1931 Homestead Grays vs. Pittsburgh Crawfords

In the summer of 1931, the city of Pittsburgh hosted one of the most compelling rivalries in Negro League baseball when the elite Homestead Grays met the emerging power Pittsburgh Crawfords for a three-game series on June 19, July 18, and August 1. The matchup featured two formidable clubs from the same city and showcased the depth of talent and competitive fire that defined the era. The Grays struck first and asserted their dominance by winning the first two contests. But the Crawfords refused to be swept and in the finale legendary right-hander Satchel Paige took the mound and delivered a dominant performance to secure a victory in Game Three and left the rivalry evenly balanced in spirit, if not on paper.

The First Meeting: June 19

Willie Foster, after a week-long absence, returned to Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field and delivered a commanding performance, pitching the Homestead Grays to a 9-0 shutout victory over the Pittsburgh Crawfords, a club recently reorganized and elevated from semipro status under the ownership of Gus Greenlee. The game had been widely promoted as a traditional left-handed pitching duel between Foster and the Crawfords starter Sam Streeter; however the anticipated contest did not live up to the pregame hype. Foster established control from the opening innings, striking out nine batters and allowing little offensive resistance. Streeter, in contrast, struggled with his command throughout the game, issuing nine walks. Offensively, the Grays were led by Jake Stevens, who produced an exceptional performance at the plate, recording four hits, including two doubles, all against Streeter. At the time of the contest, the Crawfords were undergoing a period of roster reconstruction following Greenlee’s takeover of the club. Streeter was among several newcomers, along with Dennis Graham, Mo Harris, Jasper Washington, and Buddy Burbage. Prior to 1931, the Grays and Crawfords had faced each other only once, in 1930, when Cum Posey’s Grays edged the Crawfords 3–2 behind the pitching of Oscar Owens.1

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “While the Homestead Grays were scheduled for a return game at local rivals Edgewood, public attention was already shifting to Homestead’s upcoming contests at Forbes Field to face the Crawford Giants the following evening in a 6:15 p.m. start, followed by a Saturday afternoon doubleheader against the Cleveland Cubs of the Negro National League on the same field.” The Post-Gazette reported that the Crawfords issued a formal challenge to Grays manager Cum Posey, which was immediately accepted. “Sam Streeter will hurl for the Giants with Willie Foster likely to go to the hill for the Grays.”2 The term “Giants” here was often used as a code word in advertisements to signify a high-caliber Black team coming to town to play local White teams.

The game opened as a classic nip-and-tuck contest, with Foster and Streeter providing all the excitement that only savvy pitchers can. Inning after inning passed with little damage done, the lone run came in the first when the Homesteaders crossed the plate. After the fifth, however, the Grays finally began to solve Streeter’s pitches, and the Crawford infield and outfield seemed to unravel all at once. The Grays erupted for six runs in the bottom of the inning.3

The following day, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the outcome of the contest; “Willie Foster limited the Crawford Giants to five hits at Forbes Field last evening and the Homestead Grays romped off with a 9 to 0 victory. Stevens featured at bat for the Grays, clouting four hits, two of them doubles. Bill Evans added three hits. Foster fanned nine and Streeter, who hurled for the Crawfords, issued nine passes.”4

The Second Contest: July 18

A month later, the Homestead Grays earned their second win over the Pittsburgh Crawfords at Forbes Field, defeating them 3–1. A classic pitchers’ duel unfolded as Grays left-hander Willie Foster again squared off again against Crawford southpaw Sam Streeter. As in Game 1, Foster ultimately prevailed, allowing just five hits over eight innings. The Crawfords’ only run came in the ninth, when Mo Harris tripled to right field and later scored on a fielder’s choice. Streeter was nearly as sharp, also limiting the Grays to five hits. But, the Grays broke through in the fourth inning when Bill Evans reached safely on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second while Vic Harris was caught in a rundown between second and third. Evans then scored on a Johnny Jones single. Homestead added insurance in the fifth, as two walks and a double by George Scales produced another run.5

Since the first contest struggle, the New Pittsburgh Courier reported the Crawfords quickly added strength, acquiring outfielder Ambrose Reid, who was dropped by the Grays earlier in the season, and signing catcher Bill Perkins from the Cleveland Cubs. Despite the decisive defeat administered by the Grays, the Crawfords were not discouraged by the setback. On the contrary, they remained confident in their ability to compete with Cum Posey’s club and believed they could prevail in future meetings.6

Coverage of the game’s outcome appeared in the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph:

“The Homestead Grays scored their second victory of the season over the Crawfords Giants at Forbes Field, yesterday 3-1. Willie Foster, Grays giant southpaw, and Sam Streeter, left-hand pitching ace of the Crawfords, engaged in a beautiful mound duel with the Grays twirler getting the edge through his ability to keep the Crawfords’ five hits scattered out over eight innings. Their lone tally came in the ninth inning when Mo Harris tripled to right and came across Evans and Charleston were retiring H. Williams at first. Streeter, like his mound rival, held the Grays to five safeties. The victors’ first score was delivered in the fourth inning. Evans was safe on a fielder’s choice, took second while V. Harris ran down between second and third and scored on Jones’s single. Two walks and Scales’ two-bagger gave the Grays two scores in the fifth round.”7

The Final Contest: August 1

Even the rough and uneven diamond of the McKeesport Cycle Park couldn’t mar the big feature of Game Three: the masterful and sensational pitching of Satchel Paige.8 In June, Gus Greenlee had acquired Bill Perkins and Satchel Paige from the financially unstable Cleveland Cubs. Known as “Satchel Paige’s personal catcher,” Perkins followed Paige to the Crawfords, preserving their battery partnership and making an immediate impact.

