Chicago American Giants
Encyclopedia
Chicago American Giants were a Chicago
-based Negro league baseball
team, owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Foster. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball. Charter members of Foster's Negro National League, the American Giants won five pennants in that league, along with another pennant in the 1932 Negro Southern League
and a second-half championship in Gus Greenlee's Negro National League in 1934. The team was disbanded in 1952.
. That season, featuring Hall of Fame shortstop John Henry Lloyd
, outfielder Pete Hill
, second baseman Grant Johnson, catcher Bruce Petway
, and pitcher Frank Wickware
, the Leland Giants reportedly won 123 games while losing only 6. In 1911, Foster renamed the club the "American Giants."
Playing in spacious Schorling Park
(formerly the home field of the American League's Chicago White Sox
), Foster's club relied on fielding, pitching, speed, and "inside baseball" to dominate the young Negro National League
(NNL), winning championships in 1920, 1921, and 1922. When the Kansas City Monarchs
displaced the American Giants beginning in 1923, Foster tried rebuilding; but by 1926 his health (physical and mental) was failing, and his protégé Dave Malarcher
took over on-field management of the team. Malarcher followed Foster's pattern, emphasizing pitching and defense, and led the American Giants back to the pinnacle of the Negro leagues, winning pennants in 1926 and 1927. Both seasons also saw the American Giants defeat the Bacharach Giants
of Atlantic City, champions of the Eastern Colored League, in the Negro League World Series
.
The NNL collapsed in 1931, and in 1932 the team won the Negro Southern League
pennant as Cole's American Giants. The next season the American Giants joined the new Negro National League
, narrowly losing the pennant to the Pittsburgh Crawfords
in a controversial decision by league president Gus Greenlee (owner of the Crawfords). In 1934, the American Giants won the NNL's second-half title, then fell to the Philadelphia Stars
in a seven-game playoff for the championship. In 1937, after a year spent playing as an independent club, the American Giants became a charter member of yet another circuit, the Negro American League
.
Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe
was appointed manager in 1950. The team’s owner, Dr. J.B. Martin
, was concerned about black players joining major league
teams so he instructed Radcliffe to sign white players. Radcliffe recruited at least five young white players (Lou Chirban
, Lou Clarizio
, Al Dubetts
, Frank Dyall
, and Stanley Miarka
).
have honored the Giants by wearing replica uniforms during regular-season baseball games on several occasions, including July 1, 2007 (at Kansas City), July 26, 2008 (at home vs. Detroit) and July 16, 2011 during the 9th Annual Negro League weekend at Detroit, where the home team also worn the jerseys of the Detroit Stars
during the 17th Annual Negro League Tribute Game.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based Negro league baseball
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
team, owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Foster. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball. Charter members of Foster's Negro National League, the American Giants won five pennants in that league, along with another pennant in the 1932 Negro Southern League
Negro Southern League
The Negro Southern League was a Negro baseball league organized in 1920 that lasted into the 1940s. Negro leagues in Southern United States were far less organized and lucrative than those in the north due to Jim Crow laws. Tom Wilson organized the Negro Southern League in .For most of its...
and a second-half championship in Gus Greenlee's Negro National League in 1934. The team was disbanded in 1952.
Team history
In 1910, Foster, captain of the Chicago Leland Giants, wrested legal control of the name "Leland Giants" away from the team's owner, Frank LelandFrank Leland
Frank C. Leland was an African-American baseball player, field manager and club owner in the Negro Leagues.Leland was born in Memphis, Tennessee...
. That season, featuring Hall of Fame shortstop John Henry Lloyd
John Henry Lloyd
John Henry "Pop" Lloyd was an American baseball player and manager in the Negro leagues. He is generally considered the greatest shortstop in Negro league history, and both Babe Ruth and Ted Harlow, a noted sportswriter, reportedly believed Lloyd to be the greatest baseball player ever.He was a...
, outfielder Pete Hill
Pete Hill
* , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley -External links:* – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16...
, second baseman Grant Johnson, catcher Bruce Petway
Bruce Petway
Bruce Franklin Petway was a Negro League catcher in the early 20th century who came to be known as having one of the best throwing arms in the league...
, and pitcher Frank Wickware
Frank Wickware
Frank Wickware was a baseball player in the Negro Leagues. He would play pitcher and played from 1910 to 1925.Wickware served in the military during World War I....
, the Leland Giants reportedly won 123 games while losing only 6. In 1911, Foster renamed the club the "American Giants."
Playing in spacious Schorling Park
South Side Park
South Side Park was the name used for three different baseball parks that formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois at different times, and whose sites were all just a few blocks away from each other....
(formerly the home field of the American League's Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
), Foster's club relied on fielding, pitching, speed, and "inside baseball" to dominate the young Negro National League
Negro National League (the first)
The Negro National League was one of the several Negro leagues which were established during the period in the United States in which organized baseball was segregated. Led by Rube Foster, owner and manager of the Chicago American Giants, the NNL was established on February 13, 1920 by a...
