The Little Rock Black Travelers were a Negro baseball team in the 1945 Negro Southern League. The team played home games at Travelers Field.
History
In the spring of 1945, the Little Rock Black Travelers became one of eight franchises in the newly revived Negro Southern League, which had not operated since 1936. The team was owned by Sam Parks and managed by Charlie Burgs.1 2 Home games were played at Travelers Field, home of the white Little Rock Travelers from whom the name "Black Travelers" originated.
The Negro Southern Schedule was divided into a split season. The first half began on May 6th and finished on July 4th. Little Rock finished seventh among eight teams in the first half with 9-22 record.3 Shortly after the second half began in mid-July, the Black Travelers moved to Richmond, VA due to "difficulties with the Little Rock baseball park."4 This difficulty was likely the result of not being able to book Travelers Field for home games.
After Little Rock dropped out of the Negro Southern League, the team barnstormed as an independent club.
Schedule/Results
The Negro Southern League schedule was divided into a split schedule. The following is a record of those halves before the team moved to Richmond, as can best be understood:
First Half
Second Half
Non-League Games
Players
History
In the spring of 1945, the Little Rock Black Travelers became one of eight franchises in the newly revived Negro Southern League, which had not operated since 1936. The team was owned by Sam Parks and managed by Charlie Burgs.1 2 Home games were played at Travelers Field, home of the white Little Rock Travelers from whom the name "Black Travelers" originated.
The Negro Southern Schedule was divided into a split season. The first half began on May 6th and finished on July 4th. Little Rock finished seventh among eight teams in the first half with 9-22 record.3 Shortly after the second half began in mid-July, the Black Travelers moved to Richmond, VA due to "difficulties with the Little Rock baseball park."4 This difficulty was likely the result of not being able to book Travelers Field for home games.
After Little Rock dropped out of the Negro Southern League, the team barnstormed as an independent club.
Schedule/Results
The Negro Southern League schedule was divided into a split schedule. The following is a record of those halves before the team moved to Richmond, as can best be understood:
First Half
Date | Location | Opponent | W-L | R | RA | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5/6/1945 | Travelers Field, Little Rock, AR | New Orleans Black Pelicans | L | 5 | ||
5/6/1945 | Travelers Field, Little Rock, AR | New Orleans Black Pelicans | L | 6 | ||
5/7/1945 | Travelers Field, Little Rock, AR | New Orleans Black Pelicans | L | 4 | 7 | 7 , 8 |
5/?/1945 | Mobile Black Bears | W | 1 | 0 | 9 , 10 | |
5/?/1945 | Mobile Black Bears | W | 7 | 6 | 11 , 12 , 13 | |
5/?/1945 | Mobile Black Bears | L | 6 | 8 | 14 , 15 , 16 | |
5/?/1945 | Mobile Black Bears | L | 2 | 8 | 17 , 18 , 19 | |
5/?/1945 | New Orleans Black Pelicans | W | 8 | 6 | 20 , 21 | |
5/?/1945 | New Orleans Black Pelicans | L | 3 | 11 | 22 , 23 | |
5/?/1945 | New Orleans Black Pelicans | L | 0 | 8 | 24 , 25 | |
5/23/1945 | Rebel Stadium, Dallas, TX | New Orleans Black Pelicans | L | 9 | 10 | Or 9-12.26 ,27 , 28 |
5/27/1945 | Travelers Field, Little Rock, AR | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 2 | 4 | 29 , 30 |
5/27/1945 | Travelers Field, Little Rock, AR | Chattanooga Choo Choos | W | 8 | 5 | 31 , 32 |
5/30/1945 | Travelers Field, Little Rock, AR | Chattanooga Choo Choos | W | 33 , 34 , 35 | ||
5/30/1945 | Travelers Field, Little Rock, AR | Chattanooga Choo Choos | W | 36 , 37 , 38 | ||
6/1/1945 | Fairgrounds Park, Jackson, MS | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 11 | 13 | 39 |
Note: Complete to this point. Record of 6-10 in league games. | 40 | |||||
