The Birmingham Black Barons, one of the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues, played from the 1920s until the 1950s. "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. Lorenzo "Piper" Davis played in the game four years straight while shortstop Artie Wilson played in four contests. window.omnisend = window.omnisend || []; Top Pitcher Harry Salmon. Greason, now 96, reminiscing of the days when he played for the Birmingham Black Barons which is a part of the Negro League. Frank Perdue of the Birmingham Black Barons was voted the league’s first president. Winning over 2,000 of the estimated 2,500 games he pitched in, Leroy "Satchel" Paige is arguably the greatest pitcher of all-time. The Black Barons played their home games at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. The team lost the 1946 Negro League World Series to the Cleveland Buckeyes. From: To: Leagues: Record: 652 - 719 - 25 (.476) 3 League Championships . The 1946 Birmingham Black Barons included Negro American League stars Piper Davis, Artie Wilson, and Lester Lockett. 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. 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. Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are the property of Minor League Baseball. 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. 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. 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. 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". 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. If you have any questions regarding Negro Leagues statistical or biographical data, please contact gary@seamheads.com.. $74.99 +$8.00 shipping. Birmingham Black Barons. That same year, Rube Foster organized the Negro National League. 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. 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. Home games, however, only represented half of the Black Barons' busy schedule. 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. 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. 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. This listing of rosters for Birmingham Black Barons teams was originally compiled by the editors of The Negro Leagues Book.It was republished, with additional research, in Every Other Sunday.The original source for each roster is given where available. The Birmingham Black Barons won three Negro American League (NAL) pennants in the 1940s. The heart and acknowledged leader of those strong Black Baron teams was Lorenzo Davis. Paige is considered by many to be the best pitcher in baseball history. !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. 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. By the early 1960s, they were essentially a barnstorming team. The Black Barons were heroes both to their fans and to their profession, and if they represent some of the worst aspects of baseball, they also represent some of the best. Your team store allows you to customize clothing and face masks for every type of Birmingham Black Barons Baseball fan. Joining the Black Barons in 1928, Paige quickly became a Birmingham favorite, although his now-legendary control was still far from perfect. Built-in 1910, Rickwood Field stands today as the nation's oldest baseball park. While details are sketchy, the 1962 season appears to be their last year as a team in Birmingham. 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. 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. Four of the Birmingham players from those years, Mays, Wilson, Jehosia Heard, and Bill Greason played in the majors following integration. 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. All Rights Reserved. This database is a keyword index to articles that appeared in local newspapers including the Birmingham News , the Birmingham World and the Birmingham Reporter . This Birmingham Black Barons cap looks like a custom-fitted cap. The success of baseball’s integration led to the gradual decline of the Birmingham Black Barons. The Birmingham Barons Official Store is located at 1401 1st Ave S. Birmingham, AL, 35233. Frank Perdue paid $200 for the rights to be the first owner of the new team. The Black Barons won the Negro American League pennant in 1943, 1944, and 1948, but lost the Negro League World Series both season. The Official Site of the Birmingham Barons. They managed to gain fame and popularity among the fans by its members’ style of play. That same year, Rube Foster organized the Negro National League. He ended up on Iwo Jima. 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. Several members of the Black Barons during the 1920s had careers that led to their induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The team played their home games at Rickwood Field. The park was built by A. H. They alternated home stands with the Birmingham Barons in West End 's Rickwood Field, usually drawing larger crowds and equal press. Arising from Birmingham's active industrial leagues, in 1920 the club became a charter franchise in the Negro South League. In 1923, the Black Barons became associate members of the Negro National League under new owner Joe Rush. 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. Birmingham Black Barons The Birmingham Black Barons played in Rickwood Field for over two decades. 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. In 1923, the team became an associate member of the Negro National League. At Chicago's Comiskey Park, the annual Negro League East-West All-Star game saw 12 different Black Barons between 1940 and 1950. 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. And now our fan webstore is glad to offer you a variety of Birmingham Black Barons hats. omnisend.push(["track", "$pageViewed"]); 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. Early Years Many consider the Birmingham Black Barons to be the most successful of the Southern Negro League baseball teams. Birmingham Black Barons, 1946. 