Ted Page

“A tough competitor, Ted Page could beat you at the plate, on the bases, or in the field.” – James A. Riley1

At 5-feet-11 and listed at 175 pounds, Ted Page earned a reputation as a fierce competitor. Known for his sharp tongue and intimidating demeanor, he played with an unmatched tenacity. A scrappy left-handed right fielder with exceptional speed, Page with his ability to bunt and outrun throws to first base became legendary.2 His aggressive style on the field led to his nickname, Terrible Ted.

Page’s life and career are inextricably linked to the history of the Negro Leagues, which embody struggle, perseverance, and the ongoing fight for recognition in a segregated America. His legacy as both a player and as a man who spent decades in an unmarked grave highlights the challenges and the dignity of African American athletes in early twentieth-century baseball.

In the Pittsburgh area’s Allegheny Cemetery, one of the oldest rural cemeteries in the United States, a grave marker reads, “A feared competitor in Negro Leagues baseball. Page was known for his skill at the plate, his fierce speed on the bases, and his grace in the outfield.”3 This is the final resting place of Theodore Roosevelt “Terrible Ted” Page, though for nearly 30 years, his grave was unmarked.4 After his cremation, his remains went unclaimed and were placed in a community vault at the Lawrenceville Cemetery,5 a poignant reminder of the neglect many Negro Leagues players endured, even after making significant contributions to the national pastime.

Born on April 22, 1903, in Glasgow, Kentucky, Ted Page, like many African American families of the time, moved north during the Great Migration.6 When he was 9, his family settled in Youngstown, Ohio, where they lived in a neighborhood predominantly occupied by steel mill workers of various ethnic backgrounds, including Slavic, Polish, and Italian families. According to the 1910 US Census, his father, Charles, was as a laborer and his mother, Minnie, is listed as “keeping house.” The Page family was the only Black family in the area, and Page grew up playing with Polish and Italian children, unaware of the racial divisions that would later shape his life.7

Page’s athletic prowess was evident from a young age. He excelled in multiple sports and was even offered a football scholarship to Ohio State University as a halfback. The school intended to sign both Page and Joe Donchess. However, Page, driven by a love for baseball, turned down the scholarship, opting instead to pursue a professional baseball career. He later described this decision as one of the biggest regrets of his life, though he believed it was the right choice at the time. In 1979 Donchess was honored with induction into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.8

The baseball journey for Ted Page began in 1923 when he signed with the Toledo Tigers of the Negro American League for $10 a game. However, he was cut almost immediately. His determination and passion led him to play for several other teams, including the Buffalo Giants in the 1924-1925 season, under the direction of legendary manager Grant “Home Run” Johnson. Impressed in the Hotel League in Palm Beach, Florida, by hitting off popular pitchers like Smokey Joe Williams and Nip Winters, Page was recruited by Cumberland Posey of the Homestead Grays and Jeff Keenan of the New York Lincoln Giants. In 1926 he signed with Andy Harris and the newly formed Newark (New Jersey) Stars of the Eastern Colored League, where he played center field and batted sixth in the lineup. The season was short-lived and folded by mid-July.

“Playing baseball was an easier life than carrying bricks or cleaning windows,” Page once said, reflecting on the harsh realities of his time. “Baseball was something I had to do, really, because I didn’t know how to do anything else.”9

From 1927 to 1930, Page played for some of the most prominent Negro League teams, including Chappie Johnson’s All-Stars, the Mohawk Giants, the Brooklyn Royal Giants, and the Baltimore Black Sox. He eventually joined one of the most dominant teams in Negro League history, where he played alongside future Hall of Famers like Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, and Oscar Charleston, under the guidance of manager Cumberland Posey.

In February 1931, Page signed with the Homestead Grays. “Page, the hard-hitting speedy outfielder who played during the regular season with the Brooklyn Royal Giants and led the Baltimore Black Sox in batting in their post-season battles last year, has been secured to play in the outer gardens for the Homestead Grays this season,” reported the Pittsburgh Courier. “Page is a left-hander and is one of the best batters in baseball. With Vic Harris all set, this leaves but one major vacancy in the Homesteaders’ outfield troupe for the coming campaign.”10

The 1931 season marked a defining moment in Page’s career. He contributed to the Grays’ reputation with a standout performance, compiling over 200 hits (including over 40 doubles and 11 triples), 165 runs, a .315 batting average, and 15 three-hit games.11 His speed and aggressive baserunning helped set the stage for the team’s power hitters. Despite playing alongside legends, Page’s performance was remarkable, and he earned the respect of both teammates and opponents.

As one of the most talented teams of the era, the Grays barnstormed across the country, often competing against other Negro League teams and White semipro teams. Although not officially part of a league in 1931, due to the dissolution of the first Negro National League, the Grays continued to build their legacy through exhibition games and fierce competition.

