{"id":13084,"date":"2022-08-12T09:30:15","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T09:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/media-archive.blackartinamerica.com\/?p=13084"},"modified":"2022-08-11T13:39:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-11T13:39:19","slug":"tales-from-the-b-a-sket-black-art-sketches-for-the-contemporary-art-lover-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earthexhibitions.org\/media-archive\/?p=13084","title":{"rendered":"Tales from The b.a.SKET: Black Art Sketches for the Contemporary Art Lover"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
By D. Amari Jackson<\/pre>\r\nThis week, we reach into the b.a.SKET and pull out a storied and compelling era in American sports history\u2026 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n
Despite marginalization and lack of mainstream attention due to race, many extraordinary tales have nonetheless survived from the legendary era of 20th<\/sup> century baseball clubs collectively known as the Negro Leagues. Leading the way is the incomparable Leroy \u201cSatchel\u201d Paige, the greatest pitcher in Negro League history and regarded one of the best pitchers to ever play the game. Paige was known to pitch two or three games a night, commonly shutting out his competition in consecutive contests.<\/p>\r\n
In 1934, Paige formed the Satchel Paige All Stars to \u201cbarnstorm,\u201d a way athletes could make additional money offseason by competing against teams outside their league including, in this case, white players from Major League Baseball (MLB). Over a three-year period, Paige\u2019s team won 128 games while barnstorming, 40 against teams with MLB players, losing only 23. In one notable game, Paige pitched against MLB\u2019s top pitcher, Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean, striking out 17 batters in the win. Well aware of Paige\u2019s greatness, Dean later offered, \u201cIf me and Satch were together in St. Louis, we would clinch the pennant in July and go fishing until the World Series.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
Then there was the mighty catcher, Josh Gibson, widely considered one of the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. Though relevant statistics are incomplete, it is believed Gibson hit well over 800 home runs in in his career while sporting one of the highest batting averages in Negro League history.<\/p>\r\n
Gibson\u2019s power was known to be unparalleled. So much so that the white baseball press was known to refer to Gibson as \u201cthe Black Babe Ruth,\u201d prompting the Black baseball community to correct them by labeling Ruth \u201cthe white Josh Gibson.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
Either way, Gibson\u2019s greatness\u2014unlike his stats\u2014are not in dispute. Still, an oft-repeated tall tale about the slugger\u2019s on-field exploits has made its way into common lore:<\/p>\r\n
\u201cIn the bottom of the ninth at Pittsburgh, down a run, with a runner on base and two outs, Gibson hits one high and deep, so far into the twilight sky that it disappears, apparently winning the game. The next day, the same two teams are playing again, now in Washington. Just as the teams have positioned themselves on the field, a ball falls out of the sky, and a Washington outfielder grabs it. The umpire yells to Gibson, “You’re out! In Pittsburgh, yesterday<\/em>!”<\/p>\r\n
———————<\/strong><\/p>\r\n