Before the Negro Leagues were officially formed, Black baseball clubs were already building their own traditions. One of the biggest dates on the calendar was Thanksgiving Day. Cities like Philadelphia, New York and Chicago packed their ballparks to watch teams such as the Cuban Giants, Gorhams and X-Giants square off in games that felt like early championships.

Thanksgiving became a rare chance for Black communities to gather in huge numbers and celebrate athletes who were shut out of the major leagues. Newspapers covered these matchups the way they later covered holiday football. Fans treated them as can’t-miss events.

These Thanksgiving games helped shape the culture that eventually produced the formal Negro Leagues. They gave players visibility, gave clubs financial stability and showed just how strong the appetite for Black baseball already was. It’s a chapter of baseball history that deserves more love every November.