Author: Ken Clawson
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1951 Florida State Negro League
Final Standings Team Won Lost Pct. Orlando All-Stars 15 10 .600 Tampa Athletics 15 12 .556 Daytona Beach Red Wings 16 13 .552 St, Petersburg Pelicans 16 15 .516 Bradenton Nine Devils 12 16 .429 West Palm Beach Lincoln-Giants 10 10 .500 Orlando All-Stars were declared champions ** West Palm Beach withdrew from league in…
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1950 Florida State Negro League
– Not Certain if final standings – position in standings are final Season closed when final games were wiped out by Hurricane Teams Won Lost Pct. Orlando All-Stars 19 8 .704 Daytona Beach Red Wings 20 9 .688 Tampa Athletics 17 8 .680 St. Petersburg Pelicans 12 14 .462 Bradenton Nine Devils 8 15 .347…
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1949 Florida State Negro League
Standings as of 8/27/49 Team Won Lost Pct. Orlando All-Stars 14 3 .824 Tampa Rockets 12 3 ,800 St. Petersburg Pelicans 12 6 .667 Bradenton Nine Devils 9 10 .474 Palatka Blue Cats 5 13 .278 Daytona Beach Black Cats 5 14 .210 1st Round Play-offs: (Projected) Orlando All-Stars vs. Bradenton Nine Devils Tampa Rockets…
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1931 Florida Negro Baseball
While we know a negro baseball league was formed in 1932, 1931 may provide evidence as to why: There does however appear to be a major delineation between the top-tier clubs and the lower-tier clubs. Many top tier clubs will form a league together in 1932. Teams appearing across Florida in ’31 include: Bartow Giants…
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1948 Florida State Negro Baseball League
1948 seems to bring the upheaval to the Florida League that “white” baseball’s integration is bringing to Negro baseball overall. The Daytona Beach Black Cats operation is for sale, perhaps to Jacksonville and out of the FSNBL. Ben Williams in Bartow has folded the tent due to lack of attendance and poor field conditions. Many…
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1947 Florida State Negro Baseball League
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…
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The Integration of Major League Baseball: The Off-the-Field Story
Part 2: Wendell Smith – Events leading to the 1939 National League Survey In attempting to tell the off-the-field story, the getting negroes on-the-field must be touched upon. The same mechanism the press used to help these players integrate “white” baseball would be used over time to seek integrated living conditions not just in the…
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Hall of Famers That Trained in the Region
Part 13: 1971 – 75 Boston Red Sox Winter Haven Chain O’ Lakes Park Chicago White Sox Sarasota Payne Park Cincinnati Reds Tampa Al Lopez Field Detroit Tigers Lakeland Joker Marchant Stadium New York Mets St. Petersburg Huggins-Stengel Field/ Al Lang Field Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater Jack Russell Stadium Pittsburgh Pirates Bradenton McKechnie Field St. Louis…
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The Integration of Major League Baseball: The Off-the-Field Story
Part 2: Wendell Smith – Back Story It is hard to determine when it came into Branch Rickey’s or Bill Veeck’s minds to integrate baseball. The record shows that Rickey began his quest in 1945 and by October of that year signed Jackie Robinson to start play ostensibly in the minor leagues in 1946. Bill…
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The Integration of Major League Baseball: The Off-the-Field Story
Introduction Note: In keeping with the news reporting and other naming conventions of the era, the terms “negro”, “colored” and perhaps even “black” will be used instead of African American when applicable to the reporting of the day. African American media will often use “sepia” or “tan” in their headlines and stories. This next series…