PITTSBURGH (93.7 the Fan) Despite taking a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals Friday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates wore uniforms with a little extra meaning.
Rather than their regular home jerseys, the Pirates honored the legacy of Negro League baseball in Pittsburgh by sporting Homestead Grays uniforms.
The Grays called Homestead home in the Negro National League from 1929 to 1948 and featured some of the best players the sport has ever seen.
Catcher Josh Gibson is looked at as the greatest hitter in Negro League history, and it is argued he was one of the best in all of baseball at the time.
Wearing Grays or Pittsburgh Crawfords uniforms is something the Pirates have done for a few years now, but that doesn't make it any less special.
Pirates' manager Derek Shelton tweeted out how much of an honor it was to represent the history of the game in the city.
More than just wearing a special uniform, the Pirates made the game special by marking it Negro League Legacy Night at PNC Park.
A pre-game presentation was made where the Pirates donated $15,000 to the Josh Gibson Foundation.
There was also an exhibit at PNC Park that taught the history of both the Grays and Crawfords.
AT&T Sports Net got in on the action by utilizing the Grays logo instead of a Pirates logo for their TV presentation.
