# 3408r - 2000 33c Legends of Baseball: Josh Gibson
33¢ Josh Gibson
Legends of Baseball
City: Atlanta, GA
Quantity: 11,250,000
Printed by: Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd
Printing Method: Lithographed
Perforations: Serpentine die cut 11.25
Color: Multicolored
First Game Of Negro National League Baseball
In the late 1800s, baseball was divided by a color line. A rule known as the “Gentleman’s Agreement” banned black players from white leagues. From behind this color line, a new American pastime was born – Negro Leagues Baseball.
Foster would work 15-hour days to keep the league running. To ensure payrolls were met on time, Rube advanced loans to other owners out of his own pocket. He also shifted players within the league to ensure equal competition between teams. Foster wanted black players to be ready when integration finally came. He routinely spoke to players, telling them to always play at the highest level of excellence.
Soon, fans flocked to the ballparks and were treated to a fast-paced game filled with action and flamboyance. Players like Satchel Paige electrified the crowds with their showmanship. A tall, lanky right-hander, Paige often told the outfielders to sit down while he struck out the next batter. And “Cool Papa” Bell would often try to steal two bases on one pitch.
Behind all the pageantry, life in Negro baseball was tough. When the team bus stopped at a restaurant, the players weren’t allowed in the dining room. And they often slept on the buses because white hotels wouldn’t rent them rooms. “We didn’t get a chance sometimes to take a bath for 3 or 4 days because they wouldn’t let us,” recalled Ted Radcliffe.
In 1947, the color barrier was broken when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Within five years, more than 150 Negro Leagues players joined Major League teams. Without its greatest stars, and struggling with low attendance, the era of Negro Leagues baseball came to a close.
Click here for a brief video about the Negro League.
33¢ Josh Gibson
Legends of Baseball
City: Atlanta, GA
Quantity: 11,250,000
Printed by: Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd
Printing Method: Lithographed
Perforations: Serpentine die cut 11.25
Color: Multicolored
First Game Of Negro National League Baseball
In the late 1800s, baseball was divided by a color line. A rule known as the “Gentleman’s Agreement” banned black players from white leagues. From behind this color line, a new American pastime was born – Negro Leagues Baseball.
Foster would work 15-hour days to keep the league running. To ensure payrolls were met on time, Rube advanced loans to other owners out of his own pocket. He also shifted players within the league to ensure equal competition between teams. Foster wanted black players to be ready when integration finally came. He routinely spoke to players, telling them to always play at the highest level of excellence.
Soon, fans flocked to the ballparks and were treated to a fast-paced game filled with action and flamboyance. Players like Satchel Paige electrified the crowds with their showmanship. A tall, lanky right-hander, Paige often told the outfielders to sit down while he struck out the next batter. And “Cool Papa” Bell would often try to steal two bases on one pitch.
Behind all the pageantry, life in Negro baseball was tough. When the team bus stopped at a restaurant, the players weren’t allowed in the dining room. And they often slept on the buses because white hotels wouldn’t rent them rooms. “We didn’t get a chance sometimes to take a bath for 3 or 4 days because they wouldn’t let us,” recalled Ted Radcliffe.
In 1947, the color barrier was broken when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Within five years, more than 150 Negro Leagues players joined Major League teams. Without its greatest stars, and struggling with low attendance, the era of Negro Leagues baseball came to a close.
Click here for a brief video about the Negro League.