The Nego League Slogan, “We are the ship, All else the sea.”
Baseball has long been known as America’s favorite pastime since the Civil War. The military, companies, and college campuses had teams integrated with Black and White ball players. All the while, African Americans were not allowed into the Major Leagues. There were many talented Black players in baseball, but there was no future for them in the Major Leagues. That was until former player and manager, Andrew “Rube” Foster, convinced a group of businessmen to invest in creating a Negro Baseball League in February 1920. This League allowed Black players to come together, play baseball, and show their talents with success in a league.
The Negro League became quite successful, for games would be crowded, and players such as Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, and Satchel Paige. The Negro League rented the parks from their White counterparts, and games were primarily played on Sundays while the White Major League teams played away games. Fans would come to the games at their finest, even delaying church services back an hour to avoid missing a game. The 1942 season for the Negro League saw approximately 3 million fans. In 1932, the league hosted an East-West All-Star game in Chicago that rivaled the Major League All-Star game in population and attendance.
The Negro League continued until the Great Depression. Many teams suffered, leaving only a few teams in the league. It would have been the end for it, but they came together and formed the New Negro League and Negro American League. For 11 more years, fans enjoyed baseball with the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues with racial barriers. Then, in 1944, Major League baseball commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis died. The color barrier lines were broken. History was made as Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. As more and more Black baseball players signed with the Major Leagues, the Negro Leagues faded into time. It was finally realized that Black ball players could play equally and be as successful as their White counterparts.
(photo: Andrew “Rube” Foster)