Negro Southern League (1920–1936)

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Negro Southern League
ClassificationMinor league
SportNegro league baseball
Founded1920
Ceased1936
No. of teams6-8 per season (~44 total)
CountryUnited States
Most titlesNashville Elite Giants (4) Birmingham Black Barons (3)
Notes
  • 1932 is considered the only year of "major league" status
  • League did not organize for the 1924–25, 28, or 1930 seasons

The Negro Southern League (NSL) was one of the several Negro baseball leagues created during the time organized baseball was segregated. The NSL was organized as a minor league in 1920 and lasted until 1936. It was considered a major league for the 1932 season and it was also the only organized league to finish its full schedule that season (primarily due to the Great Depression). Prior to the season, several established teams joined the NSL, mainly from the collapsed Negro National League.

League history[edit]

Founding[edit]

The Negro Southern League was a Negro baseball league organized by Tom Wilson in 1920[1] as a minor league. Leagues in the depression-era Southern United States were far less organized and lucrative than those in the north, owing to a smaller population base and a lower standard of living. The NSL operated on an irregular basis as each season's schedule was depended upon the availability of the more prominent team owners who were quick to seek more profitable avenues whenever possible.

Hiatuses[edit]

The NSL did not organize a schedule for the 1924,[2]: 3  1925[2]: 3  or 1928[2]: 5  seasons due to the Birmingham Black Barons and Memphis Red Sox participating in the Negro National League those years. The remaining NSL teams all played independent schedules those years. The 1929 season was poorly attended and teams struggled to complete their schedules; Birmingham and Memphis did not participate. For the 1930 season, the Nashville Elite Giants and Louisville Black Caps left for the NNL; this, and the continued absence of Birmingham and Memphis, led to the 1930 season being scrapped.[2]: 6  The remaining NSL teams played independent schedules that year, while the New Orleans Caulfield Ads moved to the Texas–Louisiana League.

Level of play[edit]

For most of its existence, the NSL was considered a minor league, with some teams providing talent to more profitable Negro league teams. The most notable example is the Monroe Monarchs acting as a farm team for the Kansas City Monarchs.

The Negro National League collapsed for good after the 1931 season and many players (and two teams) migrated to the NSL. The Great Depression had decimated the profits of most Negro league teams and only a few organized Negro leagues survived; the newly formed East-West League also folded in mid-1932. The NSL was considered the highest quality surviving league and it therefore became the de facto major league for the 1932 season. The NSL was the only organized league to complete their full schedule.

With the creation of a new Negro National League in 1933, many players and some teams left the NSL and it slipped back into being regarded as having minor league status.

Legacy[edit]

When the NSL collapsed for the last time after the 1936 season, some of its member teams folded as well, but a handful of the teams continued on. The Nashville Elite Giants excelled in the new Negro National League for years, while the Memphis Red Sox and Birmingham Black Barons excelled in the Negro American League, which was newly organized in time for the 1937 season and absorbed some NSL teams when the league collapsed.

On the eve of integration in 1945, a new minor Negro league was organized with teams in the South; it assumed the name of the old league and also called itself the Negro Southern League. This second NSL lasted until 1951.

Negro Southern League franchises[edit]

Eight franchises competed in what many consider the first "minor league" season in 1920.[3]: 146  They were the Montgomery Grey Sox, Atlanta Black Crackers, New Orleans Caulfield Ads, Knoxville Giants, Birmingham Black Barons, Nashville White Sox, Pensacola Giants and Jacksonville Stars. Below is a list of teams that competed in the Negro Southern League.

