*This date in 1946 celebrates the start of the Indianapolis Clowns baseball organization. They were among many teams that played in the Negro Baseball League.
Over 30 Midwest, northeast, and south communities were home to franchises organized into six different leagues. Though better known for their colorful antics, the Clowns were also a sound baseball team. In 1952, they won the Negro American League championship with a young cross-handed slugger from Mobile, AL., named Hank Aaron. The Clowns fielded such stars as Buster Haywood, DeWitt "Woody" Smallwood, showman "Goose" Tatum, and future Major Leaguers John Wyatt (As), Paul Cassanova (Senators), and "Choo-Choo" Coleman (Mets).
The Indianapolis Clowns have changed nicknames in their history, with one such classic being the Ethiopian Clowns. In 1930, they often marched on the field with a dancing spectacle derived from African cultures to entertain the crowds, but they eventually returned to the Indianapolis domain. The team folded in 1962.
The Negro Baseball Leagues: A Photographic History
By Phil Dixon with Patrick J. Hannigan
Copyright 1992, Jed Clauss and Joanna Paulsen
Ameron House Publishing
ISBN 0-88488-0425-2
