The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time of the establishment of the team. In 1930, the Monarchs became the first professional baseball team to use a portable lighting system which was transported from game to game in trucks to play games at night, five years before any major league team did. The Monarchs won ten league championships before integration, and triumphed in the first Negro League World Series in 1924. The Monarchs had only one season in which they lost more games than won. After sending more players to the major leagues than any other Negro League franchise, the team was finally disbanded in 1965.
Read more about Kansas City Monarchs: Negro National League, Barnstorming, Negro American League, Minor League Affiliate, Baseball Hall of Famers, MLB Throwback Jerseys
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