Which Cities Had Negro Baseball Leagues In The 1920S?

Many people don’t realize that there were Negro baseball leagues in the 1920s. In fact, these leagues were some of the most important in the development of the sport. Here’s a look at which cities had Negro baseball leagues back in the day.

Introduction

The Negro baseball leagues were American professional baseball leagues for African-American players who were excluded from the Major Leagues from the mid-1880s until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. The first known professional black baseball team was the Cincinnati Kryptons, formed in 1867.

The first Negro National League was founded in 1920, and ceased operation in 1931. A second Negro National League was formed in 1933, and lasted until 1948. A third Negro National League was established in 1949, and lasted until 1960. From the early 1930s to the early 1950s, there also existed several Negro American Leagues. These were lower-level farm teams for Major League organizations, similar to today’s Minor Leagues.

The Negro Leagues saw their greatest success during the 1920s, a period often referred to as baseball’s “Golden Age.” During this decade, many of the league’s best players were signed by Major League organizations, and several of the sport’s greatest stars emerged from the Negro Leagues. Among them were Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston, and Buck Leonard.

The Negro Leagues

The Negro Leagues were baseball leagues in the United States for African-American players who were not allowed to play in the major leagues. The first Negro League was formed in 1885. The last one ceased operations in 1948.

The Negro National League

The Negro National League was an American baseball league that was established in 1920 by Rube Foster. It was the first professional baseball league for African American players. The league featured eight teams from cities across the United States, including Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. The league disbanded in 1931 due to the Great Depression, but was later revived in 1937. It existed until 1960, when it merged with the Negro American League.

The Negro American League

The Negro American League was founded in February 1937 by attorney and businessman Chalmers P. Wylie, who owned the Pittsburgh Crawfords. It was the second Negro baseball league established, after Rube Foster’s Negro National League (NNL) of 1920. The NAL’s existence coincided with the decline of the Negro National League; both leagues disbanded after the 1948 season.

The league began with eight teams: the Crawfords, Cleveland Buckeyes, Chicago American Giants, Kansas City Monarchs, Newark Eagles, New York Cubans, Philadelphia Stars and Memphis Red Sox. It eventually expanded to ten teams with the addition of the Birmingham Black Barons and Detroit Stars in 1940. However, by the early 1940s only six teams remained: Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City, Newark (known as the Eagles), New York (known as the Cubans) and Pittsburgh.

The league’s most successful franchise was undoubtedly the Monarchs who won nine pennants between 1938 and 1950. Other popular teams included the Chicago American Giants and Newark Eagles. The Cleveland Buckeyes achieved some success winning championships in 1945 and 1947. Despite this competition, none of these teams could match up to Major League Baseball in terms of popularity or profitability and all disbanded by 1960 except for Kansas City who continued on until 1965 when they too were forced to fold.

The Players

The Negro Leagues were professional baseball leagues in the United States for African-American players who were not allowed to play in Major League Baseball. The first Negro League was formed in 1885. The last one, the Negro American League, ceased to operate in 1960.

The Stars

In the 1920s, the Negro Leagues were a place where some of the best players in baseball could play. The leagues were not as big as Major League Baseball, and they did not get the same level of attention. But they were still a place where great players could compete.

The stars of the Negro Leagues included some of the most famous players in baseball history. These players were not allowed to play in Major League Baseball because of the color line. But they were still able to show their talent in the Negro Leagues.

Some of the most famous stars of the Negro Leagues included:
Satchel Paige- He was one of the most famous pitchers in baseball history. He was known for his speed and his ability to strike out batters.
Josh Gibson- He was one of the best hitters in baseball history. He was known for his power and his ability to hit home runs.
Oscar Charleston- He was one of the best all-around players in baseball history. He was a great hitter and a great fielder.
Cool Papa Bell- He was one of the fastest players in baseball history. He was known for his speed on the bases and in the field.

The Role Players

Though not as famous as the starting lineup, every team needs dependable role players. These are the players that fill in the gaps and make sure everything runs smoothly. They don’t get all the glory, but they are essential to the team’s success.

The same is true for cities with Negro baseball leagues. While the star players may get all the attention, it is the role players that keep everything running smoothly. These are the cities that may not be as well-known, but they played a vital role in making sure the league was a success.

Some of these cities include:
-Birmingham, Alabama
-Dallas, Texas
-Indianapolis, Indiana
-Kansas City, Missouri

The Legacy

Though the Negro Leagues existed for only about a half-century, their story is one of both incredible success and tremendous struggle. During their brief existence, the Negro Leagues produced some of the greatest athletes in American history and played a significant role in helping to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. But despite their successes, the leagues were forced to operate under conditions of severe discrimination, both from society at large and from within the baseball world.

The first professional black baseball teams date back to the 1870s, but the Negro Leagues did not coalesce into a true “league” until 1920. That year, Rube Foster—a former star pitcher and manager for the Chicago American Giants—gathered together representatives from six existing black teams into a meeting in Kansas City. At this meeting, Foster convinced these team owners to form the Negro National League (NNL), with the Chicago American Giants as its flagship franchise. The NNL would go on to become the most successful of the Negro Leagues, operating for two decades and producing such stars as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Oscar Charleston.

In 1924, another black baseball promoter named Andrew “Rube” Ledoux formed a new league called the Eastern Colored League (ECL). Though not as successful as the NNL, the ECL lasted for nine years and featured several notable players, including Leon Day and Smokey Joe Williams.

The Negro Leagues reached their peak in popularity in the 1930s and early 1940s. During this time, several more leagues were formed, including the Midwestern League and the Negro American League (NAL). The NAL was particularly successful, enjoying partnerships with several major league clubs—including the New York Yankees—and serving as a training ground for young black players like Jackie Robinson.

Conclusion

Based on the information gathered, it appears that there were a number of different Negro baseball leagues in operation during the 1920s. These leagues were located in various cities across the United States, including Chicago, Detroit, and New Orleans.