Philadelphia has one of the longest histories of Negro Baseball of any city in the country, beginning with the Philadelphia Pythians of 1867.  The Philadelphia Giants were a dominant team in the early part of this century, being Colored World Champions in 1902, 1904, and 1906.  Some great players toiled for the Giants, including, Sol White, Grant Johnson, Pete Hill, John Henry Lloyd, Frank Grant, and Rube Foster.

The Hilldale Giant team was the first formed in 1910 as a local club team.  Usually referred to simply as “Hilldale” or “the Hilldales,” they became professional in 1917.  After playing strong independent and NNL teams through the years, they joined the Eastern Colored League in 1923 and won the first three championships.  In 1923, they were 32-17.  In 1924, they were 47-22 and played the Kansas City Monarchs in the first official Colored World Series, falling five games to four with one tie.  They were a brilliant 52-15 in 1925, and beat the Monarchs in six games for the world title.  The Bacharach Giants ended Hilldale’s ECL reign in 1926, Hilldale finishing third at 34-24.  They fell further in 1927, to 36-45.  The ECL disbanded after this year and the Hilldales played an independent schedule.  They rejoined the American Negro League for 1929, going 39-35 and finishing fourth.  There was no league in the East in 1930 and 1931, but Hilldale’s 1931 team was 42-13 against black professional clubs, and was generally considered Eastern champs. 

Hilldale ceased to exist after this season.  However, Ed Bolden formed a new entry that joined the second Negro National League in 193—the Philadelphia Stars.  The Stars would be a strong black team until falling victim to integration and finances following the 1952 season.

The 1934 Stars were 23-13, and they won the second half championship and a hotly disputed seven game playoff against the Chicago American Giants.  They were 28-27 in 1935, 25-30 in 1936, and the middle of the pack from 1937 to 1948, but never pennant winners.  They joined the Negro American League after the merger of the leagues following the 1948 season.

Over the years, the Philadelphia teams played in Darby and Yeadon, Pennsylvania, and at Passon Field and Pennar Park in Philadelphia.

The great Hilldale stars were Otto Briggs, Phil Cockrell, Nip Winters, George Johnson, Judy Johnson, Biz Mackey, Red Ryan, and Louis Santop.  Some of the top Philadelphia Stars players were Gene Benson, Barney  Brown, Bill Cash, “Slim” Jones, Webster McDonald, and Red Parnell.