The Columbus Blue Birds were a professional

Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...

team based in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

in 1931 and 1933.

Founding

Their name appears to have been derived from that of the

Columbus Red Birds The Columbus Red Birds were a top-level minor league baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio, in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. The Columbus club, a member of the Association continuously since 1902, was previously known as ...

, the top-level minor league baseball team that played in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. Columbus was an associate team to the first Negro National League in 1931. The Blue Birds, which were one of the five founder members of the second incarnation of the Negro National League, were organized under the ownership of WJ Peebles of Columbus. Peebles was reported to have built up "a formidable aggregation" and one that was fast growing in favor in the capital city.Newark Advocate. May 16, 1933 Several players, who formerly wore the colors of the

Homestead Grays The Homestead Grays (also known as Washington Grays or Washington Homestead Grays) were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro league baseball, Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 in sports, 1912 by Cum ...

and

Kansas City Monarchs 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 193 ...

had been added to the Birds' roster for their first season.

League play

Columbus started the season well, but proved too weak and finished the first half of the split season in last place of the six team league with a record of 11-18.

Demise

The team was disbanded and ended up merging with the Akron Tyrites, one of the top independent Negro league teams of their day. The merged team more or less became the

Cleveland Giants The Cleveland Giants were a Negro league baseball team. The team played for one year, 1933. Their home games were contested at Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland's Luna Bowl in Luna Park, Cleveland, Luna Park. History In 1933, the struggling Columbus ...

, which finished the season.'Black Baseball in Cleveland during the Depression Years 1930-1940', ''Black Baseball in Cleveland''
Chapter 2, Retrieved July 24, 2005.

Notable players

Batting champion Leroy Morney and slugger Jabbo Andrews were the top stars. * Jabbo Andrews * Ameal Brooks * Bill Byrd * Lou Dials * Dizzy Dismukes * Leroy Morney * Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe

References

External links

*Peterson, Robert W. ''Only The Ball Was White'', (New York: Prentice-Hall Englewood-Cliffs, 1970)
Ohio Central History
{{Negro League teams Baseball teams in Columbus, Ohio Negro league baseball teams in Ohio Baseball teams established in 1933 Baseball teams disestablished in 1933 African-American history in Columbus, Ohio 1933 establishments in Ohio 1933 disestablishments in Ohio Defunct baseball teams in Ohio