Negro National League

The Negro National League refers to two Negro League formed in the early 20th century. The first was formed in 1920 in the midwest, the second was formed in 1933 in the east.

On December 16, 2020, both incarnations of the Negro National League were among the seven Negro Leagues to be recognized by Major League Baseball as major leagues.

First Negro National League

The first structured Negro League, the Negro National League was formed in 1920 by Rube Foster, at a meeting held on February 13 at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, MO. Originally based primarily in the midwest, the league later expanded into the south. In existing until 1931, the NNL lasted longer than any other organized black league. From 1924 to 1927 the league champion played against the champion of the Eastern Colored League in the Negro World Series.

Champions

• 1920: Chicago American Giants
• 1921: Chicago American Giants
• 1922: Chicago American Giants
• 1923: Kansas City Monarchs
• 1924: Kansas City Monarchs
• 1925: Kansas City Monarchs
• 1926: Chicago American Giants
• 1927: Chicago American Giants
• 1928: St. Louis Stars
• 1929: Kansas City Monarchs
• 1930: St. Louis Stars
• 1931: St. Louis Stars

Franchises

• Birmingham, AL
  • Birmingham Black Barons (1924-1925; 1927-1930)
• Chicago, IL
  • Chicago Giants (1920-1921)
  • Chicago American Giants (1920-1931)
• Cincinnati, OH
  • Cincinnati Cubans (1921)
  • Cuban Stars (1922)
• Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Tate Stars (1922)
  • Cleveland Browns (1924)
  • Cleveland Elites (1926)
  • Cleveland Hornets (1927)
  • Cleveland Tigers (1928)
  • Cleveland Cubs (1931)
• Columbus, OH
  • Columbus Buckeyes (1921)
• Dayton, OH
  • Dayton Marcos (1920; 1926)
• Detroit, MI
  • Detroit Stars (1920-1931)
• Indianapolis, IN
  • Indianapolis ABC's (1920-1926)
  • Indianapolis ABC's (1931)
• Kansas City, MO
  • Kansas City Monarchs (1920-1931)
• Louisville, KY
  • Louisville White Sox (1931)
• Memphis, TN
  • Memphis Red Sox (1924-1930)
• Milwaukee, WI
  • Milwaukee Bears (1923)
• Nashville, TN
  • Nashville Elite Giants (1930)
• Pittsburgh, PA
  • Pittsburgh Keystones (1922)
• St. Louis, MO
  • St. Louis Giants (1920-1921)
  • St. Louis Stars (1922-1931)
• Toledo, OH
  • Toledo Tigers (1923)

Traveling team: Cuban Stars 1920, 1923-1930

Second Negro National League

A second Negro National League was formed in 1933, and consisted of east coast cities. It lasted until 1948. From 1942 to 1948 the league champion played against the champion of the Negro American League in the Negro World Series.

Champions

• 1933: Cole's American Giants
• 1934: Philadelphia Stars
• 1935: Pittsburgh Crawfords
• 1936: Pittsburgh Crawfords
• 1937: Homestead Grays
• 1938: Homestead Grays
• 1939: Homestead Grays
• 1940: Homestead Grays
• 1941: Homestead Grays
• 1942: Homestead Grays
• 1943: Homestead Grays
• 1944: Homestead Grays
• 1945: Homestead Grays
• 1946: Newark Eagles
• 1947: New York Cubans
• 1948: Homestead Grays

Franchises

• Atlantic City, NJ
  • Atlantic City Bacharach Giants (1934)
• Baltimore, MD
  • Baltimore Black Sox (1933-1934)
  • Baltimore Elite Giants (1938-1948)
• Brooklyn, NY
  • Brooklyn Royal Giants (1933)
  • Brooklyn Eagles (1935); merged with the Newark Dodgers to become the Newark Eagles
• Chicago, IL
  • Cole's American Giants (1933-1934)
  • Chicago American Giants (1933-1935)
• Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Giants (1933); the Columbus Blue Birds moved to Cleveland during the 1933 season
• Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Red Sox (1934)
• Columbus, OH
  • Columbus Blue Birds (1933); moved to Cleveland and became the Cleveland Giants during the 1933 season
  • Columbus Elite Giants (1935)
• Detroit, MI
  • Detroit Stars (1933)
• Harrisburg, PA
  • Harrisburg/St. Louis Stars (1943); the St. Louis Stars played all their home games in Harrisburg in 1943
• Indianapolis, IN
  • Indianapolis ABC's (1933)
• Nashville, TN
  • Nashville Elite Giants (1933-1934)
• New York, NY
  • New York Cubans (1935-1936; 1939-1948)
  • New York Black Yankees (1936-1947)
• Newark, NJ
  • Newark Dodgers (1934-1935); merged with the Brooklyn Eagles to become the Newark Eagles
  • Newark Eagles (1936-1948)
• Philadelphia, PA
  • Philadelphia Stars (1934-1948)
• Pittsburgh, PA
  • Pittsburgh Crawfords (1933-1938)
  • Homestead Grays (1934-1948)
• Rochester, NY
  • New York Black Yankees (1948) the New York Black Yankees moved from New York to Rochester for the 1948 season, but kept their name
• Washington, DC
  • Washington Elite Giants (1936-1937)
  • Washington Black Senators (1938)

Further Reading

• Michael Lomax: Black Baseball Entrepreneurs, 1902-1931: The Negro National and Eastern Colored Leagues, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, 2014. ISBN 978-0-8156-1039-7