*On this date in 1932, we celebrate the forming of the New York Black Yankees. They were a Negro League Baseball organization.
Originally the New York Harlem Stars, they were co-owned by Tubby Scales. After the change, the owner was financier James "Soldier Boy" Semler and Dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. The Black Yankees originated in Harlem and eventually settled in Albany, New York. Some of the great Yankees were Clint Thomas, Fats Jenkins, DeWitt "Woody" Smallwood, Barney Brown, "Crush" Holloway, and George "Mule" Suttles. After playing its first four seasons as an independent, the Black Yankees entered the Negro National League in 1936 and remained there until the league folded after the 1948 seasons.
The team enjoyed excellent attendance at its home game in Yankee Stadium, but its fortunes on the field were less impressive. In its thirteen NNL seasons, the team finished in last place ten times. Despite their dismal record, the Black Yankees remained one of Black baseball's "glamour" franchises principally because of its home field, Yankee Stadium, and the high visibility the park offered to visiting Negro League teams. Over 30 Midwest, Northeast, and South communities were home to many Black baseball franchises organized into six leagues. The Black Yankees folded in 1950.