On July 19 at Neil Park in Columbus, Ohio, the Grays played the Walloping Forest Towels, a local semipro team and cruised to an 18-7 victory. Page and Oscar Charleston were unstoppable, blasting balls all over the ballpark with every at-bat. Page had his first five-hit game since joining Pittsburgh, marking the third time in 1931 that two Grays players recorded five hits in the same game.12

A week later, on July 27 in Cleveland, the Grays played the first night game at Cleveland’s League Park, the home of the Cleveland Indians. Future Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander took the mound for House of David, a well-known barnstorming team famous for its long-haired, bearded players and entertaining style of play, but lasted only two innings. A crowd of over 6,000 fans watched, as Page, Oscar Charleston, Jud Wilson, and Bill Evans, each recorded three hits. The Grays won 9-5.13

A rematch between the teams took place the next night in Alliance, Ohio, where Sunset Park hosted its first-ever night baseball game. Page and Bill Evans both hit home runs and lifted the Grays to a dominant 9-1 victory and their 13th consecutive win of the season.14 The historic matchup was part of a growing trend of night baseball games as teams experienced with artificial lighting years before Major League Baseball officially began to embrace it in, showcasing how independent and Negro League teams were pioneers in bringing baseball to fans outside of traditional daylight hours.15

The Grays roster in 1931 included notable players like George Scales, with whom Page famously had a fight during a heated argument. While playing a game at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Page knocked out two of Scales’ teeth. George “Chippy” Britt, one of baseball’s “big bad men,” separated the fighters. In a sleepless night, both players reportedly lay awake in bed, Page with a gun in his hand and Scales a knife under his pillow.16

Page’s career continued with various teams, including the New York Black Yankees. With the team’s inaugural year of 1932, Page played left field and hit third in the lineup. As a Black Yankee, Page scored the winning run off the Pittsburgh Crawfords’ Satchel Paige in the first Negro League game played at Greenlee Field.17 The game occurred on April 29, 1932, when Jesse Hubbard and Satchel engaged in a fierce pitching duel for eight innings. Paige struck out 10 and allowed six hits, while Hubbard gave up only three hits. The game remained scoreless until the ninth, when the Black Yankees broke through. With one out, Arvell (Orville) “Bill” Riggins singled but was forced out at second on Page’s fielder’s-choice grounder. Page then stole second, advanced to third on Bill Perkins’ throwing error. A bloop single by Clint Thomas brought Page home and the Black Yankees held on for a 1-0 victory.18

After just nine games with the Black Yankees, Page came back to the Steel City, this time joining Gus Greenlee and the Crawfords.19 Here he played on an all-star roster with Paige and Cool Papa Bell, and a lineup which quickly became known as the “Big 5”:  Page, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson, and Jud Wilson. Page arrived swinging, as he helped lead the Crawfords to success, batting an impressive .315 in 1932. Despite suffering a knee injury in 1934 while sliding into first base in Jackson, Mississippi, that affected his speed,20 Page remained a powerful presence at the plate, continuing to hit line drives and contribute to his team’s success.

During the offseason Page worked at the Crawford Grill as a lookout for Greenlee’s numbers racket. He would sit downstairs on the sidewalk and ring a bell to alert them upstairs if anyone was coming who didn’t belong, and for $15 a week he never pushed the button.21 In 1935 Page was released to the Philadelphia Stars. With the Stars, Page brought veteran leadership to a team that had won the Negro National League championship a year earlier in 1934. In ’35, Page started the season with the Newark Eagles, another top Negro League club.22 Though his speed and agility were never quite the same after the injury, Page’s dedication to the game never wavered. He didn’t quite have it and by mid-May Page was released and returned to the Philadelphia Stars.23

The final two years of Page’s career came in 1936-37 with the Stars, for whom he averaged .231. By this point, Page was still respected but was entering the twilight of his playing days. His speed and arm were still strong, but his batting started to slow a bit compared with his peak years. In 1937, after a successful finish, Page retired from professional baseball, having played against the best of both the Negro Leagues and what was then defined as major-league talent.

“I’m the worst pitcher in the world when you come to the plate,” Page recalled his friend Satchel saying about him. “Why did I hit Satchel so easily? I don’t know, some players I couldn’t hit with a paddle or a broom.”24

Page’s career ended with 315 games played in the Negro Leagues, 1,329 plate appearances, and a .289 batting average; 7 games played vs. “major-league” teams, 33 plate appearances, and a .414 batting average, a testament to his skill and resilience.

Page reflected on his baseball playing days, “Right on those two teams (Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords), you could have picked out maybe half of them who could have been major-league stars, I think I am very lucky to be able to say that I played with all the great ballplayers, with and against them. I have tried to tell myself that had I played on a team with fewer stars; I might have got more recognition. But how am I going to stand out on a team with Gibson, Satchel, Charleston, and Bell? But I say, ‘By golly, I’ve got to be lucky to be on a team with men like that.”25

After retiring, Page and his wife, Juanita, transitioned into a successful business career, becoming involved in the bowling industry and eventually owning a bowling alley in Pittsburgh.26 Former Negro League greats like Judy Johnson, Ralph Mellix, Clarence Bruce, Vic Harris, Willis Moody, and Jasper “Jap” Washington, were known to compete with laughter and cheers.27 He also served as a public-relations consultant for Gulf Oil28 and was active in the local bowling community, mentoring up-and-coming players. One was Louise Fulton, who became an outstanding bowler and the first African American woman to go into the Women’s Professional Bowlers Association.29 In 1977 Page was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.30