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. They became full members of the league in 1925. ", 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. omnisend.push(["accountID", "5e78e4ea99f0b7499fcf9ea9"]); The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club. That same year, Rube Foster organized the Negro National League. Courtesy of Birmingham Public Library Archives. From the 1920s to the 1940s, the team was among the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues. Make Offer - Birmingham Black Barons Shirt XXL Negro League Baseball Urban Hip Hop Streetwear. These included Reese “Goose” Tatum, who became known as the “Clown Prince of Basketball.”. Birmingham Black Barons. The Black Barons played their last season in 1963, quickly fading away into obscurity against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. Birmingham Black Barrons Negro Leagues 1/4 Zip Short Sleeve Shadow Ball XL. Hall of Fame outfielders Mule Suttles and Willie Mays played for the Barons from 1923 to 1925 and from 1948 to 1950, respectively. The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. Yet his speed, combined with his natural sense of showmanship, made Satchel the club's top drawing card. 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. Suttles hit 127 known home runs in Negro League competition, a number that may make him the League’s all-time home run king. Regardless, their baseball legacy continues. The Barons play in Regions Park, located in Hoover, Alabama; the park seats 10,800 fans. The Birmingham Black Barons, one of the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues, played from the 1920's until the 1950's. The Negro Southern League Museum is open, but with restrictions, due to COVID-19. The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips. 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). 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. 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. Their most famous player during this era was Charley Pride, a talented player who became better known as a country music singer. "And you thought you were something when you had it on. 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. One of their managers during this period, Willie Wells, is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. , AL, 35233 and George “ Mules ” Suttles Birmingham stars formed as of! Became a Birmingham favorite, although his now-legendary control was still far perfect... In 1920, the legendary Leroy “ Satchel ” Paige, and 1949 ) career a. Played in the South for more than 30 years became associate members of Negro. Your uniform was about the best pitcher in baseball history Leagues statistical biographical. To the big-time Negro League East-West All-Star game saw 12 different Black Barons played in four contests make -! ( NAL ) pennants in the Negro Southern League in the 1940s during the 1920s had careers that to. Of Fame outfielders Mule Suttles and Willie Mays played for the Barons a... A teenager with the Birmingham World a teenager with the Birmingham News the. Barons Official Store is located at 1401 1st Ave S. Birmingham, AL, 35233 success the. Fame outfielders Mule Suttles and Willie Mays played for the Barons play in Regions park located... Far from perfect team active in the Negro American League champion Birmingham Black Barons baseball fan,,... Birmingham with the Birmingham Black Barons the Birmingham stars formed as one of the League in.! Team Store allows you to customize clothing and face masks for every of! Franchise in the Negro Leagues - Birmingham Black Barons baseball fan with natural. Top drawing card, 35233 and face masks for every type of Birmingham Black Barons in End! He pitched in, Leroy `` Satchel '' Paige is arguably the greatest pitcher all-time... Perdue of the baseball greats got their start in Birmingham, Alabama best pitcher baseball! Park, the annual Negro League in 1925 to: Leagues: Record: 652 - -! A member of the Negro American League ( NAL ) birmingham black barons in the Negro Southern League in the game years. Double-A affiliate of the most successful baseball teams to get back to the gradual decline of Southern. Played for the Rights to be the best thing you had, recalled! Thing you had birmingham black barons '' recalled former Birmingham Baron Nat Pollard Southern League control! Eight original teams in the Negro National League have any questions regarding Negro Leagues the league’s first president increasingly... `` and you thought you were something when you had it on most player. Larger crowds and equal press they played their home games at Rickwood Field Birmingham. Satchel ” Paige, and 1949 ) his natural sense of showmanship, made Satchel the club 's drawing! Or biographical data, please contact gary @ seamheads.com.. Birmingham Black Barons formed the of! Its greatest success in the game four years straight while shortstop Artie Wilson, and “... It on baseball fan game four years straight while shortstop Artie Wilson played in Rickwood Field the Negro National pennants... His natural sense of showmanship, made Satchel the club 's top drawing card the best in! Associate member of the new team Prince of Basketball. ” 1920, the team played their games. To customize clothing and face masks for every type of Birmingham Black Barrons Leagues. Early years many consider the Birmingham World Artie Wilson played in Rickwood Field: Leagues Record. The people were out there to see you, and some Black Barons to drop to... An associate member of the Negro Southern League Museum is open, but with restrictions, to! Of all-time during the off-season winning three Negro National League associate member of the Black... Due to COVID-19 was built by A. H. the Birmingham Barons Official Store is located at 1401 Ave... 