# List of major Negro league baseball teams

This list of major Negro league baseball teams consists of teams that played in the seven major Negro baseball leagues. For a league to be considered "major," there were usually two top-tier leagues at a time: one representing the northeastern states – known as the "East", and one representing the north-central states – known as the "West". Formal leagues were organized in 1920.
* West, 1920–1931: Negro National League (1920–1931)
* East, 1923–1928: Eastern Colored League
* East, 1929: American Negro League
* East/West, 1932: East–West League & Negro Southern League (1920–1936)
* East, 1933–1948: Negro National League (1933–1948)
* West, 1937–1948: Negro American League
In December 2020, 75 years and one month after Jackie Robinson signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Major League Baseball announced they were finally recognizing these seven major leagues on par with other major leagues.
The following teams played at least one partial season in one of the major Negro leagues. Some teams also played as either a barnstorming (or traveling) team, a minor league team or a team that existed after the integration of Major League Baseball (1946) when the talent level declined dramatically.

## Alabama

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Birmingham Black Barons | 1920 | 1961 | NSL (1920–23, 26, 31–36) NNL1 (1924–25, 27–30) NAL (1937–38, 40–61) | NSL was a minor league every season except 1932 Did not field a team for 1939 | |
| Montgomery Grey Sox (II) | 1931 | 1932 | Independent (1931) NSL (1932) | | |

## Arkansas

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Little Rock Grays | 1932 | 1932 | Negro Southern League | | |

## Delaware

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Wilmington Potomacs (See Washington Potomacs) | 1925 | 1925 | ECL (1925) | Disbanded mid-season 1925 | |

## District of Columbia

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Washington Black Senators | 1938 | 1938 | ECL (1938) | Disbanded in August before season ended |
| Washington Elite Giants (See Baltimore Elite Giants) | 1936 | 1937 | NNL2 (1936–37) | |
| Washington Pilots | 1932 | 1932 | EWL (1932) | |
| Washington Potomacs club Washington Potomacs (1923–24) Wilmington Potomacs (1925) | 1923 | 1925 | Independent (1923) ECL (1924–25) | |
| Washington Homestead Grays (See Homestead Grays) | 1939 | c. 1950s | NNL2 (1939–48) Independent (1949–c. 50s) | Split home games in Pittsburgh Alternately known as Washington Grays later Sparingly used Pittsburgh as home field after c. 1948 |

## Florida

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Jacksonville Red Caps club Jacksonville Red Caps (1938) Cleveland Bears (1939–40) Jacksonville Red Caps (1941–42) | 1938 | 1942 | NAL (1938–42) | Disbanded midway through 1942 season | |

## Georgia

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Atlanta Black Crackers (I) club Atlanta Black Crackers (I) (1919–38) Indianapolis ABCs (IV) (1939) | 1919 | 1939 | Ind.(19,22–25,28,30–31,33–34,37) NSL(I)(20–21,26–27,29,32,35–36) NAL (1938–39) | NSL was a minor league every season except 1932 Disestablished May 1939 | |

## Illinois

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Chicago American Giants | 1910 | 1952 | Independent (1910–19) NNL1 (1920–31) NSL (1932) NNL2 (1933–35) Independent (1936) NAL (1937–52) | Formed via 1909 split of Leland Giants Known as Leland Giants (II) 1910 Also known as Cole's American Giants 1932–35 Moved majority of home games temporarily to Indianapolis 1933 | |
| Chicago Giants | 1910 | 1921 | Independent (1910–19) NNL1 (1920–21) | Formed via 1909 split of Leland Giants | |

