This List of Negro league baseball champions includes champions of black baseball prior to the organization of any traditional Negro league and goes through to the collapse of segregated baseball after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line in 1946. Champions include self-declared, regional and (later) league champions, but is limited to top-tier teams and major Negro leagues. The champions listed after 1948 through the 1950s are listed for posterity, but the quality of play had deteriorated so far as to only incidentally be covered by contemporary media or historians.
1867–1891: Era of amateur and semi-pro teams
During the formative years of black baseball, most Negro teams toured the US playing white or mixed-race teams of an amateur or semi-pro standing. There was little to no collaboration between black teams, and few if any scheduled meetings. Therefore, during this era, it was usually up to an individual team (or newspaper writer) to declare themselves the black champion and see if anyone challenged them.
Year Champion Games Runner-up Ref 1867 Philadelphia Excelsiors 1-0 Brooklyn Uniques 1868 — — 1869 Philadelphia Pythians 1-0 Chicago Uniques 1870–86 — — 1887 New York Gorhams 1-0 Cuban Giants 1888 Cuban Giants tourn.* Pittsburgh Keystones 1889 New York Gorhams 2–0 Cuban Giants 1890–91 — — Notes: * — 1888 Four teams were selected by the Cuban Giants' owner to participate in a tournament to select a "Colored Champion"; the New York Gorhams finished third and the Norfolk Red Stockings finished fourth.
1892–1894: First crisis for organized black teams
There were no championships claimed during this period.
Beginning around 1890, political and economic turmoil—eventually leading to the Panic of 1893—took a toll on the bottom line of each Negro team. Every significant Negro team, except for two, ceased operations entirely. Only one team, the Chicago Unions, managed to survive the crisis intact; while the Cuban Giants suspended play at the end of 1891 but reformed for the 1893 season.
1895–1919: Era of independent barnstorming teams
Segregated baseball leagues, both black and white, started to appear around this time. Starting in 1887, the International League began prohibiting the signing of black players. By 1890, the last of the "white" leagues (the American Association and the National League) had unofficially banned blacks, and the color line was drawn. Early on, due to social and lingering fiscal reasons, there was minimal interest and press coverage regarding black teams, so champions were not easily determined. After the economic crisis had subsided around 1897, black teams began actively competing against other black teams for local or regional championships.
Western-region champions Eastern-region champions Year Lg Champion Games Runner-up Ref Year Lg Champion Games Runner-up Ref 1895 — — — 1895 — — — 1896 — — — 1896 — Page Fence Giants 10–5 Cuban X-Giants 1897 — — — 1897 — Cuban X-Giants 2–1 Genuine Cuban Giants 1898 — — — 1898 — — — 1899 —
— Chicago UnionsThe X-Giants initially played the Unions for the championship; during the series, Columbia stepped up and issued challenges to the Unions for the Western championship and the X-Giants for the Colored championship.
Chicago Columbia Giants β
5–0
Chicago Unions 1899 — CUBAN X-GIANTS β 1900a
1900b — CHICAGO UNIONS
CHICAGO COLUMBIA GIANTS β
β 1900a
1900b — Cuban X-Giants
Genuine Cuban Giants β
β 1901 — — — 1901 — — — 1902 — — — 1902 — — — 1903 — Algona Brownies ?–? Chicago Union Giants 1903 — Cuban X-Giants 5–2 Philadelphia Giants 1904 — — — 1904 — Philadelphia Giants 2–1 Cuban X-Giants 1905 — — — 1905 — Philadelphia Giants 3–0 Brooklyn Royal Giants 1906 — — — 1906 — Philadelphia Giants 5–0 Cuban X-Giants 1907 — — — 1907 — — — 1908 — CHICAGO LELAND GIANTS β 1908 — PHILADELPHIA GIANTS β 1909 — Chicago Leland Giants β* 1909 — PHILADELPHIA GIANTS β 1910 — Chicago Leland Giants (II) β 1910 — Cuban Stars of Havana § 1911 — Chicago American Giants § 1911 — Cuban Stars of Havana § 1912 — Chicago American Giants § 1912 — New York Lincoln Giants § 1913 — Chicago American Giants β 1913 — NEW YORK LINCOLN GIANTS β 1914 — Chicago American Giants § 1914 — — 1915 — Chicago American Giants β 1915 — NEW YORK LINCOLN STARS β 1916 — Indianapolis ABCs 4–1 Chicago American Giants 1916 — — 1917 — CHICAGO AMERICAN GIANTS β 1917 — New York Lincoln Stars β 1918 — Chicago American Giants β 1918 — New York Lincoln Giants β 1919 — Detroit Stars β 1919 — AC Bacharach Giants 9–5 Hilldale
β — Self-declared champion or unchallenged § — Unofficial champion derived from estimates of the known won-loss records; no team claimed or was awarded a championship in these years due mainly to the organized schedule being abandoned for financial reasons and the team listed is only a generalization * — Disputed. Chicago won the "Chicago City League" tournament but the Kansas City Giants and St. Paul Gophers had both beaten Chicago and both claimed to be the "Champions of the West".
