gus greenlee
December 26, 1893 – July 7, 1952
gus greenlee
Gus Greenlee was a highly successful entrepreneur born and raised in Marion, North Carolina. After migrating to Pittsburgh as a young man, he began investing heavily in the steel industry, and through his success, was able to acquire and invest in several successful ventures in the Negro Leagues..
career
As a young man in his mid 20's, Gus Greenlee knew very little about the business of baseball.
He took an interest in the game when the promoters of the Crawford Giants ran out of money.
Desperately looking for working capital tp keep the team alive, Greenlee stepped in as an angel investor, giving a sizable donation in the form of an investment.
Greenlee used the wealth he acquired from a speakeasy that he owned and money he made from his involved in the banking business otherwise known as the numbers game.
His ability to afford a large payroll in a time where no no salary cap existed, allowed Greenlee what some might call an unfair advantage, as he was able to attract some of the biggest names playing in the Negro Leagues to play for his team almost at will.
He would eventually make the Crawford Giants his team by cleaning house.
He started with releasing nearly all of the players that were on team before he took over the team, management included, bringing in a nearly full roster of new players.
At the same time, Greenlee was also making investments in other sports such as boxing.
His successful funding of a future light-heavyweight boxing champion, added to his reputation as a smart and powerful figure operating within the black community.
In 1916, he traveled north by freight car to Pittsburgh, settling in the Hill District.
This was the start of the first Great Migration, when more than one million African-Americans left the rural South in search of consistent opportunities for employment, while also receiving an improvement in general working conditions.
This was the allure of the great industrialized North.
In Pittsburgh, Gus held several jobs at large steel mills, while also maintaining a shoe shinning business, and driving a cab on the side.
During World War I, he enlisted and served in the black 367th regiment.
In 1924, after several years of diligently saving his money, he was ready to invest in the Negro Leagues.
Gus started by buying the Collins Inn and slowly turned it into one of the most recognizable and influential African-American businesses in the Pittsburgh area.
This success allowed him to invest further, acquiring the Crawford Grill Nightclub, and in 1931, outright purchasing the Pittsburgh Crawfords professional Negro Leagues baseball franchise, which had been facing financial deficiencies for years.
In 1933, he founded what would be the first of three iterations of the Negro National League also known as the Negro National League I (NNLI).
Soon after founding the Negro National League I, Gus appointed himself as acting commissioner of the Negro National League I (NNLI).
Not soon after, he began construction on Greenlee Field, one of the very few baseball stadiums owned and operated strictly by a black owned franchise and for the purpose of servicing the needs of black baseball. [1]
He was also notorious in the Pittsburgh area for running what was known as the numbers game, participating in what some in high society would call his racketeering side hustle.
Gus used his profits from all of these enterprises to act as a philanthropist to the African-American community, providing scholarships for students education, and grants for first time home buyers.
Such opportunities were not customarily available to minorities due to the segregated policies of predominantly white own and operated financial institutions.
Scholars have suggested that his success in the community should be interpreted as an enterprising attempt to fill a need created by the harsh and depraved reality of segregation.
For instance, according to Vernell A. Lillie, Professor Emeritus of African-American studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Greenlee and other "runners" were in fact well respected figures in the black community, and were known for their philanthropy, and ability to bring hope, and economic prosperity to communities that desperately needed attention.
"They made their money probably from the numbers racket, but they turned that money into something very positive. If anybody wanted to buy a house, they could not go to Mellon Bank or Dollar Savings. They had to go to old man Greenlee, or to [William A. "Buzzy"] Robinson." [4]
In 1933, Greenlee single handedly organized the annual East-West Classic All-Star game that was organized and played at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.
This All-Star game featured a duel between some of the greatest players in the Negro Leagues at the time.
It would eventually come to be the competitive juices that fueled the National Negro League I first season.
For almost their entire existence, the Pittsburgh Crawfords were the most well-funded and financially backed teams in organized black baseball, drawing comparisons to the modern day New York Yankees.
All thanks to Greenlee’s willingness to spend on the team (retro George Steinbrenner.)
The revenue Greenlee was generating from his gambling and bootlegging operation, enabled him to pay top dollar for some of the best talent in black baseball.
The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords squad may have been the best team to ever to play in the Negro Leagues.
The team featured 5 future Major League Baseball Hall of Fame players.
His continued economic success allowed him to finish construction on the Pittsburgh Crawfords very own ball park, known as Greenlee Field.
When he bought the Pittsburgh Crawfords outright in 1931, he was shocked and insulted that the players were not allowed to use the dressing rooms at white-owned venues such as Forbes Field, Ammon Field, and other venues the teams frequently played at.
He fought hard as an advocate of his players and the league.
However, after years of hard fought success, Greenlee made the decision to leave baseball following the 1938 season.
He sold all of the remaining interests he had in baseball including the ballpark, partly because he felt discouraged by the fact he had lost too many of his best players.
He also owed money to his other ventures, specifically to the numbers game.
However, in 1945, Gus would make made a sudden comeback, aligning himself with Branch Rickey in a partnership to create another new league, The United States League (USL).
This partnership in particular had the mission to serve as an intermediate league during the period of full integration between the Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball.
Together Branch Rickey, and Gus Greenlee, established the United States League (USL) in 1945.
Again, its main purpose was to serve as a platform for scouting top black baseball players, and more specifically to one and for all break the color barrier that had been keeping African Americans out of Major League Baseball.
It's unclear if the league actually even played the 1945 season, or if the league was created simply as an activist front created and conceived with the direct aim of achieving full integration.
The United States League lasted just one season, we think.
