“The lie of baseball is that it’s a level playing field.
That there’s equality, that all the inequalities in American life check their hat at the door…
This is a falsehood. You have class and race issues that mirror the struggle of American life, playing themselves out on the ball fields.”
–Historian John Thorn in the 1994 documentary Baseball
Origin of the Negro Leagues
Baseball is America’s pastime, and the game’s history has often reflected the nation’s evolving cultural values. 1920 was a seminal year for baseball, one that saw Babe Ruth hit a record 54 home runs in his first season with the Yankees. This marked the dawn of the “Live Ball Era,” a period in which sluggers like Ruth became household names.
But while white players like Ruth were revered as cultural icons, baseball was still plagued by the same exclusionary tactics that governed American society. Though they were a presence in organized baseball, black players had been excluded from the major leagues since the 1880s due to a “gentleman’s agreement” among owners.
In 1920, African Americans were given a greater opportunity to prove their talents outside of traveling teams when manager and executive Rube Foster helped form the Negro National League. The NNL was an association of black teams modeled after Major League Baseball, and its success paved the way for the foundation of other leagues like the Eastern Colored League and Negro Southern League.
Credit: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
It’s been a century since Foster’s gamble paid off, but Negro League stars and their contributions have often been overlooked.
One hundred years after the birth of the Negro Leagues, it is critical that we recognize the leagues’ impact on African American identity.
A Point of Pride
The Negro Leagues were not just a group of ballclubs; they were a source of pride for black communuties. During the Great Depression, white baseball suffered from plummeting attendance and decreasing salaries, while black baseball soared in popularity.
For Negro League teams like the Kansas City Monarchs, baseball games were a public event. As described by Monarchs first baseman Buck O’Neil, if the Monarchs were playing on a Sunday, church services would start an hour earlier than normal so fans could go straight from church to the ballpark.
Fans would arrive at the park in their Sunday best, with men sporting ties and women wearing their finest dresses.
Negro League teams gave their communities something to celebrate, and players were lionized because they represented the ability to overcome limits imposed by systemic racism. Jim Crow laws led to the designation of “separate but equal” facilities for African Americans, a standard that was reflected in the treatment of black ballplayers.
Black players played under worse conditions than white players, playing longer seasons and traveling more often while making less money.
But just because Negro Leagues players faced worse conditions did not mean that the product was inferior to that of Major League Baseball. In fact, the Negro Leagues featured a faster, more daring style of play that reflected the industriousness of black Americans.
Teams would sometimes play as many as four games in a day, and pitchers were expected to throw all nine innings of a given ballgame. Whereas MLB shunned the bunt, Negro Leagues players mastered the play and turned it into an art form.
The busy travel schedules of Negro League ballclubs allowed teams to demonstrate their civic pride all over the country. Riding from city to city in buses, these teams would “carry the news” from their local community each time they arrived in a new town. As stated by a Kansas City bartender, the Monarchs made his city “the toast of the town all over the world.”
Stars of the Negro Leagues
Major League Baseball’s longstanding color barrier prevented the greatest black players from competing against elite white players outside of barnstorming contests. Thus, Negro League legends like Josh Gibson, James “Cool Papa” Bell, and Buck Leonard were never given the chance to prove that they were the top talents of their era.
Satchel Paige, the greatest pitcher in Negro Leagues history, didn’t appear in the majors until the age of 42.
When historians discuss the greatest ballplayers of all time, it’s not uncommon for Negro League players to get lost in the shuffle. However, several of these players may have been better than their more celebrated white counterparts.
Satchel Paige
The aforementioned Satchel Paige was the most popular attraction in Negro League baseball, and might have been considered the greatest pitcher in major league history had the color line not been in place. Paige, who threw a fastball called a “Midnight Rider” and a changeup he called a “Four-Day Creeper,” was a consummate showman and a nearly unbeatable presence on the mound.
He would often promise to strike out the first nine batters of a game, demonstrating his conviction by waving his outfielders onto the infield grass. Paige estimated that he pitched in 2,500 games and won around 2,000 of them.
Josh Gibson: The “Black Babe Ruth”
Another Negro League star was Josh Gibson, a catcher with monstrous power. Gibson clobbered close to 950 home runs in his career, and reportedly hit a ball at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field that simply never came down.
He was often referred to as the “black Babe Ruth,” but that distinction may have been unfair. After all, had black players not been barred from the majors, Ruth might have been called the “white Josh Gibson.”
Of course, Paige and Gibson are just a few of the Negro League stars that could have become MLB legends without the presence of the color barrier. James “Cool Papa” Bell was described as one of the fastest baserunners ever, and he once scored from first base on a sacrifice bunt.
There was also Martín Dihigo (aka “El Maestro”), a Cuban-born player who could play all nine positions and who once led the Mexican League in both hitting and pitching.
The Negro Leagues were a breeding ground for transcendent talents that deserve to be remembered as all-time greats. Unfortunately, the fact that these players were excluded from the major leagues means that many of their achievements have been forgotten.
Why Negro League History Matters
The 100-year anniversary of the Negro Leagues deserves to be celebrated. The leagues featured some of the best players to ever grace a baseball diamond, and their stories are as compelling as they are inspirational.
Negro League history offers a glimpse into the history of America, particularly the ugly era of segregation that preceded the Civil Rights Movement. Despite the adversity they faced, black ballplayers found a way to excel on the field and achieve greatness on their own terms.
They were never granted the equal treatment they deserved, but were able to become heroes within their communities nonetheless.
The greatest impediment to honoring the Negro Leagues is a lack of historical documentation and official archives. Because few teams could afford to pay someone to keep score, statistics from the Negro Leagues are nearly impossible to confirm.
However, just because we do not know for certain whether Satchel Paige won 2,000 games or Josh Gibson hit 950 home runs does not mean such feats should go unnoticed. To truly recognize the all-time greatest players, we must acknowledge those whose legacies were unfairly affected by discrimination.
The Negro Leagues also deserve recognition because their history is filled with fascinating details. For instance, did you know that three women played in the Negro Leagues? Or that Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was co-owner of the New York Black Yankees and would occasionally tap dance on top of the dugout?
To learn more about the Negro Leagues, I highly recommend touring the Discover Greatness photography exhibit at the Yogi Berra Museum, which runs through June of 2020. The fifth chapter of the Ken Burns documentary Baseball, titled “Shadow Ball,” is an excellent primer as well. You can also visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which is located in Kansas City.
No matter which method you choose, do your part to honor the Negro Leagues by familiarizing yourself with their history and continued cultural impact.
