in full Joshua Gibson
born Dec. 21, 1911, Buena Vista, Ga., U.S.
died Jan. 20, 1947, Pittsburgh, Pa.
U.S. baseball player.
Gibson played as a catcher in the Negro leagues for the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1927–29, 1932–36) and the Homestead (Pa.) Grays (1930–31, 1937–46). Though precise records do not exist, he is believed to have led the Negro leagues in home runs for 10 consecutive seasons and to have had a career batting average of .347. His catching ability was praised by major-league stars against whom he played in exhibition games. Often called "the black Babe Ruth," he was one of the greatest players kept from the major leagues by the unwritten rule barring black ballplayers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.