 The logo of the Eastern Colored League | |
| Classification | Major league |
|---|---|
| Sport | Negro league baseball |
| First season | 1923 |
| Ceased | 1928 |
| No. of teams | ~10 |
| Country | United States |
| Most titles | Hilldale (3) |
TheMutual Association of Eastern Colored Clubs, more commonly known as theEastern Colored League (ECL), was one of the severalNegro leagues, which operated during the time organized baseball was segregated.
The ECL was founded in1923 when the Philadelphia-areaHilldale Club and theBacharach Giants of Atlantic City, both associate members of the midwest-basedNegro National League (NNL), broke with the NNL and allied with the white promoterNat Strong to form an east coast league. The charter members were:Hilldale, theBacharach Giants, theBrooklyn Royal Giants, theCuban Stars (East), theLincoln Giants of New York, and theBaltimore Black Sox. In 1924 theHarrisburg Giants andWashington Potomacs joined, bringing the circuit to eight clubs. The ECL raided the NNL for players, including Hall of FamersOscar Charleston,Biz Mackey, andJohn Henry Lloyd, starting a war that lasted for two years.
In 1925 the Washington Potomacs moved to Wilmington, Delaware, but still disbanded in July. Their 1926 replacement, theNewark Stars, folded after only 11 games.
At the end of the 1924 season the two leagues made peace and arranged for aColored World Series between their champions. This series was played each year from 1924 through 1927. The only ECL club to win the World Series wasHilldale in 1925.
Beginning in 1927 the league was wracked by dissension between club owners. New York'sLincoln Giants dropped out for that season.[citation needed] They returned the next, but thenHilldale, theBrooklyn Royal Giants, and theHarrisburg Giants all dropped out. ThePhiladelphia Tigers were recruited to bring the league up to five teams for 1928.[citation needed] The ECL staggered through May, but finally disbanded in the midst of disputes over player contracts at the beginning of June.
The team in first place at the end of the season was declared the Pennant winner. Due to the unorthodox nature of the schedule (and little incentive to enforce it), some teams frequently played many more games than others did in any given season. This led to some disputed championships and two teams claiming the title. Generally, the team with the bestwinning percentage (with some minimum number of games played) was awarded the Pennant, but other times it was the team with the most victories. The "games behind" method of recording standings was uncommon in most black leagues. Four of the five pennant winners went on to play in theNegro World Series (all except for the first in 1923).
| Year | Winning team | Manager | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Hilldale Club | John Henry Lloyd | [1] |
| 1924 | Hilldale Club | Frank Warfield | [2] |
| 1925 | Hilldale Club | Frank Warfield | [3] |
| 1926 | Bacharach Giants | Dick Lundy | [4] |
| 1927 | Bacharach Giants | Dick Lundy | [5] |
For the duration of the league, a Colored World Series took place four times, from 1924 through 1927. The ECL Pennant winner met the champion of the rivalNegro National League. Three out of the four years, the Eastern Colored League team (below inbold) succumbed.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
