The Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project is an effort started by

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

anesthesiologist Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative medicine, perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critica ...

Jeremy Krock and with support of the

Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and statistical record of baseball. The organization was founded in Cooperstown, New York, on Au ...

to put a proper

headstone A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The u ...

on the graves of former

Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...

players.

History of the project

Founded in 2004, the Project started when Dr. Krock contacted members of the

after he discovered there was no

on the grave of

Jimmie Crutchfield John William "Jimmie" Crutchfield (March 25, 1910 – April 1, 1993) was an American professional baseball outfielder in Negro league baseball from 1930 to 1945. Career Crutchfield began his career with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1930 but ...

, a player who grew up in Krock's childhood home of Ardmore, Missouri."Negro Leagues project marks history" ESPN's Outside the Lines" ESPN Network, Last Update on February 20, 2011
/ref>

After Crutchfield, the Project went on to place headstones on the graves of notables like John Donaldson,

Candy Jim Taylor James Allen "Candy Jim" Taylor (February 1, 1884April 3, 1948) was an American third baseman and manager in Negro league baseball. In a career that spanned forty years, he played as an infielder in the early years of the 20th century for over a ...

, Theodore "High Pockets" Trent,

Steel Arm Johnny Taylor John Boyce Taylor (August 12, 1879 – March 25, 1956) was the second-oldest of four baseball-playing brothers, the others being Charles, Benjamin Benjamin ( ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbib ...

Sam Bankhead Samuel Howard Bankhead (September 18, 1910 – July 24, 1976) was an American baseball player in the Negro leagues. He played from 1931 to 1951. He also played for the Dragones de Ciudad Trujillo along with Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. In 1951 ...

, Bobby Robinson,

Bill Gatewood William Miller "Big Bill" Gatewood (August 22, 1881 – December 8, 1962) was an American Negro league baseball pitcher and manager for several years before the founding of the first Negro National League, and in its first few seasons. He pitch ...

, James Edward "Sap" Ivory, Robery "Fuzzy" Garrett, Frank Grant"Negro League Star Frank Grant Finally Gets Tombstone In Clifton, NJ" CBS Radio, WCBS 880 AM, New York, NY Website Posting on June 15, 2011
/ref> and Dink Mothell."Negro Leagues' heroes finally get their tombstones" NBC Nightly News, July 19, 2011
/ref> Some of the cemeteries where the group has installed stones include

Burr Oak Cemetery Burr Oak Cemetery is a cemetery located in Alsip, Illinois, United States, a suburb southwest of Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1927, Burr Oak was one of the few early Chicago cemeteries focused on the needs of the African-American community, ...

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...

Springdale Cemetery Springdale Cemetery is a historic, non-sectarian, active cemetery in the United States city of Peoria, Illinois. It was chartered in 1855, received its first interment in 1857. Almost 78,000 individuals are buried at the cemetery. It contains a pu ...

, East Ridgelawn Cemetery in

Clifton, New Jersey Clifton is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Criss-crossed by several major highways, the city is a regional commercial hub for North Jersey and is a bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York Metropolitan Area.L ...

, Mt. Zion Cemetery in

York County, Pennsylvania York County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York, Pennsylvania, ...

,"Baseball historians pull back curtain on Wizard of York" Fox43 News, York, PA, May 30, 2017 Retrieved June 1, 2017
/ref> and Greenwood Cemetery and

Allegheny Cemetery Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a historic rural cemetery. The non-sectarian, wooded hillside park is located at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, and b ...

"Awards To Honor Legacy Of Negro League Baseball Great" KDKA, CBS News, Pittsburgh, PA, August 14, 2011
/ref> which are both in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. While the grave marker project depends mostly on small contributions, the group has also received sizeable donations from people like

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

owner

Jerry Reinsdorf Jerry Michael Reinsdorf (born February 25, 1936) is an American sports executive and businessman who is the owner of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and MLB's Chicago White Sox. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Re ...

, former player and manager

Don Zimmer Donald William Zimmer (January 17, 1931 – June 4, 2014) was an American infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmer was involved in professional baseball from 1949 until his death, a span of 65 years, across 8 d ...

, and former 8th

commissioner of baseball The commissioner of baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as " organized baseball". Under the direction of the commiss ...

Fay Vincent Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent Jr. (May 29, 1938 – February 1, 2025) was an American entertainment lawyer, securities regulator, and sports executive who served as the eighth commissioner of baseball from September 13, 1989, to September 7, 199 ...

