# List of minor Negro league baseball teams

This list of minor Negro league baseball teams consists of teams that played in the various minor Negro baseball leagues, as well as the independent teams, teams that played in proto-leagues and teams that played after integration.
In Negro league baseball, organized major league play began in 1920, however informal "proto" leagues arose in the 1880s. Most teams up to about 1920 were able to survive, and even profit, by barnstorming small towns and playing local semi-pro teams. After 1920, most teams found financial security by forming leagues, but it was common for teams each season to play as many games outside of the league's schedule. Generally, leagues in the north were major while leagues in the south were minor.
With the integration of Organized Baseball beginning 1946, Negro leagues lost elite players to white leagues causing former major Negro leagues to slip to minor league status, and historians do not consider any Negro league "major" after 1950. By default, leagues established after integration are considered minor league, as is the one of two 1940s majors that continued after 1950. Also at this time, Negro leagues began to appear in the west.
Below are some of the better-documented leagues:

## Proto-leagues

* Southern League of Colored Base Ballists, 1886
* National Colored Baseball League, 1887
* International League of Independent Professional Base Ball Clubs, 1906.
* National Association of Colored Baseball Clubs of the United States and Cuba, 1907–1909.

## Minor leagues

* Texas Colored League/Texas–Oklahoma–Louisiana League/Texas–Louisiana Negro League, 1919–1931
* Negro Southern League (I), 1920–1936 – considered a de facto major league in 1932 because it was the only league to play a full season schedule due to the Great Depression
* Negro Southeastern League, 1921
* Interstate League, 1926 and 1940 (mixed-race league)
* Tri State League, 1935
* Negro American Association, 1939 and 1948–1949
* Negro Major League, 1942

## Post-integration

* Negro Southern League (II), 1945–1951
* United States League, 1945–1946
* West Coast Negro Baseball Association, 1946
* East Texas Negro League, 1946
* Negro Texas League, 1949
* Negro American League, 1951–1960 – considered a major league from 1937 until integration diminished the quality of play around 1950/51
* Arkansas–Louisiana–Texas League, 1951
* Eastern Negro League, 1954
* Negro National Baseball Association, 1954
Below is the list of minor Negro league teams. Teams in bold are considered to have been of major league caliber for at least one season of their existence. Other teams included in this list were either a semi-pro, barnstorming or traveling team and not necessarily a member of a league.

## Alabama

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| 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 |
| Birmingham Giants | 1907 | 1909 | Independent (1907–09) | |
| Mobile Black Bears | | | | |
| Mobile Tigers | | | | |
| Montgomery Grey Sox (I) | 1920 | 1921 | NSL (1920) Independent (1921) | |
| Montgomery Grey Sox (II) | 1931 | 1932 | Independent (1931) NSL (1932) | |

## Arkansas

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Gurdon Panthers | 1951 | 1951 | Arkansas–Louisiana–Texas League | |
| Hot Springs Arlingtons Hot Springs Blues (1904) | 1896 | 1904 | Southern Negro League (1897) | Rube Foster (1901) |
| Little Rock Black Travelers | | | | |
| Little Rock Quapaws | 1896 | 1900 | Southern Negro League (1897) | |

## California

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) |
| Los Angeles White Sox | 1946 | 1946 | WCNBL (1946) |
| Oakland Larks | 1946 | 1946 | WCNBL (1946) |
| San Diego Tigers | 1946 | 1946 | WCNBL (1946) |
| San Francisco Sea Lions | 1946 | 1946 | WCNBL (1946) |

## Colorado

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Denver White Elephants | | | | | |

## Connecticut

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Ansonia Cuban Giants | 1891 | 1891 | Connecticut State League | The Ansonia Cuban Giants were an all-black team in an otherwise all-white league | |

## District of Columbia

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Washington Capital Citys | 1887 | 1887 | National Colored Base Ball League (1887) | Folded before playing an official game |
| 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 |
| Ethiopian Clowns (See Indianapolis Clowns) | c. 1930s | 1942 | Independent (c. 1930s–42) | Based in Miami Also known as Miami Giants c. 1930s | |

## 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 | |
| Atlanta Black Crackers (II) | 1943 | 1949 | Independent (1943–44) NSL (II) (1945–47) NAA (1948–49) | | |