Notes:
Colored champions The championships during this period were informal as the post-season challenges were issued by the individual teams.
Year Region Champion Games Region Runner-up Ref 1899a
1899b East
East Cuban X-Giants
Cuban X-Giants 9–5
7–4 West
West Chicago Unions
Chicago Columbia Giants 1900a
1900b West
West Chicago Unions
Columbia Giants ?–?
?–? East
East Cuban X-Giants
Genuine Cuban Giants 1908 WestEast Chicago Leland GiantsPhiladelphia Giants 3–3(tie) 1909 East Philadelphia Giants 3–1 West Chicago Leland Giants 1910 West Chicago Leland Giants (II) β 1913 East New York Lincoln Giants 7–4–1 West Chicago American Giants 1915 East New York Lincoln Stars* 4–4–1(tie) West Chicago American Giants 1917 West Chicago American Giants 4–3 East New York Lincoln Stars Notes: a,b — The X-Giants initially played the Unions for the championship; during the series, Columbia stepped up and issued challenges to the Unions for the Western championship and the X-Giants for the Colored championship. * — 1915 Lincoln Stars were leading in the fourth inning of the ninth and deciding game when the game was called and never completed; the Stars then beat the second place Indianapolis ABCs 4 games to 2 and claimed the colored championship for 1915.
1920–1931: First endeavor of organized league play
With the emergence of the hard-fisted leadership of former pitcher Rube Foster, playing a formal scheduled season between other black teams became reality. Foster, known for his business acumen, recognized that attendance was just high enough so that a reasonable profit can be derived from gate receipts to sustain the travel and commitment required to maintain a league schedule. This led to the formation of a handful of official Negro leagues, and later to a planned end-of-season World Series.
Western-region champions Eastern-region champions Lg Champion Games Runner-up Ref Lg Champion Games Runner-up Ref 1920 NNL1 Chicago American Giants 1920 — Brooklyn Royal GiantsHilldale Club 1–1–2(tie) 1921 NNL1 Chicago American Giants 1921 — Bacharach GiantsHilldale Club 2–2(tie) 1922 NNL1 Chicago American Giants 1922 — Bacharach Giants of New York § 1923 NNL1 Kansas City Monarchs 1923 ECL Hilldale Club 1924 NNL1 KANSAS CITY MONARCHS 1924 ECL Hilldale Club 1925 NNL1 Kansas City Monarchs1 5–3 St. Louis Stars2 1925 ECL HILLDALE CLUB 1926 NNL1 CHICAGO AMERICAN GIANTS2 5–4 Kansas City Monarchs1 1926 ECL Bacharach Giants 1927 NNL1 CHICAGO AMERICAN GIANTS1 4–0 Birmingham Black Barons2 1927 ECL Bacharach Giants 1928 NNL1 St. Louis Stars1 5–4 Chicago American Giants2 1928 — Bacharach Giants § 1929 NNL1 Kansas City Monarchs1&2 1929 ANL Baltimore Black Sox1&2 1930 NNL1 St. Louis Stars1 4–3 Detroit Stars2 1930 — Homestead Grays 6–4 New York Lincoln Giants 1931 NNL1 St. Louis Stars1&2 1931 — Hilldale Daisies §
1 — First half champion 2 — Second half champion 1&2 — Both first and second half champion § — Unofficial champion derived from estimates of the known won-loss records; no team claimed or was awarded a championship in these years due mainly to the organized schedule being abandoned for financial reasons and the team listed is only a generalization
1921 — Southern Colored Champion: Nashville Elite Giants 4 games to 0 over Montgomery Grey Sox.
World champions
Beginning in 1924, the championships during this period were formal, pre-arranged post-season challenges agreed to by the respective leagues. The 1922 championship was an informal post-season challenge issued by the individual teams.
Lg Champion Games Lg Runner-up Ref 1924 NNL1 Kansas City Monarchs 5–4–1 ECL Hilldale Club 1925 ECL Hilldale Club 5–1 NNL1 Kansas City Monarchs 1926 NNL1 Chicago American Giants 5–4–2 ECL Bacharach Giants 1927 NNL1 Chicago American Giants 5–3–1 ECL Bacharach Giants Other post-season exhibitions: 1920 Chicago American Giants (NNL1) (1–1) defeated Bacharach Giants (East) (0–1–1) who tied Hilldale Club (East) (1–0–1) who defeated Chicago American Giants. 1921 Hilldale declared champs. Chicago American Giants (NNL1) 2–1–1 over Atlantic City Bacharach Giants; Hilldale 3–2–1 over Chicago American Giants. 1929 no World Series but third place Chicago American Giants (NNL1) swept third place Homestead Grays (ANL) in a five-game series. 1929 Kansas City Monarchs 4 games to 0 over Houston Black Buffaloes (TX-OK-LA League champ). 1931 billed as a championship series, second place Homestead Grays (East) took six of nine from second place Kansas City Monarchs (NNL1). 1931 Monroe Monarchs (TX-LA League) 4 games to 3 over Nashville Elite Giants (NSL).
Notes: 1923 no World Series due to NNL feud with ECL over player raids.
1932–1935: Second crisis and rebuilding
Crisis Several factors led to the collapse of league play beginning with the 1928 break up of Eastern Colored League and then the 1929 folding of the American Negro League. These leagues were constantly warring with the Negro National League regarding player raiding and contract disputes; this led to an instability that was incompatible with the weakening economy. That October saw the 1929 stock market crash, known as Black Tuesday, which was a sign of things to come. In 1930, the NNL collapsed (largely due to the death of Rube Foster) but the individual teams continued to play. The NNL regrouped for 1931, but again collapsed—this time for good and the teams were on their own. By 1932, the Great Depression had taken a severe toll on the entire country. Only a few organized Negro leagues survived and all of those were either a minor or semi-pro league. The Negro Southern League was considered the highest quality surviving league and many players (and two teams) migrated to it; it therefore became the de facto major league for the 1932 season.
Lg Champion Games Runner-up Ref 1932
1932 NSL
EWL* Cole's American Giants2
Detroit Wolves 5–3
§ Nashville Elite Giants1 * — The East-West League was unable to survive the low attendance due to the Depression and folded mid-season; the Detroit Wolves had the best record at the time the league ceased operations, though no official champion was ever declared. The Wolves later ended up going broke and also folding before the end of the season.
Rebuilding After the worst of the depression had passed, teams were again able to profit from playing a league schedule. At first, only a few team owners were able to put together enough investors to join a league; therefore, for the first time in black baseball, one league spanned both the eastern and western regions of the US. A new Negro National League was formed with both east and west teams.
+ East/West champions Lg Champion Games Runner-up Ref 1933 NNL2 Pittsburgh Crawfords2* 0–0–1(tie) Cole's American Giants1 1934 NNL2 Philadelphia Stars2 4–3–1 Chicago American Giants1 1935 NNL2 Pittsburgh Crawfords1 4–3 New York Cubans2