1942 Kansas City Monarchs

Yesterday, MLB.com released team #3 on their list of the greatest Negro League teams. That team was the 1942 Kansas City Monarchs.

Few argue about the quality of this ballclub's deep pitching staff. It featured Satchel Paige and Hilton Smith, who might have been the best one-two combination in the history of baseball. With Buck O'Neil's and Willard Brown's bats in the lineup every day, the 1942 Kansas City Monarchs also boasted plenty of offensive firepower to complement Paige and Smith. Here is the Monarchs' story.

In 1942, just before World War II and integration would water down the talent pool in the Negro Leagues, businessman J.L. Wilkinson assembled the best Kansas City Monarchs team in the history of the storied franchise.

Wilkinson's Monarchs had three future Hall of Famers and six All-Stars. A year later, the nucleus of his team would be spread across the
world. Four of the '42 All-Stars left to fight the war, while six Monarchs left in all.

There is a part in here about the Negro Leagues World Series of 1942, the first series since 1927, between the Monarchs and the Homestead Grays that is really interesting especially for this part about the Monarchs being up 3-0 in the series and the Grays decided to try something:

The Series went on to Kansas City, where [Cum] Posey tried to prevent the sweep by bringing in ringers, a common practice of the time, said Brian Carroll, a professor at Berry College and an authority on black baseball.

Posey added four players. Three came from the Newark Eagles -- Hall of Fame pitcher Leon Day, left fielder Lennie Pearson and right fielder Ed Stone -- and one from the Philadelphia Stars -- shortstop James "Buster" Clarkson.

Because of the roster additions, the Monarchs played the game under protest. The Monarchs would lose the game, 4-1, but the league upheld their protest, which wiped away the loss.

"The Grays probably did it a little too much," said Carroll of the practice of using ringers. "They probably indulged themselves more than the norm, which got the Monarchs all upset."

The Monarchs won the next game and the series -- in Philadelphia.

Then there is this interesting factoid:

In '42, the Monarchs played more than 100 games, but they played only 15 at home. Famous for their barnstorming, the Monarchs made more money playing on the road than they did in Kansas City, though the city supported the franchise well. When the Monarchs were in town, the city treated their games like the circus: They were a really big show.

"People dressed up in their bests to go to the ballgames," said Dewie Alexander, a former batboy and the lone living member of the '42 team. "You didn't see any jeans."

What made the Monarchs a big drawing card was Paige, the ultimate showman. His mouth never stopped running, and he never stopped entertaining.

Team Number Two on the countdown is scheduled to be released on February 19.