From Ohio History Central During the late 1800s and the early
1900s, professional baseball teams and leagues were segregated.
Whites prohibited African Americans from playing on teams with
white players and usually prevented white teams and black teams
from playing in the same professional leagues. As a result of
this segregation, separate leagues and teams for whites and
blacks existed in professional baseball�s early decades. The
Cleveland Elites was a professional African-American baseball
team that played its home games in Cleveland, Ohio. The team
played in the Negro National League. Established in 1926, the
Cleveland Elites played only the 1926 season before becoming
known as the Cleveland Hornets. The Hornets disbanded following
the 1927 season.