kansas city monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. After barnstorming for several years, the team joined the Negro American League in 1937, and played in the league until it dissolved in 1960. The Monarchs were finally disbanded in 1962. Winners of more than a dozen league championships, they won the first Negro League World Series title in 1924, defeating the Hilldale Giants from Philadelphia in a thrilling ten-game series. Some of black baseball's best players wore the Monarch uniform: Cool Papa Bell, Turkey Stearnes, Newt Allen, Jesse Williams, Hilton Smith, Bonnie Serrell, Bullet Joe Rogan, John Donaldson, Dobie Moore, Chet Brewer, Andy Cooper, Heavy Johnson and Buck O'Neil. The Monarchs played their home games in the minor league Kansas City Blues' Association Park from 1920 to 1923, and after that in the Blues' new park, Muehlebach Field. In 1930, the Monarchs became one of the first baseball teams to use a portable lighting system to play games at night. The Monarchs sent the most players into Major League Baseball after the color barrier was broken. Some players from this elite group were Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Ernie Banks, Elston Howard, Hank Thompson and Willard "Home Run" Brown.

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