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Abstract
The Pittsburgh Crawfords dominated black baseball during the mid-1930s, yet little is known about their home ballpark, Greenlee Field (1932-1938). This article provides a history of the field itself, answering questions about how its origins and location, the organization of its ownership, the identity of its architect, the structure's appearance both inside and out, the playing field's dimensions, and its orientation on the site. The article also explores circumstances leading up to the demolition of the field in 1938. Several previously unpublished aerial and ground photographs of the field illustrate the narrative.
The Story of Greenlee Field
ANY STORY REQUIRES PLOT, CHARACTERS, AND SETTING. In reconstructing the history of black baseball, box scores give us the basic outline of the plot, and biographical records tell us who the players were. But until now, the setting-where teams actually played their legendary games-has been left mostly to our imagination, even for great clubs like the 1930s Pittsburgh Crawfords. The only detail we have known about the exterior of Greenlee Field is that its brick facade had three arched entryways. These are clearly visible in the background of the 1935 team photograph, behind the famous Mack bus and underneath a sign that reads "ENTRANCE." The park's interior has also been a mystery. Teenie Harris's photographs1 show a few interior details, but not enough to imagine the big picture, leaving us wondering about the ballpark's appearance both inside and out, its orientation on the site, and the playing field's dimensions.
Gus Greenlee
Pittsburgh Hill District businessman Gus Greenlee began investing in the Crawfords by 1931, hoping to build the team from a local semiprofessional club to contenders in a professional league.2 Initially, the team was mediocre, with no superstars but some decent players: Robbie Williams, Moe Harris, "Jap" Washington, Sam Streeter, and Bill Harris. The Pittsburgh Courier called the 1931 Crawfords "a disorganized team of temperamentals ... without a single brainy pitcher." But the same writer assessed, "before the season ended [the] Crawfords were ranked in the first division." Robbie Williams was the team's player/manager, and Cum Posey's brother See was business manager. Sportswriter W. Rollo Wilson declared, "Gus Greenlee has built an exceptional good team in the short while he has owned the former sandlotters."...