Josh Gibson Foundation Celebrates Centennial Of The Negro Leagues
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The COVID-19 pandemic pushed back a 2020 centennial celebration of the Negro Leagues but it did not cancel it.
The Josh Gibson Foundation will mark 100 years since the Negro Leagues were formed.
The "Negro Leagues Youth Classic" Tournament is still scheduled for the last weekend in June.
Then, in the final weekend of October, there will be a celebration symposium and foundation gala.
All of it is to celebrate the legacy of Josh Gibson and his fellow Black players.
"There is no city in America that has a stronger history with the Negro Leagues than the city of Pittsburgh," said Kevin McClatchy, the former Pirates owner.
"It was the stories that these players of the Negro Leagues had," said Al Oliver, a former Pirates first baseman and outfielder. "It was the endurance these guys had, playing three or four games a day, traveling on those buses that didn't have air conditioning."
MLB recently recognized the Negro Leagues as major leagues - meaning that the records of Black players like Josh Gibson will stand alongside the white players of the time.