A Pastime and a Passion

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You’ve heard the phrase, “as American as baseball and apple pie,” but what makes baseball so American? While early versions of baseball had been played in Europe prior to the 1800s, the game we know and love today was developed in the United States. Baseball quickly became a pastime that brought people together and made national heroes out of ordinary men.

Baseball really caught on in the 1850s, and soon after, professional leagues began forming. Although there were integrated baseball teams in the sport’s early years, from 1887 on African American players were banned from playing in the major leagues. But they did not let this keep them from their passion. Players formed their own professional teams and barnstormed around the country. In 1920, the Negro National League was formed—the first of many successful African-American leagues. The Negro Leagues have an exciting history that is often overlooked. Here are five interesting facts about the Negro Leagues:

1.) How they began

Tired of the disorganization of African-American baseball, pitcher Andrew “Rube” Foster vowed to implement structure in order to create stability and have teams be taken seriously. In 1920, he met with the owners and managers of seven other teams to form the Negro National League (NNL). He was named President of the League in addition to owning and managing the Chicago American Giants. (Foster was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.)

The NNL was the first of the Negro Leagues to last more than one season. Although it began in the Midwest, it expanded to include the South, and was associated with Eastern clubs. The League lasted until 1931, when it folded due to the economics of the Great Depression.

2.) In the early twentieth century, the Negro Leagues were highly successful businesses

According to author Donn Rogosin, who taught American Studies at the University of Texas, the Negro Leagues “were a multi-million-dollar operation. The cafes, beer joints, and rooming houses of the Negro neighborhoods all benefited.” In addition, the two leagues of the 1920s, the National Negro League and the Eastern Colored League (each of which had up to fifteen teams) played across the nation, offering employment to hundreds of people. Rogosin considers this to be one of “the highest achievements of black enterprise during segregation.”

3.) The skill levels of Negro League players rivaled those of the Major Leagues

Rogosin, who gathered much of his information from interviews with Negro League shortstop Willie Wells, asserts that Negro league teams won more than sixty percent of their games against major league teams. Some of the most recognized names in baseball got their start in the Negro Leagues: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and, of course, Jackie Robinson.

4.) The peak of segregated baseball

World War II saw the greatest success of Negro Leagues. Events such as the Negro League World Series and the East-West Classic could fill major league parks, and crowds numbered in the thousands. The success of the leagues led to a push for integration in the major leagues. Sportswriters began to lobby for integration and used the slogan, “If he’s good enough for the navy, he’s good enough for the majors.”

5.) The beginning of integration

The Major League Committee on Baseball Integration was created in 1945. One member, Branch Rickey, sent scouts around the country to look for potential African American players to bring into the Major Leagues. His candidates included Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Don Newcombe. In 1946, Robinson, a shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs, joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first African American major league player since the segregation of baseball began. All Major League teams were integrated by 1959.

The history of the Negro Leagues can be a source of pride and inspiration for many Americans; the leagues were able to endure internal struggles, segregation, and war.  More information on the Negro Leagues and key players may be found at your local library. In addition, the Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience exhibit is touring libraries around the country through 2013. The exhibit was organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in collaboration with the American Library Association, with major funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Recommended Resources:

Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball
By Lawrence D. Hogan; National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
This book takes a look at the history of black baseball from its inception to its early teams to its thriving, final years.

Invisible Men: Life in Baseball’s Negro Leagues
By Donn Rogosin
This book is an in-depth exploration of the history and culture of the Negro Leagues. Includes photographs and interviews with Negro League players.

Only the Ball Was White
By Robert Peterson
Only the Ball Was White tells the story of the talented, but neglected players of the Negro Leagues. The information in the book was gathered from sports publications, player interviews, and game press records. Also includes League standings and player register.  The video does the same, and includes footage of Hall of Fame inductees.

Image: The Pittsburgh Crawfords in front of their team bus at Greenlee Field, Pittsburgh, 1935. Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame Library