{"id":73267,"date":"2024-05-15T07:00:32","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T11:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=73267"},"modified":"2024-05-14T19:34:16","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T23:34:16","slug":"negro-leagues-unmarked-graves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/05\/15\/negro-leagues-unmarked-graves\/","title":{"rendered":"Foundation Provides Markers for Unmarked Graves of Negro League Stars"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Josh Gibson Foundation<\/a>, located in Pittsburgh, has been providing markers for unmarked graves of Negro League players. On Monday, they scratched two more off their list, when they provided markers for Clarence \u201cWin\u201d Harris<\/a> and Frank Miller<\/a>. Harris was a first baseman\/left fielder for the Homestead Grays of the Black Baseball League on and off from 1918-24. Miller was a pitcher\/left fielder for the Pittsburgh Keystones of the National Colored Baseball League in 1887 and the New York Gothams of the Middle States League in 1889.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh was a hotbed for Negro League baseball. Although the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is situated in Kansas City, where the Monarchs<\/a> played, Pittsburgh had two storied teams of its own. The Pittsburgh Crawfords existed from 1931-40, originating in the Crawford neighborhood of Pittsburgh\u2019s predominantly black Hill District. They won Negro National League titles in 1935 and 1936. The Homestead Grays, winners of 11 league titles, were extant from 1912-50. They hailed from Homestead, a small borough outside Pittsburgh, just across the Monongahela River.<\/p>\n

The all-time rosters of the Crawfords and Grays reflect much overlap. Together, they featured 16 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, including Cool Papa Bell<\/a>, Oscar Charleston<\/a>, Martin Dihigo<\/a>, Josh Gibson<\/a>, Judy Johnson<\/a>, and Satchel Paige<\/a>. Today, Pittsburgh and Homestead are connected by the Homestead Grays Bridge. Entering Homestead from the bridge, one sees banners commemorating great Grays players. Entering Pittsburgh from the bridge, one sees banners honoring great Crawfords.
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