Black Sports : African Americans in Baseball

[Destee]

African Americans In Baseball

September 3, 2006
The Hartford Courant

1884: Moses "Fleetwood" Walker signs with Toledo of the American Association, becoming the first African American to join a major league team.

1885: The Babylon, N.Y.-based Cuban Giants become the first professional all-black team. Players pose as Cubans to hide their race.

1886: The Southern League of Black Base Ballists is the first all-black league.

1887: The National Colored Base Ball League is formed, but poor attendance causes the league to fold after two weeks.

1890: The International League bans African American players. Other leagues follow.

1920: The National Negro League is formed in Kansas City.

1924: After the six-team Eastern Colored League was formed in 1923, the first Black World Series is played between Kansas City and Philadelphia.

1924: Baseball commissioner Kenesaw "Mountain" Landis forces major league teams to stop playing popular exhibition games against barnstorming Negro League teams.

1928: The Eastern Colored League disbands. The American Negro League is formed, but it lasts only one season.

1931: The Negro National League goes bankrupt during the Great Depression. The next year, the newly formed East-West League doesn't make it through one season before folding.

1933: The revamped Negro National League begins play.

1937: The golden age of the Negro Leagues begins when the Negro American League is formed. In the Negro National League, the Homestead Grays, led by Josh Gibson, begin a run of nine consecutive championships.

1947: Jackie Robinson becomes the first black player in the modern major leagues when he debuts with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The second baseman wins the National League Rookie of the Year. Also in '47, the Cleveland Indians sign Larry Doby and he becomes the American League's first black player.

1948: With African American fans turning their attention to the major leagues, Negro League attendance suffers and the Negro National




Destee

 

[$$RICH$$]

yes destee so true but we still lack africans in the sport

I think it's time for a breakthrough for our people to play the game .

 

[cherryblossom]

http://africanamericanbaseballleague.com/

Welcome to the
African American
Baseball League ABL

On behalf of African Americans here in the United States the (ABL) is pleased to announce a new era of Negro League Professional Baseball after a fifty year absence.

We have started the process of rebuilding our heritage with young talented African American men that possess the physical ability to showcase our legendary history.

This is a momentous step for us a step I'm very proud of. While we are honoring our heroes from our legendary past, we are also preparing our young people to do today, what our true heroes did yesterday.

We have made tremendous strides from 2003, thus far we have rebuilt three of Negro League Professional Baseball's greatest teams, the Kansas City Monarchs, Washington Black Senators and Philadelphia Stars.

Please understand as African Americans we need our own professional baseball league. Just like Major League Baseball, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and all the other nationalities that are in the professional baseball business around the globe today.

Rebuilding Negro League Professional Baseball is our top priority to level the playing field in business globally. Which will give deserving African American ballplayers a fair and equal opportunity to compete on the professional level in the 21st century.

This is about our heritage and the (ABL) fully intends to compete in the World Baseball Classic Tournament in 2013 against team USA, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, Australia, Cuba, Mexico, South Africa, Canada, Italy, Venezuela, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and kingdom of Netherlands.....................to showcase the return of Negro League Professional Baseball.

Join the Movement

 

[Omowale Jabali]

http://africanamericanbaseballleague.com/

​

Thanks. I gotta check into this. Im from a baseball family. My grandpa played in the Negro leagues and Dodger farm team (Bakersfield Indians and amateur ball (Wasco Merchants) and i got two uncles who played in the MLB.

Things changed in the 70s when more African-American youth (mysellf included) went over to basketball instead of baseball. There are many reasons for this but one of the reasons i lost interest in baseball had to do with bad coaching at a time period when white coaches and pro clubs seemed to be reversing progress and trying to stack teams with less talented white players. The Dodgers organization were a prime example and even today have less Black american players than they did in the 60s.

On the other hand, pro and college basketball did an about face when hiring Bill Russell as the first Black player-coach. This opened up doors baseball was closing.

 

[cherryblossom]

Thanks. I gotta check into this. Im from a baseball family. My grandpa played in the Negro leagues and Dodger farm team (Bakersfield Indians and amateur ball (Wasco Merchants) and i got two uncles who played in the MLB.

Things changed in the 70s when more African-American youth (mysellf included) went over to basketball instead of baseball. There are many reasons for this but one of the reasons i lost interest in baseball had to do with bad coaching at a time period when white coaches and pro clubs seemed to be reversing progress and trying to stack teams with less talented white players. The Dodgers organization were a prime example and even today have less Black american players than they did in the 60s.

On the other hand, pro and college basketball did an about face when hiring Bill Russell as the first Black player-coach. This opened up doors baseball was closing.

Yes, I remember you speaking of your grandfather Demery and uncles.

I've often wondered if you have any relatives in FL or Ga....I know some Demery(s).....and some Demerie(s).