[KenRaffensberger16]

The East-West Negro league All-star Game was played for 21 years from 1933 to 1953. It was discontinued as more and more black players were signed by major league teams and there wasn't enough interest to hold the all-star game in 1954. Only a few players in the 1953 all-star game, Played in Mid-august of that year, went on to play in the major leagues. The two best known were HOF shortstop Ernie Banks who joined the Cubs about one month after the all-star game and a young 19 year old slugging first basemaner , Pancho Herrera, who would reach the Phillies in 1958. Both played for the Kansas City Monarchs.