Black baseball's glamour franchise, the Monarchs won five consecutive Negro National titles during the 1920's. They went on to win six more championships as members of th Negro American League between 1937 and 1950. Monarch greats included Satchel Paige (#25), Buck O'Neil, and pitcher Hilton Smith. Jackie Robinson (#23) was a member of the 1945 squad when he was first scouted by Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackets After wearing shawl collar cardigan sweaters for many years, teams began switching to wool warm-up jacket in the 1920's. Ballplayers required a jacket that gave protection from the elements, as well as allowed freedom of movement while playing. At Ebbets Field, we have studied numerous examples of original professional baseball jackets, and have incorporated all of their unique features into our reproductions. We use only 100% wool material for our jacket bodies, and faithfully replicate other historic features, such as pile linings (a soft, artificial fur) and button fronts. Most modern leather sleeve jackets have painted coatings, which make the leather stiff and overly bright. Our leather is naturally tanned, which give it a texture very much like your favorite broken-in baseball glove. Our jackets are also cut a couple of inches longer in the body, true to the style of the originals. A proud addition to your wardrobe, an Ebbets Field Flannels authentic jacket will give you a lifetime of wear and comfort, and make you the envy of everyone at the ballpark. Jackets Sizes Jackets are stocked in size Small (34-36), Medium (38-40), Large (42-44), XL (46-48), and XXL (50-52). Each jacket is an authentic re-creation of the original. We are happy to answer any questions regarding our jackets, but we cannot honor requests for custom sizes or emblems on the jackets in our line. History of the Negro Leagues During the first half of this century, a parallel world existed in our National Pastime. This world was born out of necessity, due to the bias and ignorance of the times. It was brought into being because thousands of African American men and boys were denied the dream that was open to their white counterparts - the dream of playing Major League baseball. The world they created was replete with their own struggles, triumphs, starts, and legendary teams. It came to be know as the Negro Leagues. When we began Ebbets Field Flannels in 1987, we were determined to make some of that world come alive for others - through our uniform reproduction and our catalogs. Today, there is finally a much greater general awareness and appreciation of this important part of American history. We believe that in a modest way we have contributed to that awareness, and we are more proud of that than of anything we have achieved