## Indiana

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Cole's American Giants (See Chicago American Giants) | 1933 | 1933 | NNL2 (1933) | Played majority of home games temporarily in Indianapolis 1933 |
| Indianapolis ABCs (I) | c. 1913 | 1926 | Independent (1913–19) NNL1 (1920–26) | |
| Indianapolis ABCs (II) club Indianapolis ABCs (II) (1931–33) Detroit Stars (II) (1933) | 1931 | 1933 | NNL1 (1931) NSL (1932) NNL2 (1933) | Relocated to Detroit shortly after opening day 1933 |
| Indianapolis ABCs (III) (See St. Louis Stars (III)) | 1938 | 1938 | NAL (1938) | |
| Indianapolis ABCs (IV) (See Atlanta Black Crackers (I)) | 1939 | 1939 | NAL (1939) | Disestablished May 1939 |
| Indianapolis Clowns club Miami Giants (c. 1930s) Ethiopian Clowns (c. 1930s–42) Cincinnati Clowns (1943) Indianapolis–Cincinnati Clowns (1944) Cincinnati Clowns (1945) Indianapolis Clowns (1946–62) | c. 1930s | 1962 | Independent (c. 1930s–42) NAL (1943–55) Independent (1956–62) | |
| Indianapolis Athletics | 1937 | 1937 | NAL (1937) | |
| Indianapolis Crawfords (See Pittsburgh Crawfords) | 1940 | 1940 | NAL (1940) | Folded after 1940 season |

## Kentucky

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Louisville Black Caps club Louisville Black Caps (Apr–Aug) Columbus Turfs (Aug–Sept) | 1932 | 1932 | NSL (1932) | Relocated to Columbus in August then folded at end of season | |
| Louisville White Sox | 1931 | 1931 | NNL1 (1931) | | |

## Louisiana

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Monroe Monarchs | 1920s | 1935 | Negro Southern League (1932) | NSL only organized league to complete the 1932 season (Considered de facto Major League) | |
| St. Louis–New Orleans Stars (See St. Louis Stars (III)) | 1940 | 1941 | NAL (1940–41) | Split home games between New Orleans and St. Louis | |

## Maryland

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Baltimore Black Sox (I) | 1916 | 1933 | Independent (1916–22) ECL (1923–28) ANL (1929) Independent (1930–31) EWL (1932) NNL2 (1933) | |
| Baltimore Black Sox (II) | 1934 | 1934 | NNL2 (1934) | Only played second half of season then folded |
| Baltimore Elite Giants club Nashville Standard Giants (1919–20) Nashville Elite Giants (1921–34) Columbus Elite Giants (1935) Washington Elite Giants (1936–37) Baltimore Elite Giants (1938–51) | 1919 | 1951 | Independent (1919–29) NNL1 (1930) NSL (1931–32) NNL2 (1933–48) NAL (1949–51) | Dissolved around 1951 |

## Michigan

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Detroit Stars (I) | 1919 | 1931 | Independent (1919) NNL1 (1920–31) | |
| Detroit Stars (II) (See Indianapolis ABCs (II)) | 1933 | 1933 | NNL2 (1933) | Relocated from Indianapolis shortly after opening day 1933 |
| Detroit Stars (III) | 1937 | 1937 | NAL (1937) | |
| Detroit Wolves | 1932 | 1932 | EWL (1932) | Only season in existence |

## Missouri

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Kansas City Monarchs | 1920 | 1965 | NNL1 (1920–31) Independent (1932–36) NAL (1937–61) Independent (1962–65) | Later based in Grand Rapids, MI 1956–65 |
| St. Louis Stars (I) | 1906 | 1931 | Independent (1906–19) NNL1 (1920–31) | Known as St. Louis Giants 1906–21 |
| St. Louis Stars (II) | 1937 | 1937 | NAL (1937) | Only season in existence |
| St. Louis Stars (III) club Indianapolis ABCs (III) (1938) St. Louis Stars (III) (1939) St. Louis–New Orleans Stars (1940–41) Harrisburg–St. Louis Stars (1943) | 1938 | 1943 | NAL (1938–41) NNL2 (1943) | Played home games in New Orleans and St. Louis 1940–41 Did not field a team for 1942; team merged with New York Black Yankees of NNL Played all home games in Harrisburg; none in St. Louis 1943 |

