Credit: William Cash/Lloyd Thompson Collection - Courtesy of The African American Museum in Philadelphia
The Hilldales and the Kansas City Monarchs became the respective Negro League champions in the East and West in 1924. In this photograph, the Hilldales are playing in a Negro League World Series game in Philadelphia. The caliber of league players led Kenshaw Mountain Landis, the first commissioner of major-league baseball, to halt postseason brainstorming by major-league players. This kept ballplayers from earning after-season cash and stopped any comparisons between black American League teams and major-league teams. The Hilldale champs played in Cuba and in cities across the United States.
