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Black History ➔ 1 Page, Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide, 1919, Grand Rapids Colored Athletics Team, Negro Baseball Leagues Archival Collection #113
Identifier:
2000.78.1Description:
Single page taken from book, with box scores of various teams, and featuring a photo with names and some stats for the Grand Rapids Colored Athletics semi-pro baseball team. Walter Coe, first African-American on G.R. police deprtment is in this photo.;There is relatively little that has survived to tell the story of segregated baseball teams in Grand Rapids. This page includes the names of players as well as a photograph of an early Grand Rapids 'Negro League' team. This will be used in the temporary exhibition 'Leagues of their Own', and may also be used for the permanent ethnic heritage exhibition.;Purchased via Ebay auction.Date:
1919Materials:
PaperDimensions:
6.25" h 4.5" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageSource:
Purchased With Funds From Friends Of The Public MuseumRelated Entities:
Spalding (creator)Alternate names: A. G. Spalding and Brothers
Spalding is an American sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago, Illinois in 1876. QRS Ventures Inc (donor) Negro League Baseball (is related to)
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 used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in 1920 that are sometimes termed "Negro Major Leagues".
In the late 19th century the baseball color line developed in professional baseball, excluding African Americans from league play. In 1885, the Cuban Giants formed the first black professional baseball team. The first league, the National Colored Base Ball League, was organized strictly as a minor league but failed in 1887 after only two weeks owing to low attendance. After several decades of mostly independent play by a variety of teams, in 1920 the first Negro National League was formed and ultimately seven major leagues existed at various times over the next thirty years. After integration, the quality of the Negro leagues slowly deteriorated and the Negro American League of 1951 is generally considered the last major league season. The last professional club, the Indianapolis Clowns, operated as a humorous sideshow rather than competitively from the mid-1960s to the 1980s. (Source: Wikipedia)
