Kansas City Monarchs

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Negro Leagues we honor the Kansas City Monarchs and a few of the famous faces that played in Kansas City.

African-Americans began to play baseball in the late 1800s on military teams, college teams, and company teams. The black players formed their own units, “barnstorming” around the country to play anyone who would challenge them.

In 1920, an organized league structure was formed in a meeting held at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, Mo., Midwestern team owners joined to form the Negro National League. Soon, rival leagues formed in Eastern and Southern states, bringing the thrills and innovative play of black baseball to major urban centers and rural country sides in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. The Leagues maintained a high level of professional skill and became centerpieces for economic development in many black communities.

For more information on the Negros Leagues visit https://nlbm.com/