## Illinois

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| 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 (See Leland Giants entry) 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 Brown Bombers | 1945 | 1945 | USL (1945) | |
| Chicago Columbia Giants | 1899 | 1900 | Independent (1899–1900) | Merged with Chicago Unions to become Chicago Union Giants 1901 (See Leland Giants entry) |
| Chicago Giants | 1910 | 1921 | Independent (1910–19) NNL1 (1920–21) | Formed via 1909 split of Leland Giants (See Leland Giants entry) |
| Chicago Unions | 1887 | 1900 | Independent (1887–1900) | Merged with Chicago Columbia Giants to become Chicago Union Giants 1901 (See Leland Giants entry) |
| Leland Giants | 1901 | 1909 | Independent (1901–09) | Formed via 1901 merger of: Chicago Unions (1887–1900) Chicago Columbia Giants (1899–1900) Known as Chicago Union Giants 1901–04 Split after 1909 to form: Chicago Giants (See Chicago Giants entry) Leland Giants (II) (See Chicago American Giants entry) |

## Indiana

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Indianapolis ABCs (I) | c. 1913 | 1926 | Independent (1913–19) NNL1 (1920–26) | | |
| 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) | | |

## Kansas

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Kansas City Giants | 1909 | 1911 | Independent (1909–11) | Not related to Kansas City Royal Giants | |

## Kentucky

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Louisville Black Colonels | | | | |
| Louisville Buckeyes (See Cleveland Buckeyes) | 1949 | 1949 | NAL (1949) | |
| Louisville Fall City | 1887 | 1887 | NCBBL (1887) | |
| Louisville White Sox (1914–1915) | 1914 | 1915 | Independent (1914–15) | |
| Zulu Cannibal Giants | 1934 | 1937 | Independent (1934–37) | Based in Louisville |

## Louisiana

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Detroit–New Orleans Stars (See Detroit Stars (IV)) | 1960 | 1961 | NAL (1960–61) | Folded after 1961 season | |
| Monroe Monarchs | 1920s | 1935 | Negro Southern League (1932) | NSL only organized league to complete the 1932 season (Considered de facto Major League) | |
| New Orleans Ads | 1920 | 1920 | Negro Southern League (1920) | Team often referred to as the Caulfield Ads | |
| New Orleans Black Pelicans | 1926 | 1950 | Negro Southern League (1926) Independent (1927–29, 1932–44, 1946–49) Texas Colored League (1930–31) Negro Southern League (1945, 1950) | | |
| New Orleans Creoles | 1945 | 1952 | Independent (1945–46, 1952) Negro Southern League (1947–48, 1950–51) Negro Texas League (1949) | | |
| New Orleans Crescent Stars | 1921 | 1937 | Independent (1921–22, 1932–37) | | |
| New Orleans Eagles (See Newark Eagles) | 1950 | 1951 | NAL (1950–51) | Folded after 1951 season | $^{:5}$ |
| New Orleans Stars | 1924 | 1924 | Independent (1924) | | |

## 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 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 (1931–1932) NNL2 (1933–48) NAL (1949–51) | Dissolved around 1951 |
| Baltimore Lord Baltimores | 1887 | 1887 | NCBBL (1887) | |
| Baltimore Grays | 1942 | 1942 | NML (1942) | Played in Edgewater Beach, MD |

## Massachusetts

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Boston Resolutes | 1887 | 1887 | NCBBL (1887) | |
| Boston Royal Giants | | | IL (1906) | Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1906 Known as Quaker Giants 1906 |
| Boston Blues | 1946 | 1946 | USL (1946) | |

## Michigan

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Detroit Stars (I) | 1919 | 1931 | Independent (1919) NNL1 (1920–31) | |
| Detroit Stars (IV) club Detroit Stars (IV) (1954–57) Detroit Clowns (1958) Detroit Stars (IV) (1959) Detroit–New Orleans Stars (1960–61) | 1954 | 1961 | NAL (1954–61) | |
| Page Fence Giants | 1895 | 1898 | Independent (1895–98) | Based in Adrian, Michigan |

## Minnesota

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Minneapolis Keystones | | | | |
| St. Paul Colored Gophers | 1907 | 1911 | Independent (1907–11) | Played as the Twin City Gophers 1911 |
| Twin City Colored Giants | | | | |

## 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 |
| Kansas City Royal Giants | 1910 | 1912 | Western Independent Clubs (1910–1912) | Not related to Kansas City Giants |
| St. Louis Stars (I) | 1906 | 1931 | Independent (1906–19) NNL1 (1920–31) | Known as St. Louis Giants 1906–21 |

