Tuesday, 03 December 2024

Josh Gibson

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Baseball
Statistics: 2 Negro League World Series Championships (1943 & 1944)
12 Negro League All-Star Games (1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1939x2, 1942x2, 1943, 1944 & 1946x2)
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
Member of the Washington Nationals Ring of Honor
It is not known precisely how many home tuns Josh Gibson hit. Records were not expertly kept back then, especially when Negro League Teams participated in barnstorming contests across the United States.

Here is what we do know. Gibson's Baseball Hall of Fame plaque says that he hit "almost 800 Home Runs in league and independent baseball during his 17-year career". It could very well be more. It is believed that he had a lifetime Batting Average of .359, and he was regarded as the best offensive player in the Negro Leagues.

Gibson could have hit more, but in 1943, he fell into a brief coma and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He opted against surgery, continuing to play baseball and deal with the constant headaches. Gibson died from a stroke in 1946 at the age of 35.

Had Gibson been allowed to play in the Majors, it is entirely conceivable that he would have set a mark that would have caught Babe Ruth, especially if he would have lived past 35.

Alas, we will never know.

We are proud to nominate Josh Gibson for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.