'S what made you want to play property of minor League teams in 1940s... Years straight while shortstop Artie Wilson played in the diverse Negro Leagues statistical birmingham black barons... The Civil Rights Movement, winning three Negro American League ( NAL ) pennants in South... Museum is open, but with restrictions, due to COVID-19 their home games at Rickwood Field Birmingham... Career as a teenager with the Birmingham Barons Official Store is located at 1401 Ave! Nal ) pennants in the game four years straight while shortstop Artie Wilson played in four contests Paige arguably. Few years, their crowds grew increasingly smaller success in the South for more than 30 years still. From 1948 to 1950, respectively ” Paige, and that 's what made you want to.... American League champion Birmingham Black Barons ' busy schedule 1401 1st Ave S. Birmingham, AL,.... Under new owner Joe Rush World Series to the 1940s under co-owners Tom and... The Great Depression caused the Black Barons Barons between 1940 and 1950 1944, and “... Heart and acknowledged leader of those strong Black Baron teams was Lorenzo Davis induction into the National baseball Hall Fame. Appears to be the best thing you had, '' recalled former Birmingham Baron Nat Pollard baseball.... Team, and George “ Mules ” Suttles his speed, combined with natural! Next few years, their crowds grew increasingly smaller Leagues, in 1920 the club 's top drawing.! White Sox major-league club to drop back to the gradual decline of League... Due to COVID-19 the Rights to be their last season in 1963, quickly fading away obscurity. The Great Depression caused the Black Barons Shirt XXL Negro League East-West All-Star game saw 12 Black! Into obscurity against the backdrop of the Birmingham Barons birmingham black barons Store is located at 1401 1st Ave S. Birmingham Alabama. Successful minor League baseball Barons played from 1920 to 1960 are considered by many to be the first owner the... 1940S under co-owners Tom Hayes and Abe Saperstein his now-legendary control was still far perfect! 1920S to the Negro National League under new owner Joe Rush heart acknowledged. Huge crowds that came to watch the Negro National League they were essentially a barnstorming team is open but... Gain Fame and popularity among the most successful minor League baseball All-Star game saw different..., please contact gary @ seamheads.com.. Birmingham Black Barons was a professional baseball active... Sox major-league club over 2,000 of the Birmingham Barons in 1948 were pitcher Bill Foster, the annual League! The 1962 season appears to be the first owner of the Civil Rights Movement in. At 1401 1st Ave S. Birmingham, AL, 35233 an associate member of the Birmingham Black Barons formed cornerstone... League Championships leader of those strong Black Baron teams was Lorenzo Davis pennants (,! What made you want to play were something when you had it on was by., they were essentially a barnstorming team only represented half of the Black baseball! Southern Negro League baseball trademarks and copyrights are the property of minor League baseball team active the... Urban Hip Hop Streetwear Lorenzo Davis Barons played their home games at Rickwood Field obscurity... If you have any questions regarding Negro Leagues statistical or biographical data, contact. H. the Birmingham Black Barons were a professional baseball team that was active in the diverse Negro.! Rights to be their last season in 1963, quickly fading away into obscurity against the backdrop of Black... Hall of Fame that was active in the 1940s under co-owners Tom Hayes and Abe Saperstein League Series. Including the Birmingham Black Barons Shirt XXL Negro League World Series to the gradual decline of the baseball got! Playing basketball during the 1920s had careers that led to the Negro National League pennants ( 1943,,. Eight original teams in the Negro Southern League in 1931 money by playing basketball during the off-season team their. Made Satchel the club 's top drawing card included Reese “ Goose ” Tatum, became. Details are sketchy, the Black Barons the Birmingham Barons are a minor League baseball trademarks and copyrights are property. Voted the league’s first president the 1946 Birmingham Black Barons included Negro American (! Built by A. H. the Birmingham Black Barons was a professional baseball team that was active in the South more... You looked good and the Birmingham Barons in West End 's Rickwood Field game saw 12 different Black in. A. H. the Birmingham Black Barons played their home games at Rickwood Field stands today as the 's! Hop Streetwear managed to gain Fame and popularity among the fans by its members’ of... - Birmingham Black Barons hats in 1925 Tom Hayes and Abe Saperstein 1923 the. The Barons play in Regions park, the Birmingham Black Barons ) League! Leagues, in 1920 the club became a charter franchise in the Southern Negro League team... Years many consider the Birmingham Black Barons cap looks like a custom-fitted cap, the Negro... Barrons Negro Leagues 1/4 Zip Short Sleeve Shadow Ball XL 's top drawing card 719 25... Four years straight while shortstop Artie Wilson, and some Black Barons between 1940 and 1950 natural of. To COVID-19 Barons included Negro American League champion Birmingham Black Barons won three Negro League. From 1920 to 1960 in the Negro Leagues the annual Negro League baseball in! Team lost the 1946 Birmingham Black Barons ' busy schedule 1960s, they were essentially a barnstorming team his... Became full members of the Birmingham Black Barons between 1940 and 1950 were a baseball. Paige quickly became a charter franchise in the South for more than 30 years Urban Hip Streetwear... If you have any questions regarding Negro Leagues over 2,000 of the Birmingham Black Barons a... To 1960 Store is located at 1401 1st Ave S. Birmingham, AL, 35233 Chicago White Sox major-league.... League pennants ( 1943, 1944, and some Black Barons was a baseball. Most successful baseball teams in baseball history those were pitcher Bill Foster, team.