Negro Major Leagues 1920-1928

Negro Major Leagues 1920

Negro National LeagueW-L
Chicago American Giants (P)32-13
Detroit Stars35-23
Kansas City Monarchs41-29
Indianapolis ABCs39-35
Cuban Stars21-24
St. Louis Giants25-32
Dayton Marcos8-18
Chicago Giants4-24
[Reference: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners

Negro Major Leagues 1921

Negro National LeagueW-L
Chicago American Giants (P)42-22
Kansas City Monarchs50-31
St. Louis Giants 40-28
Detroit Stars32-32
Indianapolis ABCs35-38
Cincinnati Cubans29-39
Columbus Buckeyes25-38
Chicago Giants10-32
[Reference: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners

Negro Major Leagues 1922

Negro National LeagueW-L
Chicago American Giants (P)36-23
Indianapolis ABCs46-33
Kansas City Monarchs46-33
St. Louis Stars35-26
Detroit Stars43-32
Pittsburgh Keystones16-21
Cuban Stars19-31
Cleveland Tate Stars17-29
[Reference: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners

Negro Major Leagues 1923

Negro National LeagueW-L
Kansas City Monarchs (P)57-33
Detroit Stars41-29
Chicago American Giants41-29
Indianapolis ABCs45-34
Cuban Stars27-31
St.Louis Stars25-40
Toledo Tigers11-15
Milwaukee Bears14-32
Birmingham Black Barons15-23
Memphis Red Sox13-6
Eastern Colored League
Hilldale (P)32-17
Cuban Stars (East)23-17
Brooklyn Royal Giants18-18
Bacharach Giants19-23
Lincoln Giants16-22
Baltimore Black Sox19-30
[Reference: 1]
YearNNL TeamECL Team
Colored World Series
1923Kansas City MonarchsNPHilldaleNP
[References: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners NP = Not Played.

Negro Major Leagues 1924

Negro National LeagueW-L
Kansas City Monarchs (P)55-22
Chicago American Giants49-24
Detroit Stars37-29
St. Louis Stars42-34
Memphis Red Sox29-37
Birmingham Black Barons34-44
Cuban Stars16-33
Cleveland Browns15-34
Eastern Colored League
Hilldale (P)47-22
Baltimore Black Sox30-19
Lincoln Giants31-25
Bacharach Giants30-29
Harrisburg Giants26-28
Brooklyn Royal Giants16-25
Washington Potomoacs21-37
Cuban Stars (East)15-31
[Reference: 1]
YearNNL TeamECL Team
Colored World Series
1924Kansas City Monarchs5Hilldale4
[References: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners

Negro Major Leagues 1925

Negro National League1st Half2nd HalfTotal W-L
Kansas City Monarchs (P1)31-1231-1162-23
St. Louis Stars (P2)31-1438-1269-27
Detroit29-3028-2157-40
Chicago American Giants26-2228-1854-40
Cubans12-1310-1222-28
Memphis Red Sox18-2412-2430-48
Indianapolis ABCs13-244-3317-57
Birmingham Black Barons14-3310-1624-49
Eastern Colored League
Hilldale (P)52-15
Harrisburg Giants37-19
Baltimore Black Sox31-19
Bacharach Giants26-27
Brooklyn Royal Giants13-20
Wilmington &13-22
Cuban Stars (East)15-26
Lincoln Giants3-39
[Reference: 1]
YearWinnersGamesRunners-UpGames
NNL Playoffs
1925Kansas City Monarchs4St. Louis Stars3
Colored World Series
1925Hilldale (ECL)5Kansas City Monarchs (NNL)1
[References: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners NP = Not Played & = Out of League 18 July 1925

Negro Major Leagues 1926

Negro National League1st Half2nd HalfTotal W-L
Kansas City Monarchs (P1) 35-1222-957-21
Chicago American Giants (P2)28-1629-757-23
St. Louis Stars29-1820-1249-30
Detroit Stars34-1716-2550-42
Indianapolis ABCs28-1815-2743-45
Cuban Stars6-2713-2019-47
Dayton Marcos7-320-57-37
Cleveland Elites5-322-97-41
Eastern Colored League
Bacharach Giants (P)34-20
Harrisburg Giants25-17
Hilldale34-24
Cuban Stars (East)28-21
Lincoln Giants19-22
Baltimore Black Sox18-29
Brooklyn Royal Giants7-20
Newark Stars &1-10
[Reference: 1]
YearWinnersRunners-Up
NNL PlayoffsP1 v P2 Champions
1926Chicago American Giants5Kansas City Monarchs4
Colored World Series
1926Chicago American Giants (NNL)5Bacharach Giants (ECL)3
[References: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners NP = Not Played & = Disbanded Mid-Season.

