The New York–Harlem Yankees, known also as the Harlem Yankees, were a men's professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Harlem. In December 1949 the team relocated to Saratoga Springs, New York and were renamed the Saratoga–Harlem Yankees.
According the Todd Boyd and Kenneth L. Shropshire, authors of Basketball Jones: America Above the Rim, the New York–Harlem Yankees were founded by Frank Richardson in 1937. Boyd and Shroshire describe the Yankees as the "b-team" to the New York Renaissance, who were a popular and successful all-black professional basketball team established in 1923.
During the 1948–49 season of the New York State Professional League (NYSPL). They competed in the Eastern Professional Basketball Association (EPBA) for the 1949–1950 season. They subsequently relocated before the start of the 1950–51 season and were renamed the Saratoga Yankees based in Saratoga, New York.
The Yankees' home venue was the Rockland Palace in Harlem.
During the 1940–41 basketball season the Harlem Yankees were not affiliated with any league or association, instead opting to barnstorm the Northeastern United States for money. The first game of the season was against the Newark Elks, an Elks Lodge sponsored team based in Newark, New York.[1] Harlem won the game by a score of 40–39.[2]
In March 1941 the Yankees took part in the Eastern Open Basketball Tournament in Saratoga Springs, New York. Harlem made it to the final round of the tournament, but lost the championship game 55–35 to the Saratoga Springs Indians. Their second place finish earned them $500.[3]
After the United States entered World War II on December 7, 1941 the difficulty for Harlem of scheduling games for the 1941–42 season was noted in the The Newark Courier-Gazette and The Marion Enterprise. Since most of the players on the Yankees roster also had manufacturing jobs related to the war finding time to travel to other cities and back came hard to come by.[4] The cost of travel inflated since the rationing of gasoline for the war had begun. By 1943 the Yankees had disbanded.
The Harlem Yankees were revived in 1946 and coached by former Renaissance player Eyre Saitch
for the 1947–48 season. On November 20, 1947 there was an advertisement in the The Brewster Standard for a Harlem Yankees game against the Danbury Newfields at the armory in Danbury, Connecticut.[5]
In early January 1949 it was announced that the Harlem Yankees were joining the New York State Professional League. Their first game of the season was against Glens Falls Commodores in Glens Falls, New York.[6]
Before the start of the 1949–1950 season the Harlem Yankees relocated to Saratoga Springs, New York, but kept the moniker "Harlem" making them the Saratoga–Harlem Yankees.[7]
1941 roster edit
1951 roster edit
1951–52 roster edit
Games edit
| # | Date | Opponent | City, State (Venue) |
Score | Attendence | Record | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 7, 1940 | Newark Elks | Newark, New York (Newark High School) |
40–39 W | [2] | |||
| April 1, 1942 | Grumman Flying V's | Bethpage, New York | 36–39 L | ||||
| January 21, 1943 | Electric Boat Diesels | ||||||
| February 13, 1949 | Mohawk Redskins | Halem, New York | 37–47 L | [8] | |||
| December 11, 1949 | Hartford Hurricanes | Harlem, New York (Rockland Palace) |
72–68 W | [9][10] |
- ^ "Elks Open Season With Harlem Yanks, Dec. 7". The Newark Courier. Newark, New York. November 28, 1940. p. 5.
- ^ a b "Pro Tossers Seek Revenge Over Harlem". Newark Union-Gazette and Marion Enterprise. Newark, New York. January 9, 1941. p. 7.
- ^ "Saratoga teams with tournament". Ogdensburg Journal. Ogdensburg, New York. Associated Press. March 24, 1941. p. 5.
- ^ Bird, Don (December 18, 1941). "Play and by-play". The Newark Courier-Gazette and The Marion Enterprise. Newark, New York. p. 10.
- ^ "Professional Basketball". The Brewster Standard. Brewster, New York. November 20, 1947. p. 3.
- ^ "Harlem Yankees Join Circuit Loop". Ogdensburg Journal. Ogdensburg, New York. January 3, 1949. p. 4.
- ^ "Harlem Yanks Move to Spa". Schenectady Gazette. Schenectady, New York: Associated Press. December 12, 1949. p. 9.
- ^ "Mohawk Beats Harlem Yanks". Schenectady Gazette. New York City, New York. February 14, 1949. p. 9.
- ^ "Sports today". The New York Times. New York City, New York. December 11, 1949. p. S7.
- ^ "Pro Basketball". Endicott Daily Bulletin. Endicott, New York. Associated Press. December 12, 1949. p. 10.