## New Jersey

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Bacharach Giants (I) | 1916 | 1929 | Independent (1916–22) ECL (1923–28) ANL (1929) | Based in Atlantic City (Not to be confused with the Philadelphia-based team of the same name.) |
| Newark Browns | 1932 | 1932 | EWL (1932) | |
| Newark Dodgers | 1933 | 1935 | Independent (1933) NNL2 (1934–35) | Merged with Brooklyn Eagles to become Newark Eagles 1936 (See Newark Eagles entry) |
| Newark Eagles club Newark Eagles (1936–48) Houston Eagles (1949–50) New Orleans Eagles (1950–51) | 1936 | 1951 | NNL2 (1936–48) NAL (1949–51) | Formed via 1936 merger of: Newark Dodgers (1933–35) Brooklyn Eagles (1935) |
| Newark Stars | 1926 | 1926 | ECL (1926) | |

## New York

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Brooklyn Eagles | 1935 | 1935 | NNL2 (1935) | Merged with Newark Dodgers to become Newark Eagles 1936 (See Newark Eagles entry) |
| Brooklyn Royal Giants | 1905 | 1942 | Independent (1905–06) NA (1907–09) Independent (1910–22) ECL (1923–27) Independent (1928–42) | Deteriorated to minor league status by the 1930s |
| Lincoln Giants | 1911 | 1930 | Independent (1911–22) ECL (1923–26) Independent (1927) ECL (1928) ANL (1929) Independent (1930) | Based in New York City |
| New York Black Yankees | 1931 | 1959 | Independent (1931–35) NNL2 (1936–48) Independent (1949–59) | Known as Harlem Black Bombers 1931 |
| New York Cubans | 1935 | 1950 | NNL2 (1935–36) NNL2 (1939–48) NAL (1949–50) | Did not field a team 1937–38 |

## Ohio

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Akron Black Tyrites | 1933 | 1933 | NNL2 (1933) | Merged/replaced the Columbus Blue Birds mid-season 1933 Folded/replaced by the Cleveland Giants for last month of 1933 | |
| Cincinnati Buckeyes (See Cleveland Buckeyes) | 1942 | 1942 | NAL (1942) | | |
| Cincinnati Clowns (See Indianapolis Clowns) | 1943 | 1945 | NAL (1943–45) | Played home games in Indianapolis and Cincinnati 1944–45 Also known as Indianapolis–Cincinnati Clowns 1944–45 | |
| Cincinnati Cuban Stars (See Cuban Stars (West)) | 1921 | 1921 | NNL1 (1921) | | |
| Cincinnati Tigers | 1934 | 1937 | Independent (1934–36) NAL (1937) | | |
| Cleveland Bears (See Jacksonville Red Caps) | 1939 | 1940 | NAL (1939–40) | | |
| Cleveland Browns | 1924 | 1924 | NNL1 (1924) | | |
| Cleveland Buckeyes club Cincinnati-Cleveland Buckeyes (1942) Cleveland Buckeyes (1943–48) Louisville Buckeyes (1949) Cleveland Buckeyes (1950) | 1942 | 1950 | NAL (1942–50) | Half of 1942 home schedule in Cincinnati, half in Cleveland Disbanded mid-season 1950 | [27] [30] |
| Cleveland Cubs | 1931 | 1931 | NNL1 (1931) | | |
| Cleveland Elites (1926) Cleveland Hornets (1927) Cleveland Tigers (1928) | 1926 | 1928 | NNL1 (1926–28) | Teams are considered separate but closely linked | [32] [33] [34] |
| Cleveland Giants | 1933 | 1933 | NNL2 (1933) | Formed from remnants of the Akron Black Tyrites for end of 1933 | |
| Cleveland Red Sox | 1934 | 1934 | NNL2 (1934) | Only season in existence | |
| Cleveland Stars | 1932 | 1932 | EWL (1932) | Folded mid-season 1932 | |
| Cleveland Tate Stars | 1922 | 1923 | NNL1 (1922–1923) | Played as NNL team in 1922, played as associate team in 1923 | [38] [39] |
| Columbus Blue Birds | 1933 | 1933 | NNL2 (1933) | Dissolved/merged with Akron Black Tyrites mid-season 1933 | |
| Columbus Buckeyes | 1921 | 1921 | NNL1 (1921) | Only season in existence | |
| Columbus Elite Giants (See Baltimore Elite Giants) | 1935 | 1935 | NNL2 (1935) | | |
| Columbus Turfs (See Louisville Black Caps) | 1932 | 1932 | NSL (1932) | Relocated from Louisville in August then folded at end of season | |
| Dayton Marcos | c. 1910s | c. 1930s | Independent (c. 1910s–19) NNL1 (1920) Independent (1921–25) NNL1 (1926) Independent (1927–c. 30s) | | |
| Toledo Crawfords (See Pittsburgh Crawfords) | 1939 | 1939 | NAL (1939) | | |
| Toledo Tigers | 1923 | 1923 | NNL1 (1923) | Folded mid-season 1923 | |

