Black players were not allowed to compete in the major league from the mid-1880s until the mid-1940s. Instead, they took part in teams composed entirely of black players, and many of these teams formed leagues which were known collectively as the Negro leagues. Two of the better known was the Negro National League and the Eastern Colored League. The Negro National League was formed in 1920 and the Eastern Colored League was formed in 1923, and the champions of the two leagues met in a world series every year from 1924 to 1927.

The great depression disrupted play in the Negro Leagues during the early 1930s. A new Negro National League formed in 1933 and in 1937 the Negro American League joined them. These leagues held an annual world series until 1948. Excellent players in the Negro Leagues included catcher Josh Gibson; pitcher Satchel Paige; and outfielder James Bell, who used the nickname “Cool Papa”. The integration of the major leagues, which began in 1947, drew the best black players from the Negro Leagues. Declining attendance spelled the end of the Negro Leagues in the early 1950s.