Bringing Baseball History to Center Field

Negro League Baseball Resource Guide

Baseball has had a long and storied tradition in the history of sports in the United States. Dating back to the mid-1800’s the game has been played and watched by millions of people. Major League Baseball has produced a number of iconic players during the earlier years of pro baseball. Players such as Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and Lou Gehrig are just a few of the most famous players during the formative years.

However, during the early years of Major League Baseball, the only people who were able to play in the highest level of baseball were white people. Because of the policies in place to keep African-Americans out of pro baseball, they were not able compete against the best players in baseball. This forced Negroes to form their own baseball league where players had the opportunity to play. While the best African-American ball players played in the league, they still did not have an opportunity to play against the best white players of their era.

Starting in the late 1800’s teams of African-American baseball players started to form. These clubs started to play against each other as well as other competition that presented themselves. In the beginning of the 20th Century, several well-known all black baseball teams such as the Kansas City Monarchs, Brooklyn Royal Giants, Homestead Grays, St. Louis Giants, Nashville Standard Giants, St. Louis Giants, and Birmingham Black Barons started to form solid competition in various parts of the country. In 1920, the Negro National League was formed with 8 teams providing stiff competition.

Over time, several famous Negro baseball players emerged. Players such as Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell and Buck Leonard became well-known among the African-American community and highly regarded by baseball historians. Most people felt that these top players could have been successful in Major League Baseball, if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, due to the unwillingness of the owners to allow black players, these Negro League stars never had the opportunity.

The opportunity for black players finally happened in 1946. The Brooklyn Dodgers broke the color barrier in baseball by signing a young Negro second basemen named Jackie Robinson. Robinson had to endure discrimination and hatred from many people during the early years. However, Robinson was determined and successfully opened the door for other Negro players to enter the Major Leagues. Shortly after Robinson opened the door, other players such as Larry Doby, Joe Black and Roy Campanella joined the majors effectively ending the color barrier that had previously existed.

To learn more about the Negro Leagues, here are some additional information:

Negro League History


Negro League Teams


Negro League Players

  • Black Baseball site providing historical information on famous African-American baseball players.
  • Player Profiles helpful site where people can research information on players.
  • The Players informative site from the Negro League Players Association offering biographical data on the players.
  • Players overview and information on some of the players in the Negro Leagues.
  • Top Players video outlining the top 25 players in the Negro Leagues.
  • Hall of Fame information on the museum dedicated to the players of the Negro Leagues.


Historic Importance of the Negro League


Other Information and Resources