▁in ▁which ▁organized ▁baseball ▁was ▁seg reg ated . ▁ ▁League ▁history ▁ ▁Found ing ▁▁ ▁Led ▁by ▁R ube ▁F oster , ▁owner ▁and ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁American ▁Gi ants , ▁the ▁N NL ▁was ▁established ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁by ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁team ▁own ers ▁at ▁a ▁meeting ▁in ▁a ▁Kansas ▁City ▁Y M CA . ▁The ▁new ▁league ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁baseball ▁circuit ▁to ▁achieve ▁stability ▁and ▁last ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁season . ▁ ▁At ▁first ▁the ▁league ▁operated ▁mainly ▁in ▁mid western ▁cities , ▁r anging ▁from ▁Kansas ▁City ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁to ▁Pitts burgh ▁in ▁the ▁east ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁it ▁expanded ▁into ▁the ▁south , ▁adding ▁franch ises ▁in ▁B irmingham ▁and ▁M emph is . ▁ ▁Compet ition ▁▁ ▁The ▁two ▁most ▁important ▁east ▁coast ▁clubs , ▁the ▁Hil ld ale ▁Club ▁of ▁Dar by , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁and ▁the ▁Bach ar ach ▁Gi ants ▁of ▁Atlantic ▁City , ▁were ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁N NL ▁as ▁associate ▁clubs ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁comp ete ▁for ▁the ▁championship . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁they ▁and ▁four ▁other ▁eastern ▁teams ▁formed ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Col ored ▁League ▁( E CL ) ▁and ▁ra ided ▁the ▁N NL ▁for ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁top ▁players , ▁including ▁John ▁Henry ▁Lloyd , ▁B iz ▁Mack ey , ▁George ▁S