CHICAGO — It’s commonplace for Chicagoans to claim our importance in American history. And yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing now as it pertains to Black baseball.
When the story of organized professional Black baseball is told, people typically start in Kansas City, Mo. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is there and it is where Andrew “Rube” Foster famously assembled owners of six Black baseball teams from Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City and St. Louis and Dayton, Ohio, at the Paseo YMCA to form what became known as the Negro National League in February 1920.
And while Kansas City’s role is important, Chicago’s role cannot be overlooked.