. In fact,

Vincent Vincent (Latin: ''Vincentius'') is a masculine given name originating from the Roman name ''Vincentius'', which itself comes from the Latin verb ''vincere'', meaning "to conquer." People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003) ...

noted he had met

and liked him. Vincent has gone on to say the

Baseball color line The color line, also known as the color barrier, in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Major League Baseball and its affiliated Minor League Baseball, Minor Leagues until 1947 (with a few notable exceptions in the 1 ...

which led to good black athletes being excluded from

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

was ..."one of the great insults to a community." The project has managed to seed other gravesite work in the community and in the burial industry. For instance, the wife of

lay beside him and was also unmarked until the

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

donated a marker for Julia Crutchfield. Olivia Taylor, the wife of

C.I. Taylor Charles Isham Taylor (January 20, 1875 – February 23, 1922) was an American second baseman, manager (baseball), manager and executive in Negro league baseball. Born in Anderson, South Carolina, he was the oldest among four sons of a Methodism, ...

is also on the list for a

. Often a headstone, such as the marker for

"For Negro League Players, a Measure of Recognition" New York Times, June 30, 2010
/ref> was donated by the

engraver, which automatically advances the donated money to the next

player headstone. Baseball historian Larry Lester works with Dr. Krock and with other researchers of the

, they have compiled a list of about 3,600 players, their birth dates and death dates, where they are buried, and if they have headstones. Much of the research comes from the Negro Leagues Research Committee, an arm of the

List of players given headstones by the project

(2004 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * John Donaldson (2004 - Burr Oak Cemetery) *

(2004 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Robert Garrett (Umpire) (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Theodore "High Pockets" Trent (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Daniel G. Burley (Sportswriter) (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Guy C. Ousley (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * William James "Jack" Marshall (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Roosevelt "Rosie" Davis (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Paul Hardy (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Othello Strong (2005 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Franklin L. Mann (2008 - Burr Oak Cemetery) * Lester Lockett (2008 - Oak Wood Cemetery) * Gable Patterson (2009 - Greenwood Cemetery) * Robert Gaston (2009 - Greenwood Cemetery) *

(2009 - Greenwood Cemetery) * Bobby Robinson (2010 - Restvale Cemetery) *

(2010 - Memorial Park Cemetery)"A Legacy Written in Stone" The Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia, MO, Wednesday, June 30, 2010, Page B1
/ref> * James "Sap" Ivory (2010 - Elmwood Cemetery) "Late Negro Leaguers' Legacies Finally Set in Stone" Sports Illustrated ".com" Taken From Associated Press Article, Posted July 15, 2010
/ref> * Frank Grant (2011 - East Ridgelawn)"Baseball's Ghost Hunter" Sports Illustrated, July 25, 2011, Page 64
/ref> * Dink Mothell (2011 - Mount Hope Cemetery) *

Sol White King Solomon White (June 12, 1868 – August 26, 1955) was an American professional baseball infielder, manager (baseball), manager and executive, and one of the pioneers of the Negro league baseball, Negro leagues. An active sportswriter for m ...

(2012 - Frederick Douglass Memorial Park)"On a mission to give final dignity to Negro Leagues players" Last Update February 24, 2018
/ref> * Walter Ball (baseball) (2012 - Lincoln Cemetery) *

Bruce Petway Bruce Franklin Petway (December 23, 1885 – July 4, 1941) was an American Negro league baseball catcher in the early 20th century who came to be known as having one of the best throwing arms in the league. He is also said to have been one of the ...

(2012 - Lincoln Cemetery) *

Pete Hill John Preston "Pete" Hill (October 12, 1882 – November 19, 1951) was an American outfielder and manager (baseball), manager in baseball's Negro league baseball, Negro leagues from 1899 to 1925. He played for the Philadelphia Giants, Leland Giants ...

(2013 - Holy Sepulchre Cemetery) "Speak Their Names" February 20, 2017. Retrieved Thursday, May 18, 2017
/ref> * Olivia Taylor (2013 - Crown Hill Cemetery) * Ted Page (2013 - Allegheny Cemetery) *

Ted Strong Theodore Reginald Strong, Jr. (January 2, 1914 – March 1, 1978), was an American Negro league baseball player who played from 1936 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1951 for the Chicago American Giants, Indianapolis Athletics, Kansas City Monarch ...

(2013 - Lincoln Cemetery) * Bill Francis (2013 - Lincoln Cemetery) *

Home Run Johnson Grant U. "Home Run" Johnson (September 23, 1872 – September 4, 1963) was an American shortstop and second baseman in baseball's Negro league baseball, Negro leagues. In a career that spanned over 30 years, he played for many of the greatest tea ...

