May 2

The First Game of The Negro National League

Baseball’s Negro National League held its first game on May 2, 1920, at Washington Park in Indianapolis where the Indianapolis ABC’s won over the Chicago American Giants 4 to 2.  The league was established by former baseball great Rube Foster who served as president.  The league began with eight teams (The Chicago American Giants, Chicago Giants, Indianapolis ABCs, Cuban Stars, Detroit Stars Dayton Marcos, St. Louis Giants and the Kansas City Monarchs. The league was of many Negro Leagues that began in that era.

Baseball in the early to mid-twentieth century had the lure, excitement and interest of today’s basketball and football to African Americans.  All across the country weekend games would bring the entire community in small towns together and draw big crowds in the thousands in  larger cities.  During some decades, almost every community in some areas had a team they could own.   Baseball was the sport to be watched and played by African Americans.  It was affordable and easy to play, in rural areas and small neighborhoods (often times the only thing needed was a large plot of unused land and makeshift stands or no stands, uniforms, baseballs, gloves and bats).  The people loved to watch some of America’s greatest baseball players play the game.  It was America’s game, especially Black America.