Josh Gibson is considered by many baseball historians to be one of the greatest power hitters ever to play the game. His career spanned 1930 to 1946, mostly in the Negro Leagues. He is most closely identified with the Homestead Grays, for whom he was a catcher in 1930-31, 1937-39, and 1942-46. He was never allowed to play in the Major Leagues, due to racism.

By some accounts, he hit close to 800 career home runs. He was known as “the black Babe Ruth,” although many who saw both he and Ruth play, said Ruth was “the white Josh Gibson.” Some eyewitness accounts say he once hit a home run in a game at Yankee Stadium that traveled 580 feet. According to Jack Marshall, who was a shortstop for the Chicago American Giants, Gibson hit a home run in 1934 that cleared the third deck in left field, the only fair ball ever to be hit out of Yankee Stadium.

I have long been interested in the history of the Negro Leagues, which I’ve studied extensively for more than 30 years. Stories from that history are both heartwarming and heartbreaking for me. This piece is one in a series I am working on to honor some of the greats of that era, and to serve as a reminder that we must diligently fight against injustice.

This piece was created using only palette knives and three Gamblin paint colors: ivory black, titanium white, and torrit grey.

This original oil painting on a cradled birch panel measures 12” tall by 9'“ wide. It sells in a black box frame and ready to hang. Free shipping in the U.S.