(2014 - Lakeside Cemetery)"Immortalizing a little-known legend" The Buffalo News, June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
/ref> * Connie Morgan (2014 - Mount Lawn Cemetery) * Fred Goree (2014 - Lincoln Cemetery) *

William Binga William H. Binga (February 26, 1869 – October 14, 1950) was an American third baseman, catcher and manager (baseball), manager in the pre-Negro league baseball era. Born in Michigan, Binga played most of his career in Chicago, Illinois, Phi ...

(2014 - Crystal Lake Cemetery)Honoring Minnesota's long-gone Negro League players", by Rubén Rosario, at TwinCities.com, June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
/ref> * Clarence "Waxey" Williams (2016 - Atlantic City Cemetery) * Topeka Jack Johnson (2016 - Mount Auburn Cemetery) * Weldy Wilberforce Walker (2016 - Union Cemetery) * Gus Brooks (2016) * Dan McClellan (2019 - Eden Cemetery) * Charles Alexander Mills (2019 - St Peters Cemetery) *

Saul Davis Saul Henry "Rareback" Davis (February 22, 1901 – February 8, 1994) was an American baseball shortstop in the Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term ...

(2019 - Rosehill Cemetery) * Henry Bridgewater (2020 - St Peters Cemetery) * Peter "Creole Pete" Robertson (2020 - Pinelawn Memorial Park) * S.K. Govern (2021 - Eden Cemetery) * William Lindsay (2021 - Forest Grove Cemetery) * Robert Alexander "Frog" Lindsay (2021 - Forest Grove Cemetery) * William "Ashes" Jackson (2021 - Forest Grove Cemetery) * Sylvester Chauvin (2022 - Calvary Cemetery) * Elias "Country Brown" Bryant (2022 - Frederick Douglass Cemetery) * Newton Henry "Newt" Allen (2022 - Union Baptist Cemetery) * Comer Lane "Hannibal" Cox (2022 - St. Peter’s Cemetery) * Robert "Killer" Palm (2022 - St. Peter’s Cemetery) * Robert Paul Gilkerson (2022 - Miller Cemetery) * Frank Warfield (2023 - Mount Auburn Cemetery)

List of players given headstones by coordinators outside the project

TAYLOR-Jonathan-Boyce-Grave Peoria 20240328 0663

(2007 - Springdale Cemetery) Organized by Pekin Coalition for Equality * Lester Lockett (2008 - Oak Wood Cemetery) Courtesy of Chris Bohus *

(2014 - Lakeside Cemetery) Funding efforts led by Henry W. Henry, Jr. * Clarence "Waxey" Williams (2016 - Atlantic City Cemetery) Coordinated with the Friends of Waxey Williams

Future grave markers currently receiving funding

Honors and awards

In 2011, the

Josh Gibson Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. In 1972, he became the second Negro league player to be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, National ...

"Celebration Of Negro Leagues Held Downtown" KDKA, CBS News, Pittsburgh, PA, August 14, 2011
/ref> foundation honored Dr. Krock and the people behind his Grave Marker Project. Gibson himself was buried in an unmarked grave for nearly three decades. Krock has received numerous awards from

, including a 2011

Most Valuable Partner Award at the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. Krock also gives an annual report at this conference.

Burr Oak Cemetery controversy

On July 9, 2009, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart alleged that four workers at

dug up more than 200 graves, dumped the bodies into unmarked mass graves, and resold the plots in a scheme that went back at least five years.

has become well known as one of the few cemeteries that has historically focused on the needs of the

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

community, it is the final resting place of many black celebrities, including Chicago blues musicians, athletes, and other notables. Chicago's

Cook County Sheriff's Office The Cook County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is the principal law enforcement agency that serves Cook County, Illinois. It is the second largest sheriff's office in the United States, with over 6,900 members when at full operational strength. It is ...

created a website to give anyone in the world the ability to search 43,555 photos in a database of marked, identified graves at the Burr Oak Cemetery. While it is unknown if any

players' graves were involved in the

scandal, researchers continue work to determine if this is true.

References

{{Reflist, colwidth=30em

External links

The Official Website of the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project

Cook County Sheriff's Office Burr Oak Cemetery Information Website

Ongoing Research Site for John Donaldson

The Carrol Ray "Dink" Mothell Research Site
Negro league baseball Society for American Baseball Research