Negro Southern League (1945–1951)

The second Negro Southern League (NSL) was one of the several Negro baseball leagues created during the time organized baseball was segregated. The NSL was organized as a minor league in 1945 and lasted until 1951.[1]: 12–16 

Negro Southern League
ClassificationMinor league
SportNegro league baseball
Founded1945
Ceased1951
CountryUnited States

League history

Nine team owners met in February 1945 in Nashville, Tennessee, to form a new minor league named after an old minor league.

The 1948 season received very little coverage in the press and is hard to piece together. Additionally, a new league, the Negro American Association, formed and lured away at least four of the stronger teams, including the Atlanta Black Crackers.

The league did not organize for the 1952 season due to attendance figures being expected to be too low to be profitable. The second Negro Southern League was dissolved after seven seasons.

Negro Southern League franchises


Negro Southern League (1945–51)
TeamYears in leagueNotes
Atlanta Black Crackers1945, 1947–48• Associate team 1946
• Left for Negro American Association
Knoxville Grays1945
Asheville Blues1945–47• Left for Negro American Association
Nashville Cubs1945–51• Called Black Vols 1945-46
• Called Louisville-Nashville Cubs 1950
New Orleans Black Pelicans1945• Only played first half of season
Richmond Cardinals1945• Replaced New Orleans for second half of season
Chattanooga Choo Choos1945–48, 1950• Called Black Choo Choos 1947, 50
• Dropped out mid-season 1950
Mobile Black Bears1945–46
Little Rock Black Travelers1945• Also called Greys
• Dropped out mid-season
Indianapolis Cardinals1945• Replaced Little Rock for second half of season
Charlotte Black Hornets1946
Jacksonville Eagles1946–47• Left for Negro American Association
Knoxville Giants1946
Montgomery Dodgers1946• Also called Red Sox
Memphis Blues1947–48
New Orleans Creoles1947–48, 1950–51
Raleigh Tigers1947• Left for Negro American Association
Birmingham Clowns1947• Also called All Stars
Memphis Cardinals1947
Raleigh Grays1948• Associate team only
Mobile Black Bears1948• Associate team only
Atlanta Brown Crackers1949–50• Called Atlanta-Detroit Brown Crackers 1949
Gadsden Tigers1949–50• Called Gadsden-Florida Tigers 1949
Mobile Black Shippers1949
Montgomery Tigers1949
Pensacola Seagulls1949
Evansville Dodgers1949• Associate team only
Indianapolis ABCs1949• Associate team only
• Possibly related to Atlanta Black Crackers
Greenville Delta Giants1950
Memphis Red Caps1950
Nashville Stars1950–51
Owensboro Braves1950• Dropped out mid-season
Atlanta Braves1951
Birmingham Black Eagles1951• Also called Bears
Birmingham All -Stars1951
Chattanooga Stars1951
Jackson Cubs1951
Knoxville Packers1951
  • Note: An "associate team" is one who is not a member of the league, but games played against them by league teams count in the league standings.

League champions

Most seasons were split in halves, with the winner of the first half of the season playing the winner of the second half of the season in a formal league play-off that decided the Pennant winner. For some years it is unclear if a split season was played and if the second half schedule was completed. In the below list, the first half winner is noted with a raised "1" and the second half winner is noted with a raised "2".

  • 1945 Atlanta Black Crackers
  • 1946 Asheville Blues (won both halves)
  • 1947 Asheville1 defeated New Orleans Creoles2, 3g-2g
  • 1948 New Orleans Creoles (won both halves, reportedly)
  • 1949 Gadsden-Florida Tigers1 / Nashville Cubs2, no play-off reported
  • 1950 undetermined
  • 1951 undetermined

References
  1. "Negro Southern League Standings" (PDF). Negro Southern League Museum Research Center. Center for Negro League Baseball Research. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017.


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