Page remained deeply connected to baseball over the years, frequently spending time in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse. He developed close friendships with Roberto Clemente, Manny Sanguillén, and especially Willie Stargell, sharing this knowledge and experiences with them. Through Page, they gained a deeper appreciation of their baseball heritage.31

Tragically, Page’s life ended violently on December 1, 1984, when he was murdered by a baseball bat in his home in Pittsburgh’s Bryn Mawr Road Hill District32 by Jeffrey Sullivan, a 20-year-old man whom Page had hired for yard work.33 The motive appeared to be a financial dispute, and Sullivan was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder. Page was 81.

Page’s cremated remains were left unclaimed and stored in a community vault at Allegheny Cemetery, where they remained for nearly 30 years. His unmarked grave stood as a stark symbol of the neglect many Negro League players faced despite their contributions to the game. However, in 2013 Page finally received a proper grave marker through the efforts of the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project. This initiative, launched in 2004 by Dr. Jeremy Krock and the Society for American Baseball Research, sought to honor forgotten players by providing them with proper grave markers. On August 17, 2013, nearly three decades after his death, Page’s legacy was officially recognized with a ceremony attended by family, community members, and baseball historians.34

Ted Page’s life and career serve as a testament to the resilience, talent, and perseverance of Negro League players. Through the efforts of the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project, Page’s story is now remembered, not just for his skills on the field but for the dignity and respect he and other players like him now receive. His marked grave stands as a symbol of redemption and recognition, ensuring that his legacy endures.

In the same cemetery where Page had once raised money to mark the grave of his teammate Josh Gibson,35 Page’s grave can be found close by, in Section 54, Lot: URN GARDEN – C, Grave: 56, Allegheny Cemetery, 4734 Butler St., Pittsburgh 1520136 – a place where his extraordinary contributions to baseball and history will never be forgotten.

Sources

Statistics are from Seamheads.com unless otherwise noted.

Photo credit

Ted Page, National Baseball Hall of Fame Library.

Notes

1 James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues (New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994), 596-597.

2 Jason Cato, “Baseball Great ‘Terrible Ted’ Page to Get Overdue Respect,” TribLive, August 10, 2013. https://archive.triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/baseball-great-terrible-ted-page-to-get-overdue-respect/#:~:text=A%20ceremony%20on%20Saturday%20at,in%20his%20Hill%20District%20home.

3 Theodore R. “Ted” Page in the U.S. Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current.

4 Theodore R. “Ted” Page in the U.S. Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current.

5 Cato, “Baseball Great ‘Terrible Ted’ Page to Get Overdue Respect.”

6 Vincent T. Ciaramella, “Rounding the Bases with ‘Terrible Ted’ Page,” The Historians Magazine. 2022: 24.

7 John Holway, Voices From the Great Black Baseball Leagues (Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2010), 145.

8 Holway, 145. See also https://footballfoundation.org/honors/hall-of-fame/joe-donchess/1430.

9 Holway, 149.

10 “Grays Sign Page, New Outfielder,” Pittsburgh Courier, February 28,1931: 15.

11 Phil S. Dixon, Phil Dixon’s American Baseball Chronicles, Great Teams: The 1931 Homestead Grays, Volume 1 (Xlibris, 2009), 286-287.

12 Dixon, 176-177.

13 Dixon, 184.

14 Dixon, 185-186.

15 Norm King, “May 24, 1935: Reds fans see the lights in first night game in MLB history,” SABR Games Project.

16 Holway, 158.

17 “Ted Page,” card no. 15 in “Pittsburgh Negro League Stars” card set produced by Pittsburgh Pirates, 1988.

18 See Jeb Stewart, “Greenlee Field (Pittsburgh),” SABR BioProject.

19 Ciaramella.

20 Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum: Personal Profiles: Ted Page. Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum: Personal Profiles: Ted Page.

21Holway, 159.

22 Holway, 162.

23 Holway, 162.

24 Holway, 153.

25 Holway, 166.

26 Jim Bankes, The Pittsburgh Crawfords (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. 2001), 141.

27 Wayne Moody, The Real Story of the Negro Leagues (Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina: Covenant Books, 2022), 11.

28 Ciaramella, “Rounding the Bases with ‘Terrible Ted’ Page.”

29 Holway, 165.

30 www.pasportshof.org/inductees.

31 Bankes, The Pittsburgh Crawfords.

32 Cato, “Baseball Great ‘Terrible Ted’ Page to Get Overdue Respect.”

33 Ciaramella.

34 Cato.

35 Theodore R. “Ted” Page in the U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current.

36 Vincent T. Ciaramella and Erika M. Ciaramella with Enzo M. Ciaramella, Greats in the Graveyard, A Compendium (Independently published: 2023), 26.