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Atlanta Black Crackers, 1938
Atlantic City Bacharach Giants, 1926
Baltimore Black Sox , 1929
Baltimore Elite Giants, 1942
Birmingham Black Barons
1943
Team
1948
Team
Chicago American Giants
1917 Team
1921
Team
1927
Team
1933
Team
Chicago Leland Giants, 1910,
Cleveland Buckeyes 1945
Detroit Stars, 1930
Hilldale Daisies, 1925
Harrisburg Giants, 1925
Homestead Grays
1931 Team
1938 Team
1943
Team
1948 Team
Indianapolis ABC's, 1916
Kansas City Monarchs
1924
Team
1929 Team
1942
Team
1946
Team
Memphis Red Sox, 1938
Newark Eagles
1937
Team
1946
Team
New York Lincoln Giants
1913
Team
1930
Team
New York Cubans, 1947
Philadelphia Stars, 1934
Pittsburgh Crawfords
1932
Team
1935 Team
St. Louis Stars, 1930
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Rube Foster formed the first black league, the Negro National League, in 1920. His team, the Chicago American Giants, extended their dominance from the deadball era's independent years on into the era of the "lively" ball and league play by copping the first three league pennants. The team's winning percentage topped .600 each of the last two seasons, with a high of .661 in 1921. Foster's team played a brand of baseball that emphasized pitching, speed and defense. All of his players could bunt, steal bases and hit-and-run. Featuring greyhound outfielders Jelly Gardner, Jimmy Lyons and Christobal Torriente, and infielders Bingo DeMoss, David Malarcher and Bobby Williams, Foster's charges were an agressive and opportunistic ballclub, characterized by clutch performances. Cuban superstar Torriente was the only legitimate slugger on the team, while Dave Brown, one of the greatest lefthanded pitchers of all time, headed an excellent mound corps.