Notable Alumni: James “Cool Papa” Bell, Turkey Stearnes, Satchel Paige, Newt Allen, Jesse Williams, Bonnie Serrell, Wilber Rogan and Buck O’Neil

The Kansas City Monarchs were one of the Negro Leagues’ most famous and successful clubs. Owned and operated by white businessman J.L. Wilkinson, the Monarchs took home an unsurpassed 10 league pennants (including multiple flags in both the Negro National and Negro American Leagues) and suffered through just one losing season during their entire association with the Negro Leagues. They were the Negro Leagues’ first “world champions” after defeating Hilldale in the organziation’s inaugural World Series in 1924, and captured their second world championship when they defeated the Homestead Grays in the first edition of the reinstated World Series in ‘42.

Wilkinson formed the Monarchs in 1920 from his All Nations barnstorming team, and barnstorming became a crucial part of the club’s survival after the original Negro National League folded at the end of the decade. In ‘30, Wilkinson mortgaged everything he owned in order to purchase a portable lighting system that introduced night games to professional baseball for the first time. Those night games helped both the Monarchs and some of their rival clubs (who borrowed the lighting system) continue to operate through the leanest years of the Great Depression, with the contests surpassing even Sunday matinees in popularity. Kansas City frequently toured the Midwest, West and even Canada, often alongside the House of David commune team, which helped to spread the team’s notoriety far and wide. The Monarchs were a charter member of the newly formed Negro American League in ‘37 and immediately became a power there, too. It was at the start of this run that Kansas City acquired superstar pitcher Satchel Paige, who recovered from what many believed was a career-ending arm injury to become the Monarchs’ top drawing card in the early 1940s.

Kansas City produced more future Major League stars -- including Jackie Robinson and Ernie Banks -- than any other Negro League club, while also showcasing huge stars like Paige, Hilton Smith and Bullet Rogan in times when Black players were kept out of the all-white Majors. First baseman and manager Buck O’Neil also became the first Black coach in the big leagues, and also served as a scout and Negro Leagues ambassador for many years. The Monarchs continued to barnstorm for several years after the Negro Leagues dissolved, remaining in operation into the early 1960s.