6/3/1945 | Smithson Stadium, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville Grays | L | 3 | 18 | 41 , 42 43 |
6/5/1945 | Smithson Stadium, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville Grays | W | 10 | 8 | 44 , 45 |
6/5/1945 | Smithson Stadium, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville Grays | L | 0 | 7 | 46 , 47 |
6/7/1945 | Builders Park, Newport News, VA | Knoxville Grays | L | 48 | ||
Note: Lost 3 of 4 games with Knoxville. Record of 7-13. | 49 , 50 | |||||
Note: Series with Mobile cancelled. | 51 | |||||
Note: Series with Asheville cancelled. | 52 | |||||
6/24/1945 | Smithson Stadium, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville Grays | L | 2 | 8 | 53 , 54 , 55 |
6/24/1945 | Smithson Stadium, Knoxville, TN | Knoxville Grays | L | 2 | 4 | 56 , 57 , 58 |
6/?/1945 | Knoxville Grays | L | 59 | |||
6/26/1945 | Kingsport, TN | Knoxville Grays | L | 60 , 61 | ||
7/2/1945 | Luther Williams Field, Macon, GA | Atlanta Black Crackers | L | 62 , 63 | ||
7/?/1945 | Atlanta Black Crackers | L | 64 | |||
7/?/1945 | Atlanta Black Crackers | L | 65 | |||
7/?/1945 | Atlanta Black Crackers | L | 66 | |||
7/?/1945 | Atlanta Black Crackers | L | 67 | |||
7/?/1945 | Atlanta Black Crackers | L | 68 | |||
First Half | 9-22 (.290) | 69 |
Second Half
Date | Location | Opponent | W-L | R | RA | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7/8/1945 | Mooers Field, Richmond, VA | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 1 | 2 | 70 , 71 , 72 |
7/?/1945 | Mooers Field, Richmond, VA | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 73 , 74 | ||
7/9/1945 | Mooers Field, Richmond, VA | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 75 , 76 | ||
7/15/1945 | Engel Stadium, Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 3 | 4 | 77 |
7/15/1945 | Engel Stadium, Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 2 | 7 | 78 |
7/17/1945 | Engel Stadium, Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 10 | 18 | 79 |
7/18/1945 | Engel Stadium, Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga Choo Choos | L | 4 | 7 | 80 |
Non-League Games
Date | Location | Opponent | W-L | R | RA | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5/17/1954 | Legion Field, Pensacola, FL | Pepsi-Colas All-Stars | 81 | |||
5/18/1954 | Legion Field, Pensacola, FL | Pepsi-Colas All-Stars | 82 | |||
7/22/1945 | Mooers Field, Richmond, VA | Mobile Black Shippers | W | 18 | 9 | 83 |
7/22/1945 | Mooers Field, Richmond, VA | Mobile Black Shippers | W | 2 | 1 | 84 |
7/23/1945 | Mooers Field, Richmond, VA | Mobile Black Shippers | 85 | |||
7/30/1945 | Danville, VA | Nashville Black Vols | 86 | |||
8/3/1945 | Hammond, IN | East Chicago Giants | 87 | |||
8/9/1945 | Horlick Athletic Field, Racine, WI | Pittsburgh Crawfords | L | 7 | 27 | 88 |
Players
Player | Birth | Death | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Clark | 89 | ||
Jim Coachman | 90 , 91 | ||
Creamer | 92 | ||
Curry | 93 , 94 | ||
Eddie Green | 95 | ||
Hainey | |||
Hall | 96 | ||
Hill | 97 , 98 | ||
Hubbard | |||
Hyde | 99 , 100 | ||
Hooker | 101 , 102 | ||
Jordan | 103 | ||
Lewis | 104 | ||
Lockhart | 105 | ||
Lockman | 106 , 107 , 108 | ||
Manion/Mainor | 109 , 110 | ||
McCarthy | 111 | ||
Morgan | 112 | ||
Frank Pearson | 9/10/1919 in Memphis, TN | 8/11/1997 in Memphis, TN | 113 , 114 |
Porter | 115 | ||
Lefty Peach | 116 | ||
Ray | 117 | ||
Saunders | 118 | ||
Joe Washington | 119 | ||
Williams | 120 | ||
Wilson | 121 |
1
The Sporting News, 3/1/1945
2
Arkansas Gazette, 5/6/1945, p.8
3
Times-Picayune, 7/8/1945
4
Afro American, 7/28/1945
5
Times-Picayune, 5/11/1945
6
Times-Picayune, 5/11/1945
7
Times-Picayune, 5/11/1945
8
Afro American, 5/26/1945
9
Afro American, 5/26/1945
10
Arkansas Gazette, 5/13/1945
11
Afro American, 5/26/1945
12
Afro American, 5/12/1945
13
