They became full members of the league in 1925. The Birmingham Black Barons The Birmingham Black Barons were organized in 1920 as the Birmingham Stars, one of the first eight teams of the Negro Southern League. The Official Site of the Birmingham Barons. Only in the past several years have the careers of these athletes been salvaged from anonymity, their feats on the base paths finally being put down on paper for future generations. Four of the Birmingham players from those years, Mays, Wilson, Jehosia Heard, and Bill Greason played in the majors following integration. "Your uniform was about the best thing you had," recalled former Birmingham Baron Nat Pollard. The Birmingham Black Barons were a professional baseball team that was active in the Negro Leagues. The Black Barons won the Negro American League pennant in 1943, 1944, and 1948, but lost the Negro League World Series both season. Birmingham lost the series, 4-1, but more importantly, the diminished number of fans and small profits clearly spelled out the end of the league was near and simply a matter of time. window.omnisend = window.omnisend || []; Birmingham Black Barons Except for 1926, when they played in the Negro Southern League, the Black Barons were members of the Negro National League from 1924 through 1930; and except for 1939, they were members of the Negro American League from 1937 through 1950. Several members of the Black Barons during the 1920s had careers that led to their induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It has no adjusting strap...and yet, only two sizes fit 98% of all people in the U.S.!It is fashioned from pro quality material and features a vintage Black Barons logo embroidered on wool athletic … The Black Barons formed the cornerstone of professional Negro baseball in the South for more than 30 years. In addition to the thrill of the game, jitterbug contests, beauty pageants, and visiting celebrities like Lena Horne and Lionel Hampton added a degree of excitement to the program and brought hundreds more to the park. History: In 1948, the Black Barons featured a precocious teenage outfielder named Willie Mays, who had already made a name for himself as a multi-sport star at Fairfield Industrial High School in nearby Fairfield, Alabama. Not only heroes on the diamond, these men were also an important part of the community that supported them, as they served as role models of success and professionalism. For questions regarding merchandise and order status please contact the Barons Merchandise Manager, David Lindsey at dlindsey@barons.com or by calling (205) 988-3200. From: To: Leagues: Record: 652 - 719 - 25 (.476) 3 League Championships . Birmingham Black Barons. Winning over 2,000 of the estimated 2,500 games he pitched in, Leroy "Satchel" Paige is arguably the greatest pitcher of all-time. Mays started his baseball career as a teenager with the Negro American League champion Birmingham Black Barons in 1948. Arising from Birmingham's active industrial leagues, in 1920 the club became a charter franchise in the Negro South League. When manager Piper Davis penciled in his name on his lineup card as the left fielder and seventh-place batter for the Black Barons, the future superstar was a seventeen-year old high school student. That same year, Rube Foster organized the Negro National League. By the early 1960s, they were essentially a barnstorming team. Lorenzo "Piper" Davis played in the game four years straight while shortstop Artie Wilson played in four contests. This Birmingham Black Barons cap looks like a custom-fitted cap. Greason, now 96, reminiscing of the days when he played for the Birmingham Black Barons which is a part of the Negro League. ", For over 40 years, the Black Barons were "the jewel of Southern black baseball" and an integral part of the African-American community that developed in Birmingham in the wake of segregation. !function(){var e=document.createElement("script");e.type="text/javascript",e.async=!0,e.src="https://omnisrc.com/inshop/launcher-v2.js";var t=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];t.parentNode.insertBefore(e,t)}(); The Birmingham Black Barons were organized in 1920 as the Birmingham Stars, one of the first eight teams of the Negro Southern League. When Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 breaking baseball's color barrier, the hard-fought goal of the Negro Leagues was finally realized. Today, the legacy of the Black Barons can be seen in every ballpark in America, where the game they devoted so much of their lives to is open to all and can truly be considered our "National Pastime.". He still remembers the huge crowds that came to watch the Negro League games. In 1920, the Black Barons became charter members of the Negro Southern League, an eight-member circuit that loosely mirrored the all-white Southern Association, sharing both their ballparks and minor-league status. The park was built by A. H. Birmingham Black Barrons Negro Leagues 1/4 Zip Short Sleeve Shadow Ball XL. Their most famous player during this era was Charley Pride, a talented player who became better known as a country music singer. And now our fan webstore is glad to offer you a variety of Birmingham Black Barons hats. You looked good and the people were out there to see you, and that's what made you want to play. Frank Perdue paid … Photos via Birmingham Public Library Archives & Manuscripts. Courtesy of Birmingham Public Library Archives. One of their managers during this period, Willie Wells, is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame outfielders Mule Suttles