The Little Rock Black Travelers were an independent Negro league baseball team based in Little Rock, AR from 1931-1932. Home games were primarily played at Booster Park in North Little Rock, AR. This team should not be confused with the Little Rock Grays (1931-1932) of the Negro Southern League.
History
The Little Rock Black Travelers were established as an independent Negro team in 1931 by North Little Rock black grocery store manager Jesse Powell.1 The team was managed by Earl Taylor and played home games at Booster Park in North Little Rock. The name "Black Travelers" mirrored that of the white minor league Little Rock Travelers.
In June of 1931, the Black Travelers sought to enter the Negro Southern League.2 3 However, for unclear reasons, the Negro Southern League awarded the franchise to J. J. Floyd's upstart Little Rock Grays. The Black Travelers continued to play independently through the remainder of the season.
In the spring of 1932, owner Jesse Powell represented Little Rock at meeting in Monroe, LA to plan a proposed league of teams based in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.4 The formation of the league failed, however, and Powell instead sold the Black Travelers to local black service station owner Ernest "Buddy" Nolan.5 6 However, the Black Travelers played only a few games early in the season before Nolan died on April 16th.7 The Black Travelers seemingly dissolved shortly afterward.
Schedule/Results
Players
1931
1932
History
The Little Rock Black Travelers were established as an independent Negro team in 1931 by North Little Rock black grocery store manager Jesse Powell.1 The team was managed by Earl Taylor and played home games at Booster Park in North Little Rock. The name "Black Travelers" mirrored that of the white minor league Little Rock Travelers.
In June of 1931, the Black Travelers sought to enter the Negro Southern League.2 3 However, for unclear reasons, the Negro Southern League awarded the franchise to J. J. Floyd's upstart Little Rock Grays. The Black Travelers continued to play independently through the remainder of the season.
In the spring of 1932, owner Jesse Powell represented Little Rock at meeting in Monroe, LA to plan a proposed league of teams based in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.4 The formation of the league failed, however, and Powell instead sold the Black Travelers to local black service station owner Ernest "Buddy" Nolan.5 6 However, the Black Travelers played only a few games early in the season before Nolan died on April 16th.7 The Black Travelers seemingly dissolved shortly afterward.
Schedule/Results
Date | Location | Opponent | W-L | R | RA | Notes |
5/10/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Nashville Giants | 8 | |||
5/12/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Arkansas Baptist College | W | 12 | 1 | 9 , 10 |
5/?/1931 | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City Red Sox | W | 7 | 6 | 11 |
5/31/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Missouri Pacific Boosters (North Little Rock, AR) | 12 | |||
6/19/1931 | Abbott Field, Camden, AR | Camden (AR) | W | 6 | 4 | 13 |
6/28/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | McGehee (AR) All-Stars | W | 7 | 1 | 14 |
7/4/1931 | Arkansas City, KS | Arkansas City (KS) | L | 4 | 6 | 15 |
7/5/1931 | Arkansas City, KS | Arkansas City (KS) | W | 9 | 3 | 16 |
7/6/1931 | Arkansas City, KS | Arkansas City (KS) | W | 8 | 3 | 17 |
7/12/1931 | Clarksville (AR) Giants | W | 5 | 3 | 18 | |
7/15/1931 | Kavanaugh Field | Oklahoma City Black Indians | W | 7 | 1 | 19 |
7/26/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Helena (AR) | 20 | |||
7/?/1931 | Standard Oilers | W | 9 | 3 | 21 | |
