The team was formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, and remained in continuous operation for 38 seasons.

In 1900, a group of African-American players had joined together to form the Germantown Blue Ribbons, an industrial league team.

Jud Wilson and Posey combined to lead the 1932 team to a 24-16 record (with one tie) before the Grays joined the Negro National League in 1933 Posey managed the next two seasons, leading them to a 3rd and 7th place finish, respectively.

They beat the Philadelphia Stars in five games to reach the Championship Series against the Baltimore Elite Giants.

[2] The Grays rolled through the next two seasons with ease; in 1942, they competed in the re-born Negro World Series, which they lost in four games to the Kansas City Monarchs.

[3] Pittsburgh Steelers founder and owner Art Rooney related in a 1981 interview that he "from time to time" had "helped financially support the Negro League team, the Homestead Grays, and .

The Grays dominated the competition, won both halves of the split-season and cruised to the league pennant.

[5] From the late 1930s through the 1940s, the Grays played their home games at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and West Field in Munhall, PA. West Field still stands to this day with modern upgrades, and home plate is still in the exact position that Josh Gibson himself played catcher.

[7] The Nationals′ home field, Nationals Park, includes numerous references to the Grays: The Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals have worn Homestead Grays throwback uniforms in official Major League Baseball games several different times: