Although the Cities of Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati, OH; Detroit, Michigan and Saint Louis, Missouri had six Major League Baseball teams between them and the fact that Kansas City, Missouri and Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana both had successful teams in the American Association, it did not discourage Rube Foster from putting together a league of his own to share fans in these cities. It also did not discourage Mr. Foster that several attempts had been made to put together leagues such as the one he was about to propose, that quickly ended in failure.
On February 13, 1920 Foster got team owners from across the Midwest to meet with him and put a new league together. The name they gave their league was the Negro National League. On that day Baseball's Jim Crow era formerly began. Late that spring another Negro League came forth, that being the Negro Southern League. Together the Negro Leagues provided regular jobs for Negro baseball players for the next 30 years.
Foster placed two clubs in Chicago and one in Dayton, Ohio in addition to the other previous mentioned cities. Foster's Chicago American Giants were a very long time league member playing in one of the cities that saw cooperation between regular Major League owners and Negro League owners. The American Giants frequently played at Comiskey Park in Chicago and hosted the annual East-West All-Star Game every year for many years. The Kansas City Monarchs and the Indianapolis ABCs enjoyed similar long term success with the cooperation of white counterparts, who owned the local ballpark. The league did slip in the early 1930s with the depression, however it used the 1932 season to take a one season break and retool itself for the hard times ahead.
From the 1933 season on the league slowly moved East and such clubs as the Homestead Grays (Suburban Pittsburgh), New York Black Yankees and the Baltimore Elite Giants became league members. Although the league enjoyed the performances of its many stars through the years, league officials knew that in 1947 with Jackie Robinson experiencing a year like no one else ever had or ever will, knew the writing was on the wall. After the 1948 season, league officials gave up the ghost and signed off on a merger with the Negro American League. The NAL kept the torch burning through the 1961 season, even after the knew the Jim Crow era was gone. Today many of the Nego Leagues stars have been rightfully given their place in the Baseball Hall of Fame. If you would like to know more, please contact the Negro League Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research at http://www.sabr.org/.
Tomorrow we will look at the great Madison Square Garden in New York.
Showing posts with label Negro American League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Negro American League. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
As Spring Was Appoaching
February 7, 1954 was just another day in the Hot Stove League for the 1953-54 offseason. Many leagues and teams were busy laying plans for the upcoming season and making plans for the spring training season.
The Negro American League was one such league making preparations for the upcoming season. The league accepted the Indianapolis, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky into the league, the move raised league membership to six clubs. A once thriving enterprise of Black Baseball was on its way out. The league would last the 1954 season and just seven more seasons after that. The league had already entered a period where press coverage would be harder and harder to get for the league. A once proud league was already on the way out.
On the very same day, in the Sooner State League the Sherman, Texas franchise was transferred to Seminole, Oklahoma. The interesting thing about this move was that it happened exactly four years to the day before the league itself folded after 11 seasons of play. One more event occurred in baseball on this fateful day. In the Tri-State League the Gastonia, North Carolina franchise was transferred to Greenville, South Carolina. The league would play just one more season after the 1954 season. The City of Gastonia did not have much of history before 1939, had spent just two 2 seasons in the league before the move. The city would have a firm history in the Western Carolinas/South Atlantic League with a 30 season run minus one year from 1963-92. The City of Greenville has had professional baseball continuously since 1984. After the Tri-State League folded, it took the city until 1961 to get back into professional when they started on a 12 season run. All of this just added to a history that dates back to 1907.
I could have easily made this blog lots of baseball history, but it would not do much for fans of other sports. Tomorrow we will look at a big day in the NHL.
The Negro American League was one such league making preparations for the upcoming season. The league accepted the Indianapolis, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky into the league, the move raised league membership to six clubs. A once thriving enterprise of Black Baseball was on its way out. The league would last the 1954 season and just seven more seasons after that. The league had already entered a period where press coverage would be harder and harder to get for the league. A once proud league was already on the way out.
On the very same day, in the Sooner State League the Sherman, Texas franchise was transferred to Seminole, Oklahoma. The interesting thing about this move was that it happened exactly four years to the day before the league itself folded after 11 seasons of play. One more event occurred in baseball on this fateful day. In the Tri-State League the Gastonia, North Carolina franchise was transferred to Greenville, South Carolina. The league would play just one more season after the 1954 season. The City of Gastonia did not have much of history before 1939, had spent just two 2 seasons in the league before the move. The city would have a firm history in the Western Carolinas/South Atlantic League with a 30 season run minus one year from 1963-92. The City of Greenville has had professional baseball continuously since 1984. After the Tri-State League folded, it took the city until 1961 to get back into professional when they started on a 12 season run. All of this just added to a history that dates back to 1907.
I could have easily made this blog lots of baseball history, but it would not do much for fans of other sports. Tomorrow we will look at a big day in the NHL.
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