In October of that year, Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers, with Robinson completely forgoing the United States League.
Soon after Robinson signed with the Dodgers in 1945 - 1946, this coincided with the fall of the USL which last for only one season (nearly a month) before it folded.
Jackie Robinson signing with the Dodgers, accelerated the time line for full integration by forgoing any appearces in the United States League, signing directly with the Brooklyn Dodgers, officially breaking Major Leagues color barrier in 1947.
After the failure or success or the United States League, Greenlee again took a major step back from investing in his baseball, but continued to operate the Crawford Grill in Pittsburgh and act as a community leader until 1951, when the Crawford Grill was destroyed by a fire.
One of Gus Greenlee’s lasting and most important contributions to the Negro Leagues was in 1932, when he purchased a plot of land and began development on Greenlee Field.
This was a significant achievement, as it stood as the first all black ballpark.
The stadium was financed solely by Greelee as he imported concrete and steel from manufacturing connections he had made during his time investing in the steel industry.
All told the ballpark would reach max capacity at 7,500 fans.
It was designed by Pittsburgh's influential African-American architect, Louis Arnett Stuart Bellinger.
The total cost Greenlee was nearly $100,000, of which he financed over 50%.
Adjusted for inflation that would have cost Greenlee around $1,846,808 in terms of dollars in 2024.
Lights for night games and a tarp to shield fans from the sun during the day were added to the burgeoning stadium following the 1933 season.
The first game at Greenlee Field attracted more than 4,000 fans, with some patrons being seated in different areas of the park, while other areas were still under construction.
For a time, the field was also used for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team for practice.
players
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charleston played and managed in the Negro Leagues as an outfielder, first baseman and pitcher. Charleston would later become manager of the Indianapolis Clowns.
Cool Papa Bell
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
Cool Papa Bell played centerfield in the Negro Leagues from 1922 to 1946. played for the powerhouse Kansas City. Monarchs, Pittsburgh Crawfords, and Homestead Grays.
Buck Leonard
Oscar Charelston
Satchel Paige
Buck Leonard, along side Josh Gibson formed the best three-four, hitting tandem in the History of the Negro Leagues, leading the Homestead Grays to dominance.
Satchel Paige
Cumberland Posey
Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige began his 20 year career in the Negro Leagues pitching for the Chattanooga Lookouts. He would later make his MLB debut at age 42 for the Cleveland Indians.
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Cum Posey was a veteran Negro Leagues team owner, player, and league executive. He is the founding member of two leagues, and a Hall of Fame Basketball player.
Jackie Robinson
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Jackie Robinson is the first African American to play Major League Baseball. He broke baseball's color barrier in 1945, by signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella played one season in the Negro Leagues, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers just one season after Jackie Robinson’s debut in Major League Baseball.
Gus Greenlee
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Gus Greenlee was a driving force behind the organization of the Negro National League I. During his time involved with Negro Leagues he owned several profitable side businesses.
Henry AAron
Roy Campanella
Candy Jim Taylor
Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in home runs with 755, few know Aaron began his baseball career in the Negro Leagues as a shortstop for the Indianapolis Clowns.
Candy Jim Taylor
Cristóbal Torriente
Candy Jim Taylor
Candy Jim Taylor was a professional third baseman, manager, and brother of four professional playing Negro Leaguers. His career in baseball spanned over 40 years.
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente, often called the Babe Ruth of Cuba, played as an outfielder in the Negro Leagues from 1912-1932. He was most known for his incredible power to all fields.
Rube Foster
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Considered one of the best pitchers of the early 1900s, and perhaps the most influential figure in Negro League history, Rube Foster founded the NNLI and managed the Chicago American Giants.
Larry Doby
Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Larry Doby was the second African-American baseball player to break baseball's color barrier and the first black player to play in the American League.
Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Even at the catchers position, Josh Gibson's display of power in his famed Negro Leagues career is something rarely seen in the history of Major League Baseball.
Sol White
Josh Gibson
Ben Taylor
King Solomon "Sol" White played baseball professionally as an infielder, manager and league executive. White is considered to be one of the pioneers of the Negro Leagues.
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
Born in July 1888, Ben Taylor was the youngest of 4 professional Negro Leaguers, including Candy Jim Taylor, C.I. Taylor, and Johnny Steel Arm Taylor.
Biz Mackey
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
Biz Mackey was regarded as one of the Negro Leagues premier offensive and defensive catchers, playing across several leagues from late 1920s and early 1930s.
Nat Strong
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
Nathaniel Strong was a Negro Leagues sports executive, businessman, team owner and founding member of the Negro National League I,
Monte Irvin
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Monte Irvin flourished as one of the early African-American players in MLB, making 2 World Series appearances for the New York Giants, playing along side Willie Mays.
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Norman Turkey Stearnes played professionally in the Negro Leagues, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Willie Mays
Turkey Stearnes
Steel Arm Taylor
A can’t miss five-tool player, Mays began his professional baseball career with the Black Barons, spending the rest of his career playing MLB for the Giants and Mets.
Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
John Boyce Taylor was the second-oldest of 4 baseball-playing brothers, the others being Charles, Ben and James. For the 1899-1900, Taylor won 90% of his games starting pitcher for the Giants.
Buck O'Neil
Steel Arm Taylor
Martín Dihigo
Buck signed with the Memphis Red Sox for their first year of play in the newly formed Negro American League (NAL). His contract was sold to the Kansas Monarchs the following year.
Martín Dihigo
Steel Arm Taylor
Martín Dihigo
Martín Magdaleno Dihigo Llanos called The Immortal, was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played in the Negro Leagues and Latin American leagues from 1923 to 1936.