the 1939 baltimore elite giants

This book on the 1939 Negro National League II champion Baltimore Elite Giants is part of a series of SABR books about the great Negro League teams of the first half of the twentieth century.

The Giants were first formed in Nashville in 1921, but moved around from location to location over the years - Columbus and Washington, DC, became way stations for team founder Tom Wilson as he moved the team in search of a sizable and stable fan base that Nashville’s Black population did not offer. Eventually, in 1938, after a poor showing in Washington, he found what he was looking for - a receptive environment for his Elites - and moved the team one more time, to Baltimore, less than 50 miles up the road. The following year, 1939, the Baltimore Elite Giants struck pay dirt and won the Negro National League championship in a four-team playoff, besting first the Newark Eagles and then the juggernaut Homestead Grays. They remained in Baltimore for the duration of their existence, until the team folded in 1950.

This book provides a detailed account of the Elite Giants and an array of essays about the players and team officials behind them that resulted in Baltimore’s 1939 crown. A complete season timeline, the story of Oriole Park, where the Elites often played, the historical context of the time, and articles about some of standout games are also included. They offer a backdrop for Tom Wilson’s bio and player narratives ranging from the young Roy Campanella and the likes of Biz Mackey, Burnis ＂Wild Bill＂ Wright, Henry Kimbro, and player-manager Felton Snow to those serving as the supporting cast.

This book is the collaborative work of 31 SABR members who have collaboratively and diligently researched and written each article.