7/?/1931 | Standard Oilers | W | 7 | 0 | 22 | |
7/30/1931 | McGehee (AR) All-Stars | W | 5 | 2 | 23 , 24 | |
7/?/1931 | McGehee (AR) All-Stars | W | 9 | 1 | 25 | |
8/?/1931 | Pine Bluff, AR | Pine Bluff (AR) Giants | L | 1 | 3 | 26 |
8/?/1931 | Little Rock, AR | Cuban House of David | L | 3 | 15 | 27 |
8/9/1931 | Casino Park, Monroe, LA | Monroe (LA) Monarchs | L | 6 | 14 | 28 , 29 , 30 |
8/9/1931 | Casino Park, Monroe, LA | Monroe (LA) Monarchs | L | 1 | 10 | 31 , 32 , 33 |
8/16/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Sibley's Tigers | 34 | |||
8/23/1931 | Little Rock Grays | W | 2 | 0 | 35 | |
8/23/1931 | Little Rock Grays | W | 4 | 2 | 36 | |
8/30/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Little Rock Grays | W | 3 | 2 | First game.37 |
8/30/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Little Rock Grays | W | 3 | 2 | Second game.38 |
9/6/1931 | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City Black Indians | W | 4 | 1 | 39 , 40 |
9/6/1931 | Oklahoma City, OK | Oklahoma City Black Indians | W | 2 | 0 | 41 , 42 |
9/?/1931 | Muskogee, OK | Muskogee (OK) Chiefs | L | 3 | 4 | 43 |
9/?/1931 | Muskogee, OK | Muskogee (OK) Chiefs | W | 11 | 5 | 44 |
9/8/1931 | Sallisaw (OK) | 45 | ||||
9/10/1931 | Sallisaw (OK) | 46 | ||||
9/13/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Camden (AR) Stars | W | 7 | 1 | 47 |
9/13/1931 | Booster Park, North Little Rock, AR | Camden (AR) Stars | W | 5 | 4 | 48 |
9/?/1931 | Little Rock, AR | Cotton Belt Giants | W | 1 | 0 | 49 |
9/?/1931 | Little Rock, AR | Cotton Belt Giants | W | 4 | 3 | 50 |
9/?/1931 | Muskogee, OK | Muskogee (OK) | Won four of eight-game series.51 | |||
10/4/1931 | Casino Park, Monroe, LA | Nashville Elite Giants | 52 | |||
10/4/1931 | Casino Park, Monroe, LA | Nashville Elite Giants | 53 | |||
10/5/1931 | Casino Park, Monroe, LA | Nashville Elite Giants | 54 | |||
1932
| ||||||
3/27/1932 | Crump Park, Little Rock, AR | Little Rock Pirates | 55 | |||
4/3/1932 | Crump Park, Little Rock, AR | Little Rock Pirates | W | 7 | 3 | 56 |
4/10/1932 | Crump Park, Little Rock, AR | Little Rock Grays | L | 1 | 4 | 57 |
4/19/1932 | Marshall, TX | Wiley Wildcats (Marshall, TX) | 58 | |||
6/4/1932 | Leslie Street Park, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville (TN) Giants | L | 3 | 9 | 59 60 |
6/5/1932 | Leslie Street Park, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville (TN) Giants | L | 0 | 9 | First Game.61 62 |
6/5/1932 | Leslie Street Park, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville (TN) Giants | W | 6 | 3 | Second Game.63 64 |
6/6/1932 | Leslie Street Park, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville (TN) Giants | L | 6 | 33 | 65 66 |
Players
1931
Player | Birth | Death | Notes | |||
Earl Ackerson | 67 | |||||
Lewis Anderson | 68 | |||||
Bland | 69 | |||||
Chink Chiles/Childs/Childes | 70 , 71 , 72 | |||||
Cobb | 73 | |||||
Horace "Sonny Boy" Cole | 1/11/1908 in Little Rock, AR | 4/21/1971 in Little Rock, AR | 74 | |||
Conway | 75 | |||||
Bob Cooke | 76 | |||||
Eagle | 77 | |||||
Hank Johnson | 78 | |||||
Johnson | 79 | |||||
Jones | 80 | |||||
McGruger | 81 | |||||
Pete McQueen | 3/26/1909 in Carlisle, AR | 5/1/1985 in West Seneca, NY | 82 , 83 | |||
Moore | 84 | |||||
Richardson | 85 | |||||
Danny Thomas | 86 , 87 | |||||
Sammy Thompson | 88 , 89 | |||||
Wilbourn | 90 | |||||
Williams | 91 |
1932
Player | Birth | Death | Notes | |||
William Bradley | 92 | |||||
Robert Hughes | 93 | |||||
Andrew Porter | 3/7/1910 in Little Rock, AR | 7/1/2010 | 94 | |||
Marion Smith | 95 |
1
Chicago Defender, 3/28/1931, p.9. Powell's address is given as 415 East 14th, North Little Rock, AR. Jesse Powell operated a grocery store at that address.