Negro Southern League (1920–1923, 1926–1927, 1929, 1931–1936)
Team Years in league Notes
Knoxville Giants 1920–1922, 1931–1932 • Only played in 2nd half of 1932 season and just as an associate team
Montgomery Grey Sox 1920–1922, 1926,
1931–1933, 1935–36		 • Also known as Gray Sox
• Replaced Monroe Monarchs during 1st half of 1933
Atlanta Black Crackers 1920–21, 1926–27,
1929, 1932, 1935–36		 • Alternately called Cubs 1st half of 1926
• Called Grey Sox 1929
Birmingham Black Barons 1920–21, 1923, 1926,
1931–32, 1934–1936		 • Only played in 1st half of 1932 season
New Orleans Caulfield Ads 1920–1922, 1926,
1929, 1935		 • Also called Black Pelicans 1st half of 1926
• Only played 1st half of 1922 season
Jacksonville Stars 1920
Pensacola Giants 1920
Nashville Elite Giants 1921–1923, 1926–27,
1929, 1931–32
Nashville White Sox 1920 • Possibly same franchise as or related to Elite Giants
Chattanooga Tigers 1921–22
Chattanooga 1920 • Associate team only
• Possibly same franchise as or related to Tigers
Louisville 1920 • Associate team only
Memphis Red Sox 1920–1923, 1926, 1931–1936 • Associate team 1920
Bessemer (AL) Stars 1921 • Only played in 1st half of season
Gadsden (AL) Giants 1921 • Only played in 1st half of season
Mobile Braves 1921 • Only played in 1st half of season
New Orleans Crescent Stars 1922–23, 1933–34 • Replaced Caulfield Ads for 2nd half of 1922 season
Louisville Stars 1922 • Also called White Sox
Albany (GA) Giants 1926
Chattanooga Black Lookouts 1926–27, 1929,
1931, 1935–36		 • Called White Sox for 1st half of 1926 season
• Called Black Cats for 1929 season
Evansville Reichert Giants 1927, 1929 • Called Evansville Louis Reichert Giants 1927
Bessemer (AL) Grey Sox 1927
Hopkinsville (KY) Athletics 1927, 1936 • The 1927 and 1936 teams are possibly separate teams
• Only played 1st half of 1936 season
Jackson (TN) Cubs 1927
Louisville Black Caps 1929, 1932 • Also called Black Cats 1929
• Disbanded mid-season 1932
Atlanta Panthers 1931 • Only played in 2nd half of season
Columbus Turfs 1932 • Replaced Louisville Black Caps for 2nd half of season
Cole's American Giants 1932
Monroe Monarchs 1932–1934 • Only played 1st half of 1933 season
Little Rock Grays 1932
Little Rock Black Travelers 1931 • Dropped out before end of 1931 season
Indianapolis ABCs 1932
Cleveland Cubs 1932
Lexington (KY) Hard Hitters 1932 • Replaced Birmingham Black Barons during 1st half of season
Kansas City Monarchs 1932 • Associate team only
Alcoa Aluminum Sluggers 1932 • Only played in 2nd half of season and just as an associate team
Shreveport Cubs 1933
Algiers (LA) Giants 1933
Little Rock Stars 1933
Jackson (TN) Senators 1933 • Also called Bear Cats
• Only played 1st half of season
Alexandria (LA) Lincoln Giants 1933
Pine Bluff (AR) Boosters 1933 • Replaced Jackson Senators for 2nd half of season
Cincinnati Tigers 1934, 1936
Atlanta Athletics 1934
Claybrook (AR) Tigers 1935
Louisville Caps 1934 • Also called Black Sox
Nashville Black Vols 1936 • Also called Elite Giants
  • Note: An "associate team" is one who is not a member of the league, but games played against them by league teams count in the league standings.

1932: Major league status[edit]

Eight franchises competed in the league in 1932,[3]: 292  the sole season the Negro Southern League was considered a major Negro league:

Member timeline[edit]

Below is a timeline of teams that played more than one season in the NSL:

