Standings as of 8/30/47 as published in the St. Petersburg Times.
Teams Won Lost Pct
| Tampa Rockets | 18 | 4 | .818 |
| Lakeland Tigers | 16 | 8 | .667 |
| Orlando All-Stars | 15 | 9 | .625 |
| West Palm Beach Yankees | 12 | 12 | .500 |
| Daytona Beach Black Cats | 12 | 15 | .444 |
| Bradenton Nine Devils | 10 | 15 | .400 |
| Sanford Giants | 10 | 15 | .400 |
| Bartow Polk County All-Stars | 5 | 18 | .233 |
Tampa Rockets were the league champions with a final record of 18 – 4. They had an overall record of 46 – 11 per the Chester Times on 8/5/47.
League Officials:
President C. J. Keyes Daytona Beach
Vice President F. E. Crosby Orlando
Secretary Alan Spotford Tampa
Treasurer G. D. Rogers Tampa
Publicity Director E. H. McLin St. Petersburg
Statistician E. H. McLin St. Petersburg
New Journal and Guide noted that all but one league officer are non-team owner’s an unusual set-up for Negro Leagues.
McLin was also on the legal committee and generally served as Umpire-in-Chief
Corporate Charter for League issued by Secretary of State
Owners:
Bartow Polk County All-Stars Ben Williams
Bradenton Nine Devils Bish Christopher
Daytona Beach Black Cats Henry Lee
Lakeland Tigers Jesse Richardson
Orlando All-Stars F. E. Crosby
Plam Beach Yankees Bill Elam
Sanford Giants Millard Strickland or Roosevelt Harris
Tampa Rockets C. Blythe Andrews
League Limited to 8 members + Associates – likely Associates
St Pete Pelicans Jack Peters
Cocoa Indians Lane E. Singleton
Plant City Aces Tom Bullock
Sarasota Grays operate as the farm team of the Bradenton Nine Devils
Pepsi Cola Giants (Tampa) were suspended from league play David “Fats” Waitman moved Pepsi Cola Giant franchise to Panama City for ’47 & ‘48 after failing to be granted the request to stay on as an associate member of the league. They opened the ’47 season in Tampa.
2/8/47 League Meeting – Decided to field 8 teams instead of 10
In Attendance:
Bish Christopher Bradenton
C. Blythe Andrews Tampa
Millard Strickland Sanford
Jesse Richardson Lakeland
Ben Williams Bartow (Polk County)
Henry Lee Daytona
F. E. Crosby Orlando
W. M. Elam West Palm Beach
East-West All-Star Games:
1st Game 7/29/47 at City Park (Lakeland, Fl.) Attendance – 4,000+ West 11 East 8
2nd game – to be scheduled 2nd week in August in Orlando, likely not played due to Tampa Rockets travelling to play at Yankee Stadium the 2nd week of August
East All-Stars: (West Palm Beach, Daytona, Sanford, Orlando)
| Mgr: Blackie Owens DB | C Charlie Pelham, Orl | C Allen Smith, WPB |
| C Millard “Popeye” Taylor, DB | 2B Jimmie Thompson, Orl | SS Sammie Gardner, WPB |
| 1B Connie Green, WPB | CF David Black, San | C C. Wilson, Sanford |
| 1B John Henderson, Sanford | 3B L. Witherspoon, Sanford | 2B Raymond Charles, Daytona |
| 3B Mack Davis, WPB | P Cleveland, Orl | P C. Faison, Sanford |
| CF L. Garvin, Orl | P Session, Daytona | UT Fisher, Orlando |
| 1B Dodie, DB | P Browning, DB |
Mgr: Blackie Owens, Daytona (former Birmingham Black Baron)
West All-Stars: (Tampa, Lakeland, Bartow, Bradenton)
| Mgr Carlo Suarez, Brad | C Rosell Sales, Tpa | C Sim Streeter, Brad |
| 1B Hugh Yancy, Brad | 3B C. Merritt, Bartow | C Hoggie Gordon, Lake |
| 2B Thomas Reddick, Btw | 1B Willie Hendricks Tpa | SS Zeke Crowder, Lake |
| 3B Adam Young, Tpa | LF Alan Spotford, Tpa | P Cheeseburg, Btw |
| 3B Bubba Bowden, Brad | SS Ruebin Williams, Btw | P Robert “Boo” Royal, Brad |
| CF Preacher Williams, Lake | RF James Tugerson, Btw | UT “Pepper” Martin, Brad |
| P Jimmy “Squab” Hill, Lake | P Walter “Dirk” Gibbons, Tpa | P James “Lefty” Bell, Lake |