and Willie Mays played for the Barons from 1923 to 1925 and from 1948 to 1950, respectively. Black Barons The Birmingham Black Barons were organized in 1920 as the Birmingham Stars, one of the first eight teams of the Negro Southern League. Early Years Many consider the Birmingham Black Barons to be the most successful of the Southern Negro League baseball teams. The team played their home games at Rickwood Field. Frank Perdue paid $200 for the rights to be the first owner of the new team. The 1946 Birmingham Black Barons included Negro American League stars Piper Davis, Artie Wilson, and Lester Lockett. Your team store allows you to customize clothing and face masks for every type of Birmingham Black Barons Baseball fan. Top Hitter Roy Parnell. Barred from organized baseball by an unwritten, but universal, policy of racial discrimination, the Black Barons and the other teams of the Negro Leagues gave an opportunity to play to those who were otherwise excluded from the game. In 1939, the Black Barons were purchased by a Memphis undertaker named Tom Hayes, and over the next decade the greatest teams in the franchise's history emerged. omnisend.push(["track", "$pageViewed"]); Sanders traded that broomstick for a bat – and later played in the Negro League for the Birmingham Black Barons, the New Orleans Bears and several other teams. Paige is considered by many to be the best pitcher in baseball history. The Negro Southern League Museum is open, but with restrictions, due to COVID-19. Winning three pennants in 1940, 1945, and 1948, and producing another future star, Willie Mays, the Black Barons enjoyed success in a time when other Negro League franchises were folding. The Birmingham Barons are the Double-A Minor League Baseball Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Based out of Rickwood Field in Birmingham, the team organized in 1920, the same year Rube Foster organized the Negro National League, and entered the Negro Southern League. All Rights Reserved. BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Long before Major League Baseball broke its color barrier, there was another professional league for black ball players, the Negro League. Birmingham Black Barons, 1946 From the 1920s to the 1940s, the Birmingham Black Barons were among the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues, featuring such all-time greats as Leroy "Satchel" Paige, Lorenzo "Piper" Davis, and Willie Mays. The Birmingham Black Barons (originally the Birmingham Stars) played professional baseball for Birmingham in the Negro Leagues from 1919 to 1960 when the Major Leagues successfully integrated. Many of the baseball greats got their start in Birmingham with the Birmingham Black Barons. "And you thought you were something when you had it on. Regardless, their baseball legacy continues. Frank Perdue of the Birmingham Black Barons was voted the league’s first president. At Chicago's Comiskey Park, the annual Negro League East-West All-Star game saw 12 different Black Barons between 1940 and 1950. Before that, he was a member of the Montford Point Marines, America’s first group of African Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. These included Reese “Goose” Tatum, who became known as the “Clown Prince of Basketball.”. The team played their home games at Rickwood Field. Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are the property of Minor League Baseball. The Birmingham Black Barons, one of the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues, played from the 1920s until the 1950s. The team lost the 1946 Negro League World Series to the Cleveland Buckeyes. MiLBstore.com sells official merchandise on behalf of the Birmingham Barons and all other Minor League Baseball clubs in an effort to offer you the most extensive online selection of team apparel, including jerseys, hats, t-shirts, an array of novelty and collectible items and much more. It was during these years, the team saw some of its greatest players pass through on their way to stardom, the most notable being a tall, lanky pitcher from Mobile who called himself "Satchel". That same year, Rube Foster organized the Negro National League. While details are sketchy, the 1962 season appears to be their last year as a team in Birmingham. Once the team joined the Negro National League that same year, they became the Black Barons—a reference to Birmingham’s white team, the Birmingham Barons. The Birmingham Black Barons, one of the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues, played from the 1920's until the 1950's. Suttles hit 127 known home runs in Negro League competition, a number that may make him the League’s all-time home run king. The team was able to get back to the big-time Negro League in the 1940s under co-owners Tom Hayes and Abe Saperstein. Game days were an important event in the city's black community, and according to both players and fans, the Black Barons regularly outdrew their white counterparts. Built-in 1910, Rickwood Field stands today as the nation's oldest baseball park. Over the next few years, their crowds grew increasingly smaller. They managed to gain fame and popularity among the fans by its members’ style of play. The Barons are considered by many as one of the most successful minor league teams in baseball. The Barons play in Regions Park, located in Hoover, Alabama; the park seats 10,800 fans. The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The heart and acknowledged leader of those strong Black Baron teams was Lorenzo Davis. The Stars nickname was quickly discarded, and the team became the