1946 Florida State Negro Baseball League

A missing season?

Baseball Wiki is the only place I’ve found that has attempted to provide the teams in the league from 1945 through 1954. Wiki states that it is unknown if the league played this year. So, here you go…

Standings through 9/29/46

Team	Won	Lost	Pct.
Tampa	21	6	.778
Lakeland	16	9	.640
Daytona Beach	16	10	.615
Bartow	14	11	.539
Orlando	14	15	.483
Bradenton	14	15	.483
Miami	13	15	.464
W. Palm Beach	13	17	.433
St. Pete	11	18	.379
Cocoa	6	20	.230

Champion: Lakeland Tigers Runner-up: Dayrona Beach Black Cats

1st Round: Lakeland d. Tampa Daytona d. Bartow

Championship Trophy provided by Dr. E. C. Eccleston – Orlando

Season opened Sun. 4/28/46

5,000 fans at 5 fields including 1,350 at Orlando

8/12/46 All-Star Game @ Orlando

9/1/46 Game 2 at Tampa’s Plant Field

East Squad Teams: Daytona Beach Orlando, Miami Cocoa, West Palm

West Squad Teams: Bartow, Lakeland, Tampa, St. Pete, Bradenton

1st All-star game – West defeats Easte 10 – 9 in 10 innings

West players:

Hill LHP – Bartow 13 K’s

“Schoolboy” Tugerson – Bartow, 4 – 5 hitting

Elmore Edwards – Tampa Pepsi Cola Giants also pitched

East player:

Jeff Williams – Daytona Beach, 2 hits

Miami Giants played all games on road

11/3/46 League announced that Giants organization is suspended from league

Ownership

Lakeland Tigers Jesse Richardson

Daytona Beach Black Cats Henry Lee

Tampa Pepsi Cola Giants

Bartow Polk County All-Stars Ben Williams

Orlando All-Stars F. E. “Felix” Crosby

Bradenton Nine Devils Bish Christopher

West Palm Beach Black Yankees Bill Elam/ “Big Robert” Willie Matthews

St. Petersburg Pelicans Jack Peters

Cocoa Indians Brady “Bo” Williams Mgr.

West Palm co-owner “Big Robert” Willie Matthews dies in-season as a result of an accident

President Claude Keyes

League Secretary                   E. H. McLin

Treasurer                                G. D. Rogers

Sarasota Tigers – Associate Club?

Belle Glade All-Stars – reported in news article as league member, is ikely an associate member

Jacksonville Eagles also reported in league – associate?

Carl “Bubber” Ford – Owner Harry “Jeff” Jeffries – Mgr.

• Associate clubs get priority in scheduling games vs. league teams
• Known Rosters:
• Tampa Pepsi Cola Giants

Mgr. Jim Maxie	Capt Bill Spotford	P Elmore Edwards	P Walter “Dirk” Gibbons
C Roselle Sales	P Otis Gamble	John Henry	P Peanut Jordan
OF J. B. Broom	C McDavis	Perry
P Rabbit Cautadges

Lakeland Tigers

Mgr. John L Murphy	P James “Lefty” Bell	P James Hill	C Fisher
P Murray	R. B.		C “Hoggie” Gordon

Daytona Beach Black Cats

C Popeye Taylor	P Session	P Browning	P Cisco
P Basston	P Patrick	P Simmons	P Jones
P Macy

Bartow Polk County All-Stars

P Jim Schoolboy Tugerson	OF “Rabbit”	1B “Portside”	C Perry
P Dunlap	P Canady	P Little	C Sanders
P Dabney	P Hill	P Colbert	C Dan

Orlando All-Stars

C Charles Pelham	P “Lefty” Kelley	P Douglas	P “Red” Jones
P Simms	P Smith	P Baker	C Roy
OF L. Garvin

Bradenton Nine Devils

P “Red” Hughes	P Shamrock	P Grissett	C Ben Baker
P Hamilton	P Riley	P Bell	C O’Neal
P Murray	P Davis	C Gordon	P/C Simms

Miami Giants

Mgr/P/CF Fred “Big” Wilson	P Davis	P Clayton	C Boyer
P Everett	P Miller	P Jones	C Bass
Stevens	Bethern		C Johnson

West Palm Beach Black Yankees

P Red	P Simms	P Riley	P Kelley
C O’Neal	C Baker	2B Madison	LF Farmington
P Shamrock	1B Connie Green

St. Petersburg Pelicans

Mgr. Bo Williams	Capt/SS Jim Oliver	P/C J. D. Brown	1B Red Anderson
OF Buddy Brock	P C. L. Howard	P L. C. Monroe	C Eddie Nixon
2B Clifford Williams	2B Torrenta	CF Lee Artist Burgess	P Richardson
P AL McCoy	P Boley	P Mose	C Jodo Royal
			C Marking

Cocoa Black Indians

Mgr/P Brady ‘Bo Williams	P Cuellar	P Willie Weaver	C Henry
P Richardson	P Jackson	P Strickland	C Doll
P Hunter	P Walker		C Wilson