2
Chicago Defender, 7/4/1931, p.8
3
Arkansas Gazette, 6/28/1931, p.16
4
Chicago Defender, 1/30/1932, p.8
5
Arkansas Gazette, 3/2/1932, p.12
6
Chicago Defender, 3/19/1932, p.8
8
Arkansas Gazette, 5/10/1931
9
Arkansas Gazette, 5/13/1931 p.14
10
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.8
11
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.9
12
Arkansas Gazette 5/31/1931 p.16
13
Arkansas Gazette 6/21/1931 p.15
14
Arkansas Gazette, 6/29/1931, p.8; Arkansas Gazette 6/29/1931 p.8
15
Arkansas Gazette 7/8/1931 p.12
16
Arkansas Gazette 7/8/1931 p.12
17
Arkansas Gazette 7/8/1931 p.12
18
Arkansas Gazette 7/14/1931 p.10
19
Arkansas Gazette 7/16/1931 p.12
20
Arkansas Gazette 7/26/1931 p.13
21
Arkansas Gazette 7/30/1931 p.14
22
Arkansas Gazette 7/30/1931 p.14
23
Arkansas Gazette 7/30/1931 p.14
24
Arkansas Gazette 8/2/1931
25
Arkansas Gazette 8/2/1931
26
Arkansas Gazette 8/4/1931 p.10
29
Arkansas Gazette 8/12/1931 p.10
30
Chicago Defender, 8/22/1931, p.9
32
Arkansas Gazette 8/12/1931 p.10
33
Chicago Defender, 8/22/1931, p.9
34
Arkansas Gazette 8/16/1931 p.16
35
Arkansas Gazette 8/26/1931 p.13
36
Arkansas Gazette 8/26/1931 p.13
37
Arkansas Gazette 8/31/1931 p.9
38
Arkansas Gazette 8/31/1931 p.9
39
Arkansas Gazette 9/8/1931 p.13
40
Chicago Defender, 9/19/1931, p.9
41
Arkansas Gazette /8/1931 p.13
42
Chicago Defender, 9/19/1931, p.9
43
Chicago Defender, 9/19/1931, p.9
44
Chicago Defender, 9/19/1931, p.9
45
Arkansas Gazette 9/10/1931 p.11
46
Arkansas Gazette 9/10/1931 p.11
47
Arkansas Gazette 9/14/1931 p.9
48
Arkansas Gazette 9/14/1931 p.9
49
Chicago Defender 10/3/1931 p.9
50
Chicago Defender 10/3/1931 p.9
51
Chicago Defender 10/17/1931 p.8
55
Arkansas Gazette, 3/27/1932, p.11
56
Arkansas Gazette, 4/4/1932, p.8
57
Arkansas Gazette, 4/11/1932, p.7
59
Chicago Defender, 6/18/1932, p.8
61
Chicago Defender, 6/18/1932, p.8
63
Chicago Defender, 6/18/1932, p.8
65
Or 3-33. Chicago Defender, 6/18/1932, p.8
67
Arkansas Gazette 7/14/1931 p.10
68
Arkansas Gazette 7/14/1931 p.10
69
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.8
70
Arkansas Gazette 7/30/1931 p.14
71
Arkansas Gazette 8/26/1931 p.13
72
Chicago Defender, 8/1/1931, p.9
73
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.9
74
Arkansas Gazette 8/2/1931
75
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.8
76
Chicago Defender, 8/1/1931, p.9
77
Arkansas Gazette 7/14/1931 p.10
78
Chicago Defender, 9/19/1931, p.9
79
Arkansas Gazette 8/30/1931 p.15
80
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.8
81
Chicago Defender, 8/1/1931, p.9
82
Arkansas Gazette 7/14/1931 p.10
83
Arkansas Gazette 9/8/1931 p.13
84
Chicago Defender, 8/1/1931, p.9
85
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.8
86
Arkansas Gazette 7/14/1931 p.10
87
Arkansas Gazette 8/4/1931 p.10
88
Arkansas Gazette 6/2/1931 p.15
89
Chicago Defender 7/4/1931 p.8
90
Chicago Defender, 5/23/1931, p.9
91
Chicago Defender, 9/19/1931, p.9
92
Arkansas Gazette, 3/2/1932, p.12
93
Arkansas Gazette, 3/27/1932, p.11
94
Arkansas Gazette, 3/2/1932, p.12
95
Arkansas Gazette, 3/2/1932, p.12