The Pittsburgh Keystones was the name of two historic professional Negro league baseball teams that operated in 1887 and again in 1921 and 1922. The first team was a member of the first black baseball league in 1887, the League of Colored Baseball Clubs. The league only lasted a week, which resulted in a 3-4 record for the Keystones, and included Weldy Walker, the second African-American to play in the major leagues and future hall of famer, Sol White.[1]
| Pittsburgh Keystones | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| League |
|
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Ballpark |
|
| Established | 1887 |
| Disbanded | 1922 |
The second club was founded by Alexander McDonald Williams, a Barbadian immigrant and pool hall operator.[2] The Keystones' home field was Central Park, located in the Hill District at the corner of Chauncey Street and Humber Way.[3] The park was built by the prominent African American architect Louis Arnett Stuart Bellinger, who would later design Greenlee Field for the Pittsburgh Crawfords.[4][5]
In their first season the Pittsburgh Keystones played as associate members of the Negro National League. Managed by Fred Downer, they compiled a 7-14-1 record against league and other associate clubs.[6] The Keystones joined the league as full members in 1922, finishing sixth with a 14-23-2 record in league play under managers Dizzy Dismukes and Dicta Johnson.[7] The team disbanded after the season.
Year-by-year record
edit| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | 3-4 | -- | Walter Brown | League folded after 1 week |
| 1921 | 7-14-1 | 5th | Fred Downer | |
| 1922 | 14-23-2 | 6th | Dizzy Dismukes & Dicta Johnson |
Players
editReferences
edit- ^ "Seamheads.com Negro Leagues Database". 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- ^ Ashwill, Gary (2009-09-09). "Central Park, Pittsburgh 1920-1925". Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- ^ Ashwill, Gary (2006-05-07). "Pittsburgh's Central Park". Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- ^ Tannler, Albert M. (2006-05-07). "Pittsburgh's African-American Architect Louis Bellinger and the New Granada Theater". Retrieved 2012-04-10.
- ^ Strecker, Geri, "The Rise of Greenlee Field: Biography of a Ballpark," Black Ball: A Negro Leagues Journal 2:2 (Fall 2009): 39-40.
- ^ "Seamheads.com Negro Leagues Database". 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- ^ "Seamheads.com Negro Leagues Database". 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-07.