Negro Major Leagues 1927

Negro National League1st Half2nd HalfTotal W-L
Chicago American Giants (P1)32-1424-1556-29
Kansas City Monarchs (P2)36-1818-1154-29
St. Louis Stars32-19
Detroit Stars29-2224-2453-46
Birmingham Black Barons25-2929-1554-44
Memphis Red Sox19-25
Cuban Stars15-23
Cleveland Hornets16-38
Eastern Colored League
Bacharach Giants (P)29-1725-1854-35
Baltimore Black Sox23-1712-1835-35
Cuban Stars (East)24-199-1333-32
Harrisburg Giants25-2016-1241-32
Hilldale17-2819-1736-35
Brooklyn Royal Giants10-215-1015-31
[Reference: 1]
YearWinnersGamesRunners-UpGames
NNL PlayoffsP1 v P2 Winners
1927Chicago American Giants4Birmingham Black Barons0
ECL PlayoffsP1 v P2 Winners
1927Bacharach GiantsWon Both Halves
Colored World Series
1927Chicago American Giants (NNL)5Bacharach Giants (ECL)3
[References: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners NP = Not Played Note: Eastern Colored League Folded after 1927 Season.

Negro Major Leagues 1928

Negro National League1st Half2nd HalfTotal W-L
St. Louis Stars (P1)32-834-1866-26
Kansas City Monarchs (P2)24-1526-1650-31
Detroit Stars29-1325-2454-37
Chicago American Giants24-2030-1754-37
Birmingham Black Barons19-2825-2644-54
Memphis Red Sox16-2514-2330-48
Cleveland Tigers19-53
Cuban Stars12-37
Eastern Colored League
No League in 1928
[Reference: 1]
YearWinnersGamesRunners-UpGames
NNL PlayoffsP1 v P2 Playoffs
1928St. Louis Stars5Chicago American Giants4
Colored World Series
1928Not Applicable
[References: 1]

Key / Legend: (P) = Pennant Winners (P1) = 1st Half Pennant Winners (P2) = 2nd Half Pennant Winners NP = Not Played

The Negro National League and American Negro League returned in 1933 and lasted until 1952 as Major Leagues (although only until 1946 are recognised as such by MLB when Jackie Robinson became the first ever African-American to play in Major League Baseball when he played for the Montreal Royals).

Report

Kansas City Monarchs won the Colored World Series in 1924, Hilldale in 1925 and Chicago American Giants in 1926 and 1927, the only years during this period it was played. There was no league in 1932, the most difficult year of the Great Depression.

With Segregation in American Sport as with practically all parts of US Society at the time, the top African-American Sportsmen played in the Negro Leagues as they called themselves at the time. These Baseball Leagues were the National Basketball Association of the time, equal with the Major Leagues as we know them today, although excluded from playing from them due to their skin colour, race or ethnic background.

From interviews with fans conducted by Dick Clark and Larry Lester of the Society for American Baseball Research it can be seen that they saw the Leagues as Eastern and Western Leagues, even though most Leagues went by the name Negro National League and American Negro League. The Statistics gleaned from what was reported in the newspapers give only a partial record, and show the top players were the equal of the top players in Major League Baseball at the time, something which has been recognised recenltly (2021) by MLB.

The term Negro for African-Americans has fallen out of favour in recent times, much like the term Tinker for Irish Travelers, whose conditions have often been compared to African-Americans. It has been kept here and by MLB to prevent re-writing of history.

There were many players with Irish surnames or family names on the teams, perhaps as many as two dozen in 1920 alone. Those who won the Colored World Series from 1924 to 1927 are listed below. Hurley McNair, Walter Moore, Harold Morris, and Wilber Rogan of Kansas City Monarchs in 1924, Luther Farrell of Hilldale in 1925, and George Harney of Chicago American Giants in 1926 and 1927.

Players with Irish Names (Colored World Series Winners)

Player123Team
1924
Hurley McNairrfofpKansas City Monarchs
Walter Moore (Dobie)ssKansas City Monarchs
Harold MorrispKansas City Monarchs
Wilber Rogan (Bullet Joe)pcfofKansas City Monarchs
1925
Luther FarrellpHilldale
1926
George HarneypChicago American Giants
1927
George HarneyprfChicago American Giants
[References; 1]

Key / Legend: p = Pitcher, ss = Short Stop, cf = Center Field, rf = Right Field, of = Outfield.

References

Bibliography

[1] Dick Clark & Larry Lester (1994) “League Standings 1920-1954” The Negro Leagues Book. The Society for American Baseball Research. Cleveland, Ohio. 1994.

Websites

[2] Major League Baseball (2019) Standings [Internet] Available from: https://www.mlb.com/standings [Accessed 29 August 2019]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Hugh Mulcahy.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 17 February 2021

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2021

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.

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