The New York Black Yankees played from 1933-1948 in New York, Paterson, N.J. and Rochester, N.Y. The team boasted sluggers like Clarence “Fats” Jenkins, Carlos Ascanio, the only Venezuelan known to play in the Negro Leagues and legendary pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige.

The Pittsburgh Crawfords started out as the Crawford Colored Giants and were owned by Black businessman William “Gus” Greenlee. It became one of the league’s strongest teams by the mid-1930s by adding Hall of Famer Josh Gibson as a catcher, and center fielder James “Cool Papa” Bell.

Marcenia Lyle “Toni” Stone was the first woman to play professional baseball. She started playing at age 10 and by 16 she was playing semi-pro ball and wound up playing second base for the New Orleans Creoles. She ater moved to the Indianapolis Clowns and finally the Kansas City Monarchs.

Leroy “Satchel” Paige and Josh Gibson are two of the most storied players in baseball history. Paige’s arm blazed with the Pittsburgh Crawfords, and then the Kansas City Monarchs. In 1948, he signed with the Cleveland Indians and led them to a World Series win as the first Black pitcher to compete in the series. Gibson, a catcher with the Homestead Grays is regarded as one baseball’s all-time greatest hitters, credited as a better slugger than Babe Ruth. Paige was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, Gibson in 1972.

The Negro National League was founded by Andrew “Rube” Foster in 1920, starting out with eight teams: Chicago American Giants, Chicago Giants, Cuban Stars, Dayton Marcos, Detroit Stars, Kansas City Monarchs, Indianapolis ABCs and the St. Louis Giants. At the time, it was one of the nation’s most successful examples of Black entrepreneurship. By 1942, more than 3 million fans were attending games.

The Baltimore Black Sox was actually founded in 1913 and later became a part of the six-team Eastern Colored League. In 1929, they captured the American Negro League Championship with what was called its “Million Dollar Infield” of Jud “Boojum” Wilson on first base; Frank Warfield on second base; Oliver Marcell on third base; and Sir Richard Lundy on shortstop.

The Detroit Stars were charter members of the Negro National League and lived through its two incarnations. Though the team never captured any national championships, it became known for being able to attract racially diverse crowds. Players included Hall of Famer Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, and Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, who is notably one of a handful of pro baseball players to have lived to be 100.

The Chicago American Giants was owned by player-manager Andrew “Rube” Foster, who founded the Negro National League. They became the winningest team in the league, capturing five pennants there and another in 1932 in the Negro Southern League. It was later sold and renamed Cole’s American Giants, continuing its baseball prominence.

The Newark Eagles were the first professional baseball team owned by a woman, Effa Manley. They were formed when her husband, Abe, combined the Brooklyn Eagles and Newark Dodgers. It was known as a major draw for Black players. In a legendary seven-game shootout in 1946, the Eagles beat the Kansas City Monarchs thanks to the quick double-play moves of Monte Irvin on shortstop and second baseman Larry Doby, who became the second African American to enter the Major Leagues after Jackie Robinson.

Many people recognize Jackie Robinson as the man who broke the color line in Major League Baseball, but he sharpened his skill in the Negro Leagues. A four letter athlete at UCLA, he played one season with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 as shortstop. The next year, he went to the farm team the Montreal Royals, team and in 1947, he debuted with the Dodgers.