## 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.) |
| Cuban Giants | 1885 | c. 1915 | Independent (1885–1906) NA (1907–09) Independent (1910–c. 15) | Based in Trenton Part of team split after 1896 to form Cuban X-Giants After split, known as Genuine Cuban Giants or Original Cuban Giants |
| Cuban X-Giants | 1897 | 1907 | Independent (1897–1905) IL (1906) NA (1907) | Formed via 1896 split of Cuban Giants Based in Trenton |
| Jersey City Colored Athletics | | | | |
| Newark Dodgers | 1933 | 1935 | Independent (1933) NNL2 (1934–35) | Merged with Brooklyn Eagles to become Newark Eagles 1936 (See Newark Eagles entry) |

## New York

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| 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 |
| Harlem Stars | | | | |
| Lincoln Giants | 1911 | 1930 | Independent (1911–22) ECL (1923–26) Independent (1927) ECL (1928) ANL (1929) Independent (1930) | Based in New York City |
| Lincoln Stars | 1914 | 1917 | Independent (1914–17) | 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 |
| Schenectady Mohawk Giants | 1913 | 1914 | Independent (1913–14) | |

## Ohio

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Cincinnati Browns | 1887 | 1887 | NCBBL (1887) | Played no league games due to NCBBL folding Played independent of a league briefly, then folded | |
| 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] [56] |
| Dayton Marcos | c. 1910s | c. 1930s | Independent (c. 1910s–19) NNL1 (1920) Independent (1921–25) NNL1 (1926) Independent (1927–c. 30s) | | |
| Toledo Rays | 1945 | 1945 | USL | | |

## Oklahoma

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Oklahoma Monarchs | 1910 | 1910 | Independent (1910) | | |

## Oregon

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Portland Rosebuds | 1946 | 1946 | WCNBL (1946) | | |

## Pennsylvania

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Active Club of Philadelphia | 1800s | | | |
| Anchor Giants | early 1900s | | | |
| 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.) |
| Harrisburg Giants | 1922 | 1927 | Independent (1922–23) ECL (1924–27) | |
| Harrisburg Monrovians | | | | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Philadelphia Pythians | 1867 | 1887 | Independent (1867–86) NCBBL (1887) | |
| Philadelphia Giants | 1902 | 1916 | Independent (1902–05) IL (1906) NA (1907–09) Independent (1910–16) | |
| Philadelphia Stars | 1933 | 1952 | Independent (1933) NNL2 (1934–48) NAL (1949–52) | |
| 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 (I) | 1887 | 1887 | NCBBL (1887) | |

## Tennessee

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Chattanooga Black Lookouts | 1920 | 1927 | NSL (1920, 1926–27) | Folded after 1920 season; re-established 1926 Minor league farm team for Homestead Grays 1926–27 |
| Chattanooga Choo-Choos | 1940 | 1946 | NSL (1940–46) | |
| Knoxville Giants | 1920 | 1932 | NSL (1920–22, 1931–32) | Folded after 1922 season; re-established 1931 |
| 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 (1931–1932) NNL2 (1933–34) | Known as Nashville Standard Giants 1919–20 |

## Texas

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| Austin Black Senators | | | | |
| Brenham Merchants | | | | |
| Dallas Black Giants | 1908 | 1949 | | |
| Houston Eagles (See Newark Eagles) | 1949 | 1950 | NAL (1949–50) | Relocated to New Orleans after 1950 season |
| San Antonio Black Bronchos | 1908 | 1909 | Independent (1908–09) | |
| San Antonio Black Indians | | | | |

## Washington

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes | Ref |
| Seattle Steelheads | 1946 | 1946 | WCNBL (1946) | | |

## Traveling teams

| Team | 1st Yr | Last Yr | Affiliation(s) | Notes |
| All Cubans | 1899 | 1905 | Independent | Precursor of Cuban Stars (West) |
| All Nations | 1912 | 1925 | Independent | Based out of Kansas City MO and Des Moines IA |
| Chappie Johnson's Stars | | | | Led by George "Chappie" Johnson |
| Colored House of David | | | | |
| 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 |
| Ethiopian Clowns (See Indianapolis Clowns) | c. 1930s | 1942 | Independent (c. 1930s–42) | Generally based out of Miami |
| Mineola Black Spiders | c. 1932 | c. 1937 | Independent | Generally based out of northern Iowa |
| New York Gorhams | 1886 | 1892 | Independent (1886) NCBBL (1887) Independent (1888–92) | Generally based out of various East coast cites from New Jersey to Connecticut |
| Secret Nine | 1931 | 1931 | Independent | Based out of New Orleans Sponsored by Louis Armstrong |
| Tennessee Rats | c. 1911 | c. 1926 | Independent | Generally not considered a Negro league team Based out of Holden MO |