## Pennsylvania

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Harrisburg Giants | 1922 | 1927 | Independent (1922–23) ECL (1924–27) | |
| Harrisburg–St. Louis Stars (See St. Louis Stars (III)) | 1943 | 1943 | NNL2 (1943) | Played all home games in Harrisburg; none in St. Louis Disbanded mid-season 1943 |
| Bacharach Giants (II) | 1931 | 1942 | Independent (1931–33) NNL2 (1934) Independent (1935–42) | Based in Philadelphia (Not to be confused with the Atlantic City-based team of the same name.) |
| Hilldale Club | 1916 | 1932 | Independent (1916–22) ECL (1923–28) ANL (1929) Independent (1930–31) EWL (1932) | Also known as Hilldale Daisies, Darby Daisies Based near Philadelphia |
| Philadelphia Stars | 1933 | 1952 | Independent (1933) NNL2 (1934–48) NAL (1949–52) | |
| Philadelphia Tigers | 1928 | 1928 | ECL (1928) | |
| Homestead Grays club Homestead Grays (c. 1912–38) Washington Homestead Grays (1939–c. 50s) Washington Grays (1939–c. 50s) | c. 1912 | c. 1950s | Independent (c. 1912–28) ANL (1929) Independent (1930–31) EWL (1932) Independent (1933–34) NNL2 (1935–48) Independent (1949–c. 50s) | Based near Pittsburgh Started to split home games with Washington, D.C. 1939 Sparingly used Pittsburgh as home field after c. 1948 |
| Pittsburgh Crawfords club Pittsburgh Crawfords (1931–38) Toledo Crawfords (1939) Indianapolis Crawfords (1940) | 1931 | 1940 | Independent (1931–32) NNL2 (1933–38) NAL (1939–40) | |
| Pittsburgh Keystones (II) | 1921 | 1922 | NNL1 (1921–22) | |

## Tennessee

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Memphis Red Sox | 1923 | 1962 | Independent (1923) NNL1 (1924–25, 27–30) NSL (1926, 31–36) NAL (1937–62) | | |
| Nashville Elite Giants (See Baltimore Elite Giants) | 1919 | 1934 | Independent (1919–29) NNL1 (1930) NSL (1931–32) NNL2 (1933–34) | Known as Nashville Standard Giants 1919–20 | |

## Wisconsin

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Milwaukee Bears | 1923 | 1923 | NNL1 (1923) | Only year in existence | |

## Traveling teams

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Cuban Stars (East) club New York Cuban Stars (1916–19) Havana Cuban Stars (1920) Cuban Stars (East) (1921–c. 34) | 1916 | c. 1934 | Independent (1916–22) ECL (1923–28) ANL (1929) Independent (1930–c. 34) | Played road games primarily in the New York and northeast region of the US | |
| Cuban Stars (West) club Cuban Stars of Havana (1906–19) Cincinnati Cuban Stars (1920–21) Cuban Stars (West) (1922–32) | 1906 | 1932 | IL (1906) NA (1907–09) Independent (1910–19) NNL1 (1920–30) Independent (1931) EWL (1932) | Played road games for its first five years primarily in the eastern states near New York City and Philadelphia By 1916 the team was competing primarily in the northern midwestern states Based in Cincinnati 1920–21 and then returned to playing only road games | |