The Negro National League was founded in 1920, during a time of segregation in the United States.
The league gained immense popularity in the 1930s and 40s. In 1944, Jackie Robinson, who played for the Negro Leagues, became the first player of the modern era to join the MLB, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Subsequently, many more Negro league stars were invited to MLB.
Rickwood Fields is one of the few fields used in the Negro Leagues that is still functional today. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Today, many of the stadiums used in the Negro Leagues no longer exist, although there are a few that remain. Many fields have been renovated and are still used for local events today.
One field that is still in use is Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The field was home to the Birmingham Black Barons, Willie Mays’ team, who died on 18 June 2024Before joining the New York Giants, he played for the Tampa Bay Rays.
According to the Associated Press, Rickwood Field is the oldest professional ballpark in the United States.
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Read on to learn about stadiums across the country that were home to Negro League teams.
- Downs Field – Austin, Texas
- Hamtramck Stadium – Hamtramck, Michigan
- JP Smalls Stadium – Jacksonville, Florida
- Rickwood Field – Birmingham, Alabama
- Busch Stadium – Indianapolis
- League Park – Cleveland
- Hinchliffe Stadium – Paterson, New Jersey
1. Downs Field – Austin, Texas
Downs Field in Austin, TexasAccording to MLB.com, it is currently used by the Houston–Tillotson Rams college baseball team.
The Austin Black Senators have called the field their home park since 1927, according to Visit Austin.
Pitcher Satchel Paige was one of several prominent players in the Negro leagues. (Getty Images)
Today, the park is filled with murals created by local artists honoring the many prominent players who played baseball on the field, including Willie Wells, Satchel Paige, Buck O’Neil and Smoky Joe Williams, according to Visit Austin.
2. Hamtramck Stadium – Hamtramck, Michigan
Many changes have been made to this stadium located in Hamtramck, Michigan to give it what it is today.
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Many believed this stadium had vanished from existence, but according to MLB.com a researcher named Gary Gillett discovered that Hamtramck Stadium was confused with the nearby Keyworth Stadium.
According to the stadium’s website, the stadium was built in the 1930s and was home to the Negro Leagues’ Detroit Stars and Detroit Wolves.
The field that was starting to rot and was filled with weeds is now fully functional once again. According to the source, the stadium will reopen in 2022 after a $3 million rehabilitation.
3. JP Smalls Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
J.P. Smalls Stadium, formerly known as Durkee Field and Barrs Field, was the home field of the Jacksonville Red Caps.
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The grounds have been renovated several times over the years. It has been owned by the city since 1932. In 2006, a Negro Leagues exhibit was added to the property.
Today, the stadium is used for baseball games as the home field of Stanton College Prep and Baseball. Edward Waters University. The renovation work of the stadium will be done in 2024, which will be completed in July.
4. Rickwood Field – Birmingham, Alabama
Rickwood Field first opened in 1910 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Rickwood Field is the oldest baseball field in the United States. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
For many years, Rickwood was the home field of the Birmingham Black Barons, where Paige, Mays and many other players, such as Dan Bankhead, who was the first African-American pitcher to play in the MLB, took the field.
The final Negro Leagues World Series was played at the field in October 1948, according to MLB.
Rickwood Field remains in operation today.
5. Busch Stadium – Indianapolis
Busch Stadium in Indianapolis first opened its doors in 1931. While the field is no longer home to baseball games, a unique renovation has allowed tenants to live at this property rich in history.
The stadium, which was called Perry Field when it opened, was the home of the Indianapolis ABCs and Clowns in the 1930s and 1940s, according to MLB.com.
After being unused for several years, the Stadium Lofts opened in 2013. The lofts surround the historic field, and residents have views of the field below.
6. League Park – Cleveland
Cleveland is where you’re at Find League ParkBackground on the Cleveland Buckeyes’ 1945 Negro World Series victory.
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According to MLB.com, when the ballpark was built in 1891, the Cleveland Spiders and then the Blues played there.
The stadium is still in use today, hosting local baseball games and other events. Here you can also find Heritage Baseball Museum.
7. Hinchliffe Stadium – Paterson, New Jersey
go there Hinchliffe Stadium in New Jersey to see the former home field of the New York Black Yankees.
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The New York Cubans and the Newark Eagles were other teams that played there.
The most recent renovation of Hinchcliffe Stadium began in 2021. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The stadium has been renovated since its original construction in 1932 and is now the home field of the New Jersey Jackals. According to MLB, the team is part of the Frontier League, which is an MLB partner league.
The Jackals play their first game at the stadium in 2023.
