Grays Win Another,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 23, 1931: 17 (one hit); “Grays Are Beaten by Dormont, 9 to 7,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 24, 1931: 16 (one hit); “Altoona Downs Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 25, 1931: 19 (one hit); “Grays Divide Twin Bill With Hillsdale,” Pittsburgh Press, June 28, 1931: 36 (one hit in each game, including a triple); “Hilldale Triumphs Over Homestead, 11-7,” Philadelphia Inquirer, June 30, 1931: 18 (one hit); “Grays Whip Altoona,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 2, 1931: 21 (one hit); “Crawfords Triumph,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 16, 1931: 16 (one hit– a double); “Crawfords Lose To Grays, 3-1,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 25, 1931: 14 (one hit); Reid’s multi-hit games: “Grays Sweep Series With St. Louis Club,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 14, 1931: 17 (two hits); “Colored Club Downs Ponies By 5-0 Score, Cumberland Evening Times (Cumberland, Maryland), April 20, 1931: 5 (two hits); “Hilldale A.C. Better Known Than Champs,” Cumberland Evening Times (Cumberland, Maryland), April 21, 1931: 4 (two hits); “One Bad Inning Costs Bloomers Game With Homestead Grays, 9-2,” Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), April 30, 1931: 14 (two hits); “Grays Swamp Wheeling,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 5, 1931: 14 (three hits); “Grays Wallop Swissvale,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 7, 1931: 20 (four hits including two doubles); “Grays Defeat Verona,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 9, 1931: 14 (two hits); “Grays Top Dormont,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 16, 1931: 18 (two hits); “Grays Down Five Points,” Record-Argus (Greenville, Pennsylvania), May 18, 1931: 5 (two hits); “Grays Thump Rasnicks, 18-4,” Akron Beacon Journal, May 29, 1931: 14 (three hits); “Cooper & Co. Bow to Grays,” New Pittsburgh Courier, June 13, 1931: 15 (five hits); “Grays Swamp Smiths,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1931: 21 (three hits, including two doubles); “Clouts Three Homers,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 19, 1931: 21 (three hits); “Grays Win Double Bill in Cleveland,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 22, 1931: 15 (two hits in each game); “Loguemen Lose to Homestead Nine 10 to 6,” Altoona Tribune, July 1, 1931: 8 (two hits); “Crawfords Triumph,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 20, 1931: 13 (two hits); “Crawfords Take 2 From Newark Browns,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 22, 1931: 12 (two homers).

124 Phil S. Dixon, Phil Dixon’s American Baseball Chronicles Great Teams: the 1931 Homestead Grays, Volume I (2009, Xlibris US. Kindle Edition), 288-89.

125 “Grays Whip Altoona,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 2, 1931: 21.

126 “Crawfords Grays Play In 2nd Tilt Saturday,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 18, 1931, 14.

127 “Crawfords Grays Play In 2nd Tilt Saturday”; “Grays Invade Ohio For Two Contests,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 15, 1931, 16.

128 “Crawfords Take 2 From Newark Browns,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 22, 1931, 12.

129 https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=reid-01amb

130 Charleston Signs To Lead 1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords,” Kansas City Call, January 29, 1932: 15; “Charleston Is Named Boss of Crawford Nine,” Chicago Defender, January 30, 1932: 9.

131 https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/greenlee-field-pittsburgh/

132 https://www.mlb.com/news/negro-leagues-given-major-league-status-for-baseball-records-stats

133 Plott, 218.

134 “Chicago Giants Shut Out The Crackers, 7-0,” Atlanta Daily World, April 20, 1932, 5.

135 “Elites Play Today,” Nashville Banner, May 15, 1932, 9.

136 Ambrose Reid, World War II Draft Registration Card (Fourth Registration), February 16, 1942, Local Board No. 3, Chester, Pennsylvania; “Pennsylvania, United States Records,” imaged database, FamilySearch (accessed March 4, 2026), citing National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis.

137 Ambrose Reid, World War II Draft Registration Card (Fourth Registration), February 16, 1942, Local Board No. 3, Chester, Pennsylvania; “Pennsylvania, United States Records,” imaged database, FamilySearch (accessed March 4, 2026), citing National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis.

138 Pennsylvania. Delaware County. 1950 Census.

139 Pennsylvania. Delaware County. 1950 Census.

140 “Reid.”

141 “Reid.”

142 The American Viscose Company manufatured rayon and later cellophane film from 1912 to 1977 when the plant closed. https://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/viscose-company-marcus-hook-plant-first-rayon-production-in-the-u-s/view/google/

143 “Reid,” Delaware County Daily Times (Chester, Pennsylvania), April 11, 1966, 4.

144 “Reid.”

145 https://www.mlb.com/news/negro-leagues-given-major-league-status-for-baseball-records-stats.