Josh Gibson was born on Dec. 21, 1911. He was a legendary figure and was the greatest power hitter in black baseball, pounding out home runs with regularity despite playing most of his career in two of baseball’s most cavernous ballparks: Forbes Field and Griffith Stadium. He utilized a fluid, compact swing to hit for both average and power, and tales of his mammoth home runs became legend. In recorded at-bats against big league pitching, Gibson batted .426. Baseball historians consider Gibson to be among the very best catchers and power hitters in the history of any league, including the Major Leagues; he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