  • 1920 – Formation of NSL consisting of 8 teams: Montgomery Grey Sox, Atlanta Black Crackers, New Orleans Caulfield Ads, Knoxville Giants, Birmingham Black Barons, Nashville White Sox, Pensacola Giants and Jacksonville Stars.
  • 1921 – Dropped: Nashville White Sox, Pensacola Giants and Jacksonville Stars; Added: Nashville Elite Giants, Memphis Red Sox and Chattanooga Tigers.
  • 1922 – Dropped: Atlanta Black Crackers, Birmingham Black Barons and New Orleans Caulfield Ads (mid-June); Added: Louisville Stars and New Orleans Crescent Stars (mid-June).
  • 1923 – Dropped: Knoxville Giants, Louisville Stars, Montgomery Grey Sox and Chattanooga Tigers; Added: Birmingham Black Barons.
  • (1924) – no schedule played
  • (1925) – no schedule played
  • 1926 – Dropped: New Orleans Crescent Stars; Added: New Orleans Caulfield Ads, Albany Giants, Montgomery Grey Sox, Atlanta Black Crackers and Chattanooga Black Lookouts.
  • 1927 – Dropped: Birmingham Black Barons, Memphis Red Sox, Albany Giants, Montgomery Grey Sox and New Orleans Caulfield Ads; Added: Evansville Louis Reichert Giants, Bessemer Grey Sox, Hopkinsville Athletics and Jackson Cubs.
  • (1928) – no schedule played
  • 1929 – Dropped: Bessemer Grey Sox, Hopkinsville Athletics and Jackson Cubs; Added: Louisville Black Caps and New Orleans Caulfield Ads.
  • (1930) – no schedule played
  • 1931 – Dropped: Evansville Louis Reichert Giants, Atlanta Black Crackers, Louisville Black Caps and New Orleans Caulfield Ads; Added: Birmingham Black Barons, Memphis Red Sox, Knoxville Giants and Montgomery Grey Sox.
  • 1932 – Dropped: Chattanooga Black Lookouts and Knoxville Giants; Added: Cole's American Giants, Monroe Monarchs, Little Rock Grays, Louisville Black Caps, Indianapolis ABC's, Atlanta Black Crackers and Cleveland Cubs.
  • 1933 – Dropped: Cole's American Giants, Nashville Elite Giants, Little Rock Grays, Louisville Black Caps, Indianapolis ABC's, Birmingham Black Barons, Atlanta Black Crackers and Cleveland Cubs; Added: Little Rock Stars, New Orleans Crescent Stars, Shreveport Cubs, Algiers Giants, Jackson Senators and Alexandria Lincoln Giants.
  • 1934 – Dropped: Little Rock Stars, Shreveport Cubs, Algiers Giants, Jackson Senators and Alexandria Lincoln Giants; Added: Cincinnati Tigers, Birmingham Black Barons and Louisville Caps.
  • 1935 – Dropped: Monroe Monarchs, Louisville Caps, Cincinnati Tigers and New Orleans Crescent Stars; Added: Claybrook Tigers, New Orleans Caulfield Ads, Atlanta Black Crackers, Chattanooga Black Lookouts and Montgomery Grey Sox.
  • 1936 – Dropped: Claybrook Tigers and New Orleans Caulfield Ads; Added: Cincinnati Tigers, Nashville Black Vols and Hopkinsville Athletics. League fell apart before second-half ended.

League champions[edit]

Most seasons were split in halves, with the winner of the first half of the season playing the winner of the second half of the season in a formal league play-off that decided the Pennant winner. For some years it is unclear if a split season was played and if the second half schedule was completed. In the below list, the first half winner is noted with a raised "1" and the second half winner is noted with a raised "2".

Notes
  1. ^ Disputed by Nashville White Sox
  2. ^ 1st half only, no 2nd half, season ended
  3. ^ 1st half only, no 2nd half, season ended (Nashville Elite Giants were also recognized as winning the 1st half)
  4. ^ 1st half only, no 2nd half, season ended
  5. ^ Disputed by Monroe Monarchs
  6. ^ No 2nd half standings have been found, but since Claybrook took place in the end-of-season play-off, they are assumed to have been the 2nd half champions.

Negro Dixie Series[edit]

The Negro Dixie Series was an informal "championship" series between a top NSL team and the champion of one of the various Texas-based Negro leagues. Oddly, the NSL participant was usually not the league champion.

After the completion of the 1933 Negro Dixie Series, the Chicago American Giants challenged the Crescent Stars to a "self-proclaimed" Negro World Series. The American Giants had their claim to the NNL first-half title dismissed by the league president, who also happened to be the owner of the team who did claim the first-half title (Pittsburgh Crawfords). In response, Chicago held their own championship series, and defeated the Crescent Stars, 5 games to 1.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mills, P. (2003). "Negro League Baseball Dot Com - Historical Timeline Of Negro League Baseball". Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  2. ^ a b c d "Negro Southern League Standings" (PDF). Negro Southern League Museum Research Center. Center for Negro League Baseball Research. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Holway, John (2001). The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History. Fern Park, Florida: Hastings House Publishers. ISBN 0-8038-2007-0.
  4. ^ ""Play-Off Championship" Series (1930-1939)" (PDF). Center for Negro League Baseball Research. Archived (pdf) from the original on March 15, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2017.

External links[edit]

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