known as the Black Barons – a reference to the name of the white team in the city. In 1948, the Black Barons and the Homestead Grays met in the last Negro League World Series, playing in Rickwood and other Southern parks in hopes of drawing large crowds. Their most famous player during these years was a youngster named Willie Mays who would become a household name and Hall of Fame player with the New York Giants. Those were pitcher Bill Foster, the legendary Leroy “Satchel” Paige, and George “Mules” Suttles. The Birmingham Black Barons played from 1920 to 1960 in the diverse Negro Leagues. The Black Barons played their last season in 1963, quickly fading away into obscurity against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. This database is a keyword index to articles that appeared in local newspapers including the Birmingham News , the Birmingham World and the Birmingham Reporter . He ended up on Iwo Jima. Leaders. The nickname that stuck with him throughout his career, “Piper”, came from the coal mining town near Birmingham where he was born on July 3, 1917; Piper, Alabama. That same year, Rube Foster organized the Negro National League. Whether you’re a current student, parent, player, fan or alumni, you’ll find over 500 products to customize from, including Birmingham Black Barons Frequent road trips took the team throughout the South, Midwest, and North, playing from town to town all the way to their final destination. In 1923, the Black Barons became associate members of the Negro National League under new owner Joe Rush. Joining the Black Barons in 1928, Paige quickly became a Birmingham favorite, although his now-legendary control was still far from perfect. Birmingham Black Barons The Birmingham Black Barons played in Rickwood Field for over two decades. The Birmingham Barons Official Store is located at 1401 1st Ave S. Birmingham, AL, 35233. $74.99 +$8.00 shipping. For over 40 years, the Black Barons were "the jewel of Southern black baseball" and an integral part of the African-American community that developed in Birmingham in the wake of segregation. They played their home games at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Make Offer - Birmingham Black Barons Shirt XXL Negro League Baseball Urban Hip Hop Streetwear. The Birmingham Black Barons was a professional baseball team active in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1960. Birmingham Black Barons Shirt XXL Negro League Baseball Urban Hip Hop Streetwear. The first Black Barons team emerged in the years following World War I, and may have been an ACIPCO team that defected to create the professional franchise. The success of baseball’s integration led to the gradual decline of the Birmingham Black Barons. In 1923, the team became an associate member of the Negro National League. This database is a keyword index to articles that appeared in local newspapers including the Birmingham News and the Birmingham World. Birmingham Black Barons. © Copyright 2021 Negro Southern League Museum Accessibility. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club. Financial pressures from the Great Depression caused the Black Barons to drop back to the Negro Southern League in 1931. Birmingham Black Barons, 1946. Wilson played for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League from 1942 to 1948, where he was considered the league's best shortstop, and was named the starting shortstop of the league All-Star team four times from 1944 to 1948 (missing out only in 1945, when he was beaten out by Jackie Robinson, shortly before he broke the baseball color line in 1947). Yet his speed, combined with his natural sense of showmanship, made Satchel the club's top drawing card. Top Pitcher Harry Salmon. Home games, however, only represented half of the Black Barons' busy schedule. $35.69 Mays joined the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948, playing with them until he was signed by the Giants once he graduated high school in 1950. He played for the Black Barons through the end of the 1930 season and then, like so many other promising players in the South, he left for the wealthier, more profitable franchises of the North. In 1920, the Birmingham Stars formed as one of the eight original teams in the Negro Southern League. If you have any questions regarding Negro Leagues statistical or biographical data, please contact gary@seamheads.com.. Three years later, Birmingham was given its first opportunity for a major-league franchise by the Negro National League, the highest level of black baseball in American and the home of the Barons for the remainder of the decade. They alternated home stands with the Birmingham Barons in West End 's Rickwood Field, usually drawing larger crowds and equal press. The Black Barons played their home games at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Saperstein also owned the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, and some Black Barons earned extra money by playing basketball during the off-season. From the 1920s to the 1940s, the team was among the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues. Like most Negro League teams, the Black Barons did not have a ballpark of their own, but instead rented Rickwood Field from the white Barons, using the park on Sundays or during the Barons' road trips. omnisend.push(["accountID", "5e78e4ea99f0b7499fcf9ea9"]); The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips. The Birmingham Black Barons won three Negro American League (NAL) pennants in the 1940s. 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