By August 1, the Homestead Grays were in the midst of an 18-game winning streak, their best of 1931, with the opportunity to extend the run to 20 by sweeping both of that day’s contests. The Grays were scheduled to play a double engagement, first facing the Crawford Giants at 3:00 P.M., followed by an evening matchup at 6:30 P.M. against the Dormont club at Dormont Field. Achieving two additional victories, however, promised to be a formidable challenge, as both the Crawfords and Dormont were highly motivated to secure a win against Cum Posey’s club.9

In the third contest between Homestead and Pittsburgh, Grays pitchers Ted Radcliffe and George Britt could not contain Gus Greenlee’s Pittsburgh Crawfords, who outhit the Grays, 17 to 12. Nate Harris, brother of the Grays’ Vic Harris, led the Crawfords with four hits. Former Gray Ambrose Reid added three safeties, while Jasper Washington – who opened the 1931 season with Posey’s club – contributed two hits. The Crawfords surged early, taking a 7–2 lead after three innings. In the fourth, the Grays finally solved Harry Kincannon’s pitching, mounting a rally that tied the game at 7–7.10 For the Grays, Jud Wilson connected for three hits while Ted Page and Bill Evans chipped in two each.11

But the Grays’ rally was short-lived when Paige came in to relieve the struggling Kincannon and held the Grays scoreless for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, the Crawfords kept up their assault, tagging Britt – who had taken over from Radcliffe – for three more runs to seal the victory. From the moment Paige took the mound, the Grays stopped cold at seven, while the Crawfords added three additional markers off Britt’s pitching.12

The game was a thriller throughout and the kind of exhibition which should have warranted another battle. However, no further contests were scheduled between the two teams in 1931. Despite the loss, the Grays captured the season series with the Crawfords, two games to one. At the time, the defeat marked their 10th loss against rival Negro League clubs this season, against 24 victories.13

According to the Pittsburgh Press, “the Homestead Grays split their two games yesterday. In the matchup against the Crawford Giants at Cyler Park in McKeesport, the Poseymen’s winning streak came to an end as the Crawfords claimed a 10–7 victory.”14

In summary, the Homestead Grays won the series over the Pittsburgh Crawfords, two games to one. The Grays generated more runs, outscoring the Crawfords 19–11, and recorded more extra-base hits, 9–6. Both teams totaled 27 hits.15 In 1931 the Grays were generally the stronger club, winning more of their matchups against quality opponents, including the Crawfords, as part of a very successful independent team. The Crawfords, meanwhile, were laying the groundwork for future success – their emergence as a major competitor came more fully in 1932 and beyond – as Gus Greenlee began investing more heavily in talent and facilities.

BRENDAN SCHUSTER has always had a love for sports, with a particular soft spot for baseball. An avid collector of baseball cards, a spark was fully ignited for the hobby as a boy when his father bestowed his own incomplete baseball and football sets from the 1950’s upon him.After his father’s death, it became Schuster’s mission to finish his dad’s sets and have them graded. Schuster is an International Wholesale Supervisor with General Nutrition Center, LLC at the world headquarters based in Pittsburgh. A graduate from Slippery Rock University with a B.A in Communication, he is a SABR member, co-author of the book Never Heard of Them Either, a Josh Gibson Foundation Unmarked Grave Committee Member, a world-wide sports card collector, and the creator of Facebook page Down From the Attic – Vintage Sports. Brendan enjoys coaching his kid’s baseball and softball teams, reading, lifting weights, and grave hunting. He is a Philadelphia native who now resides in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park with his wife Erika and three kids, Cogan, Cate, and Cara.

 

SOURCES

All statistics cited are from Seamheads.com unless otherwise noted.

 

NOTES

1 Phil S. Dixon, Phil Dixon’s American Baseball Chronicles, Great Teams: The 1931 Homestead Grays, Volume 1 (Xlibris, 2009), 131.

2 “Three Hard Games For Homestead Grays,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 18, 1931: 20.

3 “W. Foster Silences Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 27, 1931: 14.

4 “Grays Blank Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 20, 1931: 16.

5 Dixon, 176.

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

7 “Grays Top Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, July 19, 1931: 23.

8 “Paige Stops Grays as Crawfords Cop, 10-7,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 8, 1931: 15.

9 “Crawfords, Dormont Oppose Grays Today,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 1, 1931: 15.

10 Dixon, 131.

11 Dixon, 197.

12 “Paige Stops Grays as Crawfords Cop, 10-7,” Pittsburgh Courier, August 8, 1931: 15.

13 Dixon, 196,197.

14 “Grays Beat Dormont, Lose to Crawfords,” Pittsburgh Press, August 2, 1931: 49.

15 Dixon, 194.