Homestead Grays Souvenir Pennant (c. late 1930’s)

The Homestead Grays were one of the most famous and best of all the teams to play Negro League baseball. The origins of the team can be traced back to the Blue Ribbon Nine baseball club that was formed around the turn of the century by a group of steelworkers from U.S. Steel’s plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The Blue Ribbon Nine eventually became the Murdock Grays in about 1909 and would become the Homestead Grays in 1910.

Homestead Grays (1913)

The driving force behind the Homestead Grays was Cumberland “Cum” Posey who joined the team in 1912 as a player. He became the team’s manager in 1918 and would become the team owner in the early 1920’s. With the Homestead Grays, Cum Posey built a dynasty in black baseball. 

Homestead Grays (1931)

The Homestead Grays were one of the most powerful teams in black baseball over the years. As an independent club they were almost unbeatable at times. While playing an independent schedule in 1925, they posted a record of 130-28. During this season they also won 43 straight games. In 1931 they had a won-loss record of 136-17. The Homestead Grays entered the Negro National League in 1933. They won nine straight Negro National League pennants from 1937-1945 and added a tenth in 1948. All of the best players in Negro League baseball played for the Homestead Grays at one time or another. Future National Baseball Hall of Fame players: Satchel Paige, Cool Pappa Bell, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Ray Brown, Oscar Charleston, Willie Foster, Willie Wells, Jud Wilson and Smoky Joe Williams all played for the Grays.

Over the years, the Homestead Grays would play in the following leagues:



Independent Schedule                                                                      1912-1928

American Negro League                                                                              1929

Independent Schedule                                                                      1930-1931

East-West League                                                                                          1932

Negro National League                                                                                1933

Independent Schedule                                                                      1933-1934

Negro National League                                                                      1935-1948

Negro American Association                                                             1949-1950

Independent Schedule                                                                       1949-1950

When the Negro National League folded after the 1948 season, the Grays moved south to play in the Negro American Association League. They would also barnstorm throughout the East Coast for those two years and fold after the 1950 season.

Homestead Grays (1948)