RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
By early 1932, facing the severe financial problems associated with the Great Depression, the nation no longer had any functioning major Negro leagues. The first Negro National League, which operated primarily in the Midwest, disbanded after the 1931 season. The Eastern Colored League folded in 1928, and its successor, the American Negro League, folded after the 1929 season.
In January 1932, the East–West League was formed by Cumberland Posey. The league featured eight teams located in the East and Midwest. The league began play in May, but attendance was poor because of the severe financial conditions of the Depression. Teams soon abandoned the planned schedule and turned to better paying bookings with white semipro teams. Within a month, it was clear that the league could not continue. In June the Detroit Wolves folded, and by early July the league had ceased operations.
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Other concurrent negro baseball leagues:
NSL · Negro
Bob Hope with Babe Ruth - Classic Baseball Radio Comedy Show
In this 1942 clip from the Bob Hope Radio Show, Bob Hope, a renowned comedian and entertainer, engages with Babe Ruth, one of the most iconic figures in baseball history. Given the era, this interaction likely provides insights into Ruth's illustrious career, personal anecdotes, and perhaps Hope's characteristic humor woven into their conversation. This period in history was marked by World War II; thus, their dialogue might also reflect the national mood and the impact of the war on American sports and entertainment.
Historian Eugene C. Murdock interviewed several former baseball players that had been active in baseball in the 1920s and 1930s.
Discussion with Hall of Fame Negro Leaguer Jim "Cool Papa" Bell / Historian Eugene C. Murdock interviewed several former baseball players that had been active in baseball in the 1920s and 1930s. Murdock was chairman of the history department at Marietta College. The interviews were not professionally recorded, and the audio quality is variable.
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I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.