Umpires: Goldie Thompson, E. H. McLin
All-Star Ballot to Select 5 Tampa Rockets players
Bradenton Nine Devils: Owner Bish Christopher, Mgr. Carlo Suarez
| 3B Robert “Bubba” Bowden | C “Big” Sim Streeter | UT “Pepper” Martin |
| P Robert “Boo” Royal | 1B Hugh Yancey | P Louis Williams |
| P J. C. Hamilton | P Ed Spencer |
Daytona Black Cats: Owner Henry Lee, Mgr. Blackie Owens Kelly Field
| C Millard “Popeye” Taylor | P Browning | 1B Dodie |
| P Sessions | P Matthews | |
| 2B Raymond Charles | P Hiram Marshall |
Lost to Homestead Grays 15 – 13 while Grays training in Daytona
Lakeland Tigers: Owner Jesse Richardson
| P Jimmy “Squab” Hill | SS Zeke Crowder | P Duke Weston |
| C Dennis “Hoggie” Gordon | RF L. Williams | 3B Mose |
| P James “Lefty” Bell | 1B Ike Welch | LF Smith |
| CF Preacher Williams | CF Pearson | Simpkins |
P James “Lefty” Bell (Charles?) was signed by the Homestead Grays in ’48. The press release claims he was 27 – 1 overall pitching for Lakeland.
Jimmy “Squab” Hill was a negro major leaguer. In addition to playing for the Lakeland Tigers early in his career he went to the Philadelphia Stars and was a teammate of Larry Doby’s with the Newark Eagles. Hill came back to Florida and formed a winter team known as Jimmy Hill’s All-Stars for a couple of seasons before folding that squad into the Lakeland FSNBL team.
Orlando All-Stars: Owner F. (Felix) E. Crosby Mgr. Charlie Pelham
| Mgr/C Charlie Pelham | P Charles “Lefty” Cleveland | RF Jack Altman |
| P Sam “Red” Jones | CF L. “Sleepy” Garvin | UT Fisher |
| SS Jimmie Thompson | P Ransom | Henson |
| P James “Jet” Douglas | P Phillips |
Sam “Red” Jones was stationed in Orlando For military duty and was not allowed to play for the white base team instead having to play in a Negro intramural type base league. Picked up by the All-Stars, Jones credits Charlie Pelham with converting him from a catcher to a pitcher.
RF Jack Altman had 15 HRs by August
Polk County All-Stars (Bartow): Owner Ben WIlliams
| SS Reubin Williams | C Sammie(?) Williams | P “Pink” Dunlap |
| 2B Thomas Reddick | 3B C. Merritt | P Norris |
| RF Jim Tugerson | C Herd | P Collins |
| P Louis “Snooks” McDuffie | P Cheesbourg | P Bailey |
Sanford Giants: Owner Millard Strickland
| P Walter Grant | P/3B Les Witherspoon | C/P Charles Wilson |
| 1B/P John Henderson | P C. Faison | P Mack |
| CF David Black | P Bryant |
Tampa Rockets: Owner C. Blythe Andrews Mgr. Alan Spotford
| Mgr/LF Alan Spotford | P Gus(?) Gadsen | C J. Williams |
| C Rosell Sails | SS A. Williams | 1B Smith |
| P Walter “Dirk” Gibbons | P “Big” “Schoolboy” Allen | CF Davis |
| 3B Adam Young | RF F. Williams | 2B Fox |
| P J. B. Broom | Jim Maxey | LF Skin |
| 1B Willie Hendrix | OF Willie Black | LF Gene |
| P Raydell “Bo”Maddix | P Pip Rosey | OF Wilson |
| P Freddie Jackson | 2B M. Spotford |
Gus (?) Gadsen throws the first no-hitter in the league
Played Ashville Blues (Negro Southern League Champs) in Yankee Stadium 8/10/47
46 – 11 – 1 heading into game, played Birmingham Black Barons, Indianapolis Clowns, Newark Eagles, New York Black Yankees, Havana La Polomas
Travelled to Savannah, Ga. Won all four game
West Palm Beach Yankees: Owner: W. M. “Bill” Elam
| P William “Tatum” Burns | P Clarence “Hambone” Simms | P Mason Shamrock |
| 1B Connie Green | P “Peanuts” Davis | P Kelly Butler |
| SS Sammie Gardner | C Bouie | P Nickerson |
| 3B Mack Davis | CF Lang | P Rogers |
| LF David Deal | RF Williams | Carney |
| P/C Allen Smith | P/C Taylor |