Carter: This N.J. baseball field witnessed a piece of history, but there’s little recognition of it
From Barry Carter at NJ.com on January 29, 2019:
Satchel Paige, a famous Negro League pitcher, once hurled fastballs from the mound at the ball field at East Orange’s Oval Park. And, Josh Gibson stood at the park’s home plate, waiting to unleash his mighty swing. John Henry “Pop” Lloyd, nicknamed “El Cuchara”, probably turned double plays and Oscar Charleston snagged fly balls in center field.
The park is a pretty big piece of New Jersey’s African-American history. But, you probably didn’t know that.
Only the diamond’s backstop remains now.
If you’re paying attention, there is a historical placard at the front entrance on Eaton Place that gives a brief description of when the Negro League teams played here in the 1940s.
Read the full article here: https://www.nj.com//essex/2019/01/this-nj-baseball-field-witnessed-a-piece-of-history-but-theres-little-recognition-of-it.html
Originally published: January 29, 2019. Last Updated: January 29, 2019.