The American Negro League (ANL) was one of several

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 ...

established during the period in the United States in which organized baseball was segregated. The ANL operated on the

East Coast of the United States The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

in 1929.

History

The Eastern Colored League (ECL) had been the eastern of two major

Negro league 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 ...

s from 1923 through 1927 until its collapse during the 1928 season. Next winter the American Negro League was established by five former ECL teams—the Bacharach Giants of Atlantic City, the Baltimore Black Sox, the traveling Cuban Stars, the Hilldale Club of Darby, Pennsylvania, and the Lincoln Giants of New York City—along with the Homestead Grays, an important independent club.

1929 season

:''Annual final standings: 1929 The ANL operated a split season: first half and second-half schedules with a planned playoff for a pennant in a post-season series between the two winners. The Baltimore Black Sox, led by player-manager Dick Lundy and Hall of Fame first baseman

Jud Wilson Ernest Judson Wilson (February 28, 1894 – June 24, 1963), nicknamed "Boojum", was an American third baseman, first baseman, and manager in Negro league baseball. He played for the Baltimore Black Sox, the Homestead Grays, and the Philadelphia S ...

, won both halves and they were awarded the pennant without a playoff.

Demise

The league did not organize for the 1930 season, and it would not be until 1933 that an eastern Negro league would last for a full season. Beside the downward economic spiral, bitter controversy in Baltimore and Philadelphia, about the local clubs continuing reliance on white umpires, may have been fatal to the league.Lanctot, 198–201.

Statistics

The ANL made a conscientious effort, unusual for the Negro leagues, to compile statistics for the league's players. These were published at season's end in the '' Pittsburgh Courier''.

References

Sources

* *Loverro, Thom. ''The Encyclopedia of Negro League Baseball''. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 2003. . Negro baseball leagues African-American sports history Defunct baseball leagues in the United States 1929 establishments in the United States 1929 disestablishments in the United States {{negro-league-baseball-stub