Playing variously as the IndianapolisClowns and CincinnatiClowns, the club was the only clowning team to earn entrance into fl baseball's "majors." From its beginnings as the Miami Giants and transition to the Ethiopian Clowns, the team built a national following as one of baseball's favorite entertainment attractions during the 1930s.
In 1943 the club (then playing as the CincinnatiClowns) toned down its clowning routines to become a member of the Negro American League, a league affiliation which it maintained through the end of the Negro Leagues' golden age in 1949 and beyond.
After the demise of the Negro National League and integration of organized baseball the Clowns gradually returned to their clowning routines as a measure of financial necessity.
The Clowns was the first professional baseball team to hire a female player.
One of the team's traditions is to perform the classic Clown Dentist routine during the seventh inning stretch.
The IndianapolisClowns would hold their spring training in Florida, and had a home schedule in Indianapolis, but their bread and butter were the road games.
Negro League Baseball Message Board(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09)
IndianapolisClowns Gear, posted by blaise from Houston on 2/25/2005 9:48:35 AM I visited the Negro League museum in KCMO a few years ago and I thought they had IndianapolisClowns jersey that were white and had the crossed bats and IC logo but also had a drawing of a clown on the chest.
Re: IndianapolisClowns Gear, posted by NLB fan on 2/26/2005 8:35:44 PM Blaise: You can forget those modern day logos that you see on gear from the Museum licensees.
Re: Re: Re: IndianapolisClowns Gear, posted by on 3/7/2005 8:20:09 AM A logo is in the process of being recreated.
Indianapolis Clowns - Hot Stove Heater(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09)
Billy Wagner was one of the top NL closers and the new ballpark for the Clowns played as expected and got the fans excited to watch ball games as the Clowns won 86 games and made a run at post season.
O'Neill ignited a Clowns offense and was frankly one of the best leadoff men in the NL in his farewell tour season.
Still not sure why they took their sweet time, but the Clowns players and fans alike would have been much happier with a better pitcher and sooner addition than when they finally added some arms before the deadline.
Clowns, Indianapolis, one of the best-known teams in baseball’s Negro Leagues, noted for their circuslike antics on the baseball diamond.
Exclusively for MSN Encarta Premium Subscribers--quickly search thousands of articles from magazines such as Time, Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, and Smithsonian.
Though better known for their colorful antics, the Clowns were also a sound baseball team.
The Clowns fielded such stars as Buster Haywood, DeWitt "Woody" Smallwood, showman "Goose" Tatum, and future Major Leaguers John Wyatt (A’s), Paul Cassanova (Senators), and "Choo-Choo" Coleman (Mets).
The IndianapolisClowns changed nicknames in their history with one such classic as the Ethiopian Clowns.
Shadowball: Women