major league affiliates (the Chicago Cubs) to assign players to the Lafayette Oilers and integrate team rosters. Lafayette was an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. In 1956, some boycotts of attending games began after the Lafayette Oilers refused to accept the players to their team. Subsequently, Lafayette Parrish, home of the Baton Rouge Rebels, passed legislation making it illegal for black players to play in its ballparks. The Evangeline League itself also officially banned non–white players from appearing on their rosters. These blocks forced the major league teams to reassign the players to other leagues. Due to boycotts, the 1956 playoff finals, featuring Lafayette, were cancelled as a result. Both the Lafayette Oilers and the Baton Rouge Rebels folded before the end of the 1957 season, on June 20 1957. Playoff history Starting in its second year, the Evangeline League used a Shaughnessy two-round playoff system in which the teams with the teams with the first- and fourth-best records and the second- and third-best records would compete in a semifinal round with the winners competing for the league pennant. In 1948, the league canceled its playoffs due to bad weather, which had reduced attendance significantly, and again in 1956 due to "decreased interest and attendance." In both 1942 and 1957, the league folded before a playoff series could be held. In terms of repeat league champions, the Hammond Berries won the pennant three times, as did the Lafayette White Sox/Oilers; the Alexandria Aces and New Iberia Cardinals/Pelicans won twice; and the Baton Rouge Red Sticks, Crowley Millers, Houma Indians, Jeanerette Blues, Lake Charles Skippers, Opelousas Indians, and Thibodaux Giants each won once. List of teams (in alphabetical order) Etymology The league's name was derived from Evangeline, an Acadian girl made famous through a poem of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. References External links Evangeline Baseball League statistics 1934-1942 teams 1946-1947 teams Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Defunct professional sports leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in Louisiana Baseball leagues in Mississippi Baseball leagues in Texas Sports leagues established in 1934 Sports leagues disestablished in 1957 1934 establishments in the United States 1957 disestablishments in the United States