(NNL), winning championships in 1920, 1921, and 1922. When the Kansas City Monarchs
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time...
displaced the American Giants beginning in 1923, Foster tried rebuilding; but by 1926 his health (physical and mental) was failing, and his protégé Dave Malarcher
Dave Malarcher
David Julius Malarcher was a baseball player in the Negro Leagues. He would play pitcher, infielder, and outfielder and played from 1916 to 1934.-References:*...
took over on-field management of the team. Malarcher followed Foster's pattern, emphasizing pitching and defense, and led the American Giants back to the pinnacle of the Negro leagues, winning pennants in 1926 and 1927. Both seasons also saw the American Giants defeat the Bacharach Giants
Bacharach Giants
The Bacharach Giants were a Negro league baseball team that played in Atlantic City, New Jersey.- Founding :The club was founded when two African-American politicians moved the Duval Giants of Jacksonville, Florida, to Atlantic City in 1916 and renamed them after Harry Bacharach, the city's mayor...
of Atlantic City, champions of the Eastern Colored League, in the Negro League World Series
Negro League World Series
The Negro League World Series was a post-season baseball tournament which was held from 1924-1927 and from 1942-1948 between the champions of the Negro leagues, matching the mid-western winners against their east coast counterparts....
.
The NNL collapsed in 1931, and in 1932 the team won the Negro Southern League
Negro Southern League
The Negro Southern League was a Negro baseball league organized in 1920 that lasted into the 1940s. Negro leagues in Southern United States were far less organized and lucrative than those in the north due to Jim Crow laws. Tom Wilson organized the Negro Southern League in .For most of its...
pennant as Cole's American Giants. The next season the American Giants joined the new Negro National League
Negro National League (the second)
The second Negro National League was one of the several Negro leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. It established in 1933, two years after the first Negro National League had disbanded...
, narrowly losing the pennant to the Pittsburgh Crawfords
Pittsburgh Crawfords
The Pittsburgh Crawfords, popularly known as the Craws, were a professional Negro league baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Named after the Crawford Grill, a club in the Hill District of Pittsburgh owned by Gus Greenlee, the Crawfords were originally a youth semipro team sponsored by...
in a controversial decision by league president Gus Greenlee (owner of the Crawfords). In 1934, the American Giants won the NNL's second-half title, then fell to the Philadelphia Stars
Philadelphia Stars (baseball)
The Philadelphia Stars were a Negro league baseball team from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Stars were founded in 1933 when Ed Bolden returned to professional black baseball after being idle since early 1930...
in a seven-game playoff for the championship. In 1937, after a year spent playing as an independent club, the American Giants became a charter member of yet another circuit, the Negro American League
Negro American League
The Negro American League was one of the several Negro leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. The league was established in 1937, and continued to exist until 1960...
.
Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe
Ted Radcliffe
Theodore Roosevelt "Double Duty" Radcliffe was at his death thought to be the oldest living professional baseball player , one of only a handful of major league players who lived past their 100th birthdays, and a former star in the...
was appointed manager in 1950. The team’s owner, Dr. J.B. Martin
J. B. Martin
Dr. J. B. Martin was president of the Negro American League and owned the Chicago American Giants baseball team.Martin and his brother B.B. Martin were Memphis dentists with other business interests. One of these was the Memphis Red Sox...
, was concerned about black players joining major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams so he instructed Radcliffe to sign white players. Radcliffe recruited at least five young white players (Lou Chirban
Lou Chirban
Lou Chirban is a former Greek American professional baseball player. He was one of the first five white professional baseball players to join the Negro American League. He was signed to the Chicago American Giants in 1950 by Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe with the support of the team’s owner, Dr. J.B...
, Lou Clarizio
Lou Clarizio
Lou Clarizio was one of the six white professional baseball players and the second one to sign in the Negro Leagues, Negro American League. He was signed to the Chicago American Giants in 1950 by Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe with the support of the team’s owner, Dr. J.B. Martin, who was concerned...
, Al Dubetts
Al Dubetts
Al Dubetts was one of the five white professional baseball players to be the first to join the Negro American League. He was signed to the Chicago American Giants in 1950 by Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe with the support of the team’s owner, Dr. J.B. Martin, who was concerned about black players...
, Frank Dyall
Frank Dyall
Frank Dyall was one of the five white professional baseball players to be the first to join the Negro American League. He was signed to the Chicago American Giants in 1950 by Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe with the support of the team’s owner, Dr. J.B. Martin, who was concerned about black players...
, and Stanley Miarka
Stanley Miarka
Stanley V. Miarka was one of the five white professional baseball players to be the first to join the Negro American League. He was signed to the Chicago American Giants in 1950 by Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe with the support of the team’s owner, Dr. J.B. Martin, who was concerned about black...
).
MLB throwback jerseys
The Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
have honored the Giants by wearing replica uniforms during regular-season baseball games on several occasions, including July 1, 2007 (at Kansas City), July 26, 2008 (at home vs. Detroit) and July 16, 2011 during the 9th Annual Negro League weekend at Detroit, where the home team also worn the jerseys of the Detroit Stars
Detroit Stars
The Detroit Stars were a United States baseball team in the Negro leagues and played at historic Mack Park.- Founding :Founded in 1919 by Tenny Blount with the help of Rube Foster, owner and manager of the Chicago American Giants, the Detroit Stars immediately established themselves as one of the...
during the 17th Annual Negro League Tribute Game.