The Monroe Monarchs were a professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
team based in
Monroe, Louisiana, which played in the
Negro leagues
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
from the late 1920s to about 1935, mostly as a minor league team loosely associated with the
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 19 ...
. The team was created by
Fred Stovall, a Texan oil drilling millionaire, who later financed the
Negro Southern League. In the 1930s, a time of acute
segregation Segregation may refer to:
Separation of people
* Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space
* School segregation
* Housing segregation
* Racial segregation, separation of humans ...
in most of the U.S., the team's games were watched by crowds of black and white people alike.
Hall of Famer
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Hilton Smith
Hilton Lee Smith (February 27, 1907 – November 18, 1983) was an American right-handed pitcher in Negro league baseball. He pitched alongside Satchel Paige for the Kansas City Monarchs between 1932 and 1948. He was inducted into the National B ...
played for the team.
History
When the team first formed it played in the semi-pro Dixie League until Stovall formed the Negro Southern League, with four other teams in 1932. The NSL is considered a major league that year, since it was the only organized league to complete the 1932 season. The Monarchs finished with a 26–22 record in their only season they were considered a major league team, and did not qualify for any post-season play-off.
The team played in
Casino Park in Monroe, at what became 29th and Hope. It was 360 feet (110 metres) in left, 450 feet (138 metres) in center and 330 feet (102 metres) in right. Built on Stovall's plantation, the park and its associated recreational facilities (including a swimming pool and a dance pavilion) were considered some of the finest in the league.
Stovall accommodated the players in houses on his plantation, provided a cook to prepare their meals, and bought three brand-new
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
cars in 1932 for the team's travel.
The team disbanded soon after 1935 and in 1937 Casino Park was leased to a local white team—the
Monroe Twins who became the
Monroe White Sox The Monroe White Sox were a Cotton States League baseball team based in Monroe, Louisiana, United States that existed from 1938 to 1941. They were affiliated with the Dallas Steers in 1938 and the Dallas Rebels in 1939. They played their home gam ...
in 1938—who played in the
Cotton States League
The Cotton States League''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: The Official Record of Minor League Baseball'' – Lloyd Johnson, Steve McDonald, Miles Wolff (editors). Publisher: Baseball America, 1997. Format: Paperback, 672pp. Language: Englis ...
.
Historical marker
In the summer of 2010, the Monroe Monarchs Field was opened to the public in Monroe, Louisiana. At the opening, the Monroe Monarchs Historical Foundation, founded in 2006 by native Monroyans Scott Greer and Jeffrey Newman, unveiled a historical marker dedicated to the former Negro league team.
Notable alumni
Baseball Hall of Famers
Notable alumni
*
Barney "Big" Morris
*
Red Parnell
See also
*
List of Negro league baseball teams
Notes
References
*'Interview with Marlin Carter', ''Black Ball News'' (1993) cited a
'Team History', ''Monroe Monarchs Historical Foundation'' (2005) Retrieved July 24, 2005.
*Letlow, Paul J. cited a
Retrieved July 24, 2005.
*Loverro, Thom; Fields, Wilmer. ''Encyclopedia of Negro League Baseball''
*Lowry, Philip J. ''Green Cathedrals
*O'Neil, John. ''Catching Dream: My Life in the Negro Baseball Leagues''
*Peterson, Robert W. ''Only The Ball Was White'', (New York: Prentice-Hall Englewood-Cliffs, 1970)
External links
{{Negro League teams, Majorleague
Negro league baseball teams
Professional baseball teams in Louisiana
Sports teams in Monroe, Louisiana
Defunct baseball teams in Louisiana
Baseball teams disestablished in 1932
Baseball teams established in 1932
1932 establishments in Louisiana
1932 disestablishments in Louisiana