Negro Leagues Legacy | Wool Collection | Jerseys
New York Black Yankees 1935 Authentic Wool Home Baseball Jersey
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AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE PINSTRIPES WORN BY THE 1935 BLACK YANKEES
History: The New York Black Yankees started as an independent team in 1932. They barnstormed in those first years, sometimes playing doubleheaders in different states on successive days. They joined the Negro National League in 1936. In the 40s, they played home games at Yankee Stadium when the American League Yankees were on the road.
This jersey is a meticulously-crafted reproduction of the uniform the Black Yankees wore in 1935, their last year in independent ball. Through reverent research, we replicate period-correct materials, lettering, sleeve patches and trim to craft a tribute to those that came before us, the best way we know how.
In partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), we are proud to offer this authentic wool flannel jersey. A portion of proceeds from this product will support the NLBM in Kansas City. For more information about the museum, visit www.nlbm.com (https://www.nlbm.com/)
Product Details
Authentic white flannel
Felt YANKEES lettering
Felt #5 on back
50% Wool, 50% Polyester
Dry clean only
Made in USA
Returns
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The Harlem Roots of a Forgotten Franchise
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The Forgotten Home Team
In 1935, the New York Black Yankees were still in their early days, a barnstorming club navigating the complexities of Depression-era America. Their home jersey from this period wasn’t just a uniform—it was a banner for Harlem. Playing as guests in their own city, they rarely got top billing, but they carried themselves like champions.
Stitched in Harlem, Worn Across the Northeast
Their 1935 jersey represented the team’s transition from the Harlem Stars to the Black Yankees name. It wasn’t just an aesthetic—it was a message: We belong. Worn during games from Yankee Stadium to Hinchliffe Stadium in New Jersey, the jersey carried the echoes of segregated stands, doubleheaders, and back-to-back barnstorming schedules.
A Jersey Worn With Pride
With its classic cut, wool texture, and felt lettering, this home jersey offered a glimpse into the pride of Black baseball players who were too good for the majors, but not allowed in. It’s the kind of garment that spoke volumes in silence.
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“Worn in Harlem. Feared everywhere.”
Humble Beginnings in Harlem
The New York Black Yankees began as the Harlem Stars in the early 1930s, founded by James “Soldier Boy” Semler. He wasn’t a baseball man in the traditional sense—he was a businessman, a promoter, a man who saw a team as more than just a roster. He saw it as representation. In 1935, the team began shaping its identity as the “Black Yankees”—a direct, provocative parallel to their segregated MLB counterparts. They would never play a full home schedule, but they played with the weight of Harlem behind them.
Life as the Other Yankees
While the MLB Yankees were climbing toward a dynasty, the Black Yankees were traveling the Northeast on shoestring budgets. They wore hand-me-downs. They traveled by bus. They sometimes slept in the same uniforms they played in. But they played—and played well. Stars like Fats Jenkins, George “Mule” Suttles, and later, Red Moore and George Crowe, carried the team’s competitive fire. The 1935 jersey marked a time of emergence. Of trying to build legitimacy while battling invisibility.
The Cultural Stakes
To wear this jersey in 1935 was to wear rebellion. It was to walk into a segregated stadium, take the field against rival Negro League teams, and say: “We’re here too.” This was before Jackie Robinson. Before television. Before fair contracts. The Black Yankees’ presence in New York’s sports scene was political and poetic. The jersey wasn’t sold in stores. It was worn by men with something to prove.
Legacy Stitched in Thread
Today, this wool jersey doesn’t just represent a team—it represents a fight for space. A battle to be seen in a city that celebrated Babe Ruth while ignoring men who could’ve easily played beside him. It reminds us of an era where being great wasn’t enough—you had to be resilient too.
Why This Jersey Matters
This is not a souvenir. This is history. The 1935 home jersey of the New York Black Yankees is a stitched artifact of America’s unfinished story. A reminder that Harlem once fielded its own Yankees—and they played for something more than rings. They played for recognition.
Product Detaiks
Authentic white flannel
Felt YANKEES lettering
Felt #5 on back
50% Wool, 50% Polyester
Dry clean only
Made in USA
