Negro Baseball League

The early years of baseball were marked by prejudice, but that led to the creation of the historic Negro Baseball League. Negro league baseball was organized the first time as the Negro National League in 1920 and over the next 20 years was reshaped and formed into a series of leagues that provided black baseball players an opportunity to play ball.

In 1949, the Negro National League joined the Negro American League and operated until 1960. But what a history there is to tell between 1920 and 1949! The Negro baseball leagues produced some of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game to date.

Black players were not allowed on white teams until 1946. That was when color lines were finally crossed. Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs was signed with the Dodgers under team protest. But it didn't take long before he became a star player, and through his determination to succeed, earned the respect of the team and the world. Ironically, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947.

After Robinson paved the way into the white professional baseball leagues, other talented black players quickly followed. This devastated the Negro baseball league teams eventually leading to its demise. The story is documented in the Negro Leagues baseball museum and in the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

You can read about the Negro baseball leagues and discover a time when it was pure love of the game that drove these men to form their own leagues and teams. The Negro League baseball teams were powerhouse teams like the Chicago Giants and the Kansas City Monarchs, Robinson's black league team.

In the Negro Leagues Baseball Hall of Fame you can read the story of Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, John Beckwith, Monte Irvin and many more. In another day and another age they would have all signed with the Major Leagues. But because of racial barriers only Paige and Irvin were recruited.

The Negro League baseball player's story is one of triumph. You can deny a man access, but you couldn't stop him from playing the great American pastime sport. The Negro Leagues baseball hall of fame is full of stories of racial taunts, shut-out pitches, $10 a month pay, and some of the best baseball played in the history of the game – black or white.

The history of the Negro League baseball teams is celebrated by keeping the memories of the first Negro League players alive in the Negro Baseball League museum. When you read the history of Negro League baseball and look at pictures of the first Negro baseball league players and founder, you can't help but wonder where they got the courage.

Because of the museums, you can enjoy souvenirs that commemorate the Negro Baseball League while supporting the museum. There is Negro League baseball apparel, a Negro League jersey and many other items of interest. You can also buy or download pictures of the Negro baseball league.