The focus of this part of our web guide is on Negro League baseball, which refers to the U.S. professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African-Americans formed before the integration of Major League Baseball in the late 1940s.
The term may be used narrowly for the seven Major Negro leagues, as designated by Major League Baseball: Negro National League (I) (1920-1931), Eastern Colored League (1923-1928), American Negro League (1929), East-West League (1932), Negro Southern League (1932), Negro National League (II) (1933-1948), and Negro American League (1937-1960). However, the term may also broadly refer to professional black baseball teams outside these leagues.
The Negro Leagues were a significant chapter in the history of baseball in the United States. These teams and leagues were formed by African-American players who were then excluded from playing in the Major Leagues.
While the first Negro Leagues were formed in the early 1920s, the first professional black baseball team, the Cuban Giants, was formed in 1885. Other teams were already in place before the first successful Negro League was formed in 1920. An earlier league, the National Colored Base Ball League, was organized as a minor league but failed after only two weeks in 1887 due to low attendance.
Notable players from the Negro Leagues include Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Monte Irvin, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson, Oscar Charleston, and MartÃn Dihigo. These players were later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, with some selected on the basis of their performance in the Negro Leagues, while others were chosen for their overall contributions to the game.
In 1946, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Other notable players who made the transition from the Negro Leagues to Major League Baseball include Roy Campanella, Larry Doby, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron, who went on to become baseball legends. Despite being past his prime, Satchel Paige significantly impacted the game when he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948. People of all races, including those who don't even follow baseball, are probably familiar with their names.
Negro League Baseball extended beyond the baseball diamond, playing a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement by challenging segregation and demonstrating the capabilities of black athletes.
In recent years, efforts have been made to preserve the history of the Negro Leagues. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, honors their legacy. In 2020, Major League Baseball announced its recognition of the seven Major Negro Leagues, adding them to the six historical major leagues that were designated in 1969.
Recommended Resources
The website highlights "A League Apart," an exhibition that showcases the history and legacy of the Philadelphia Negro Leagues. Currently hosted at the Camden County College William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hills, New Jersey, the exhibit is free to the public during specific hours, focusing on five "Barrier Breakers": Octavius Catto, Henry "Pop" Lloyd, Ed Bolden, Richard "Dick" Allen, and Mo'ne Davis. It features photos, stories, and memorabilia from the Philadelphia Negro Leagues.
https://aleagueapart.org/
The MLBM is the world's only museum dedicated solely to preserving and celebrating the history of African-American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. The privately funded not-for-profit organization was established in 1990 and is located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, two blocks from the Paseo YMCA, where Andrew "Rube" Foster established the Negro National League in 1920. Its location, hours, and contacts are posted.
https://www.nlbm.com/
Negro League Baseball Players Association
The NLBPA is an organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of Negro League baseball players. The NLBPA works to honor the contributions of these players, many of whom were trailblazers in the fight for racial equality in sports. The association also provides support and recognition to living former players of the Negro Leagues. League teams, athletes, ballparks, and artifacts are highlighted, and the association's board of directors and licensing programs are included.
https://nlbpa.com/
The NLFA is an organization dedicated to preserving the legacies, history, and intellectual properties of the Negro Leagues. Its mission includes contributing to the education and uplift of baseball and sports, promoting community-based strategies, and increasing the participation of African American youth in baseball. The organization also supports initiatives like the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (MLB-RBI) program, which aims to create diversity in baseball and softball.
https://www.negroleaguesfamilyalliance.com/
The Negro Leagues were an association of independent professional baseball leagues that many baseball historians define as a lost chapter in the history of Major League Baseball. This website explores the teams, players, and cultural significance of the leagues and their impact on the game. Topic categories include Players, Teams, Leagues, History, and Media, the latter of which features videos on various topics. Citations are featured and offered for purchase, along with informational articles.
https://negroleagues.org/
Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project
Begun by Peoria, Illinois, anesthesiologist Jeremy Krock, with support from the Society for American Baseball Research, the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project is an effort to place a proper headstone on the graves of former Negro League baseball players. The project was promoted when Krock discovered there was no headstone on the grave of Jimmie Crutchfield, a player who grew up in Krock's childhood home of Ardmore, Missouri. The project is funded by contributions.
https://nlbgmp.com/