Arkansas Gazette, 5/13/1945
14
Afro American, 5/26/1945
15
Afro American, 5/12/1945
16
Arkansas Gazette, 5/13/1945
17
Afro American, 5/26/1945
18
Afro American, 5/12/1945
19
Arkansas Gazette, 5/13/1945
20
Afro American, 5/19/1945
21
Afro American, 6/2/1945
22
Afro American, 5/19/1945
23
Afro American, 6/2/1945
24
Afro American, 5/19/1945
25
Afro American, 6/2/1945
26
Times-Picayune, 5/24/1945
27
Afro American, 6/2/1945
28
Dallas Morning News, 5/23/1945
29
Afro American, 5/26/1945
30
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
31
Afro American, 5/26/1945
32
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
33
Afro American, 5/26/1945
34
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
35
Pittsburgh Courier, 6/9/1945
36
Afro American, 5/26/1945
37
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
38
Pittsburgh Courier, 6/9/1945
40
Pittsburgh Courier, 6/9/1945
41
Afro American, 5/26/1945
44
Afro American, 5/26/1945
46
Afro American, 5/26/1945
49
Arkansas Gazette, 6/10/1945.
50
Pittsburgh Courier, 6/16/1945
51
Arkansas Gazette, 6/10/1945.
The article doesn't explicitly say that the series with Mobile was cancelled, but this is in inferred by the fact that the Chicago-Toledo game was taking the place of the series.
The article doesn't explicitly say that the series with Mobile was cancelled, but this is in inferred by the fact that the Chicago-Toledo game was taking the place of the series.
53
Afro American, 6/23/1945
54
Chicago Defender , 6/30/1945, p.7
56
Afro American, 6/23/1945
57
Chicago Defender , 6/30/1945, p.7
59
The Sporting News, 7/5/1945, p.18. Little Rock lost a four-game series to Knoxville.
61
The Sporting News, 7/5/1945, p.18. Little Rock lost a four-game series to Knoxville.
62
Afro American, 7/14/1945. Atlanta Swept six-game series.
63
Macon Telegraph, 7/1/1945
64
Afro American, 7/14/1945. Atlanta Swept six-game series.
65
Afro American, 7/14/1945. Atlanta Swept six-game series.
66
Afro American, 7/14/1945. Atlanta Swept six-game series.
67
Afro American, 7/14/1945. Atlanta Swept six-game series.
68
Afro American, 7/14/1945. Atlanta Swept six-game series.
69
Times-Picayune, 7/8/1945
70
Afro American, 7/21/1945
71
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/8/1945
73
Afro American, 7/21/1945
74
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/8/1945
75
Afro American, 7/21/1945
76
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/8/1945
79
Chattanooga Daily Times, 7/18/1945, p.8
83
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/23/1945
84
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/23/1945
85
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/23/1945
86
The Bee (Danville, VA), 7/25/1945
87
Hammond Times (Hammond, IN), 8/3/1945
89
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
90
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
91
Indianapolis Recorder, 6/16/1945; 4/14/1945, noted to be from Mobile, AL.
92
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
93
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
95
Hammond Times (Hammond, IN), 8/3/1945
96
Chattanooga Daily Times, 7/18/1945, p.8
97
Times-Picayune, 5/24/1945
98
Chattanooga Daily Times, 7/18/1945, p.8
101
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
104
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
106
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
109
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
110
Chattanooga Daily Times, 7/18/1945, p.8
111
Chattanooga Daily Times, 7/18/1945, p.8
112
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
113
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
115
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
116
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
117
Arkansas Gazette, 5/28/1945
118
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945
120
Racine Journal Times, 8/8/1945