Negro Leagues 100th Anniversary
Mayor Jeff Williams is proud to join the United States Conference of Mayors , the Texas Rangers and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues and pay tribute to the teams from North Texas . All Major League clubs celebrated the centennial of the
Jackie Robinson , the first black player in Major League Baseball , was a shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues in 1944 . Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 .
The Texas Rangers commemorated Major League Baseball ’ s 2020 celebration of Jackie Robinson Day on Friday , Aug . 28 , at Globe Life Field .
founding of the Negro National League in August 2020 – the first structured Negro League that lasted for an extended period – with all players , managers , coaches and umpires wearing a Negro Leagues 100th anniversary logo patch on their uniforms . The logo , a derivative of the official logo created by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum , also was featured on base jewels and lineup cards .
The Rangers also honored the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues by having the Fort Worth Wonders play the Dallas Black Giants in a July intrasquad scrimmage . The Wonders and Black Giants are the names of two semi-pro baseball teams from the early 20th century that competed in various leagues in North Texas .
The Fort Worth Wonders team was formed in 1905 and played in various leagues . Among its players was Louis Santop , who was originally from Fort Worth and got his start with the Wonders in 1909 . He was primarily a catcher with massive power and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 . The Dallas Black Giants team was in existence on and off from 1908-49 . Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks , who went to Booker T . Washington High School in Dallas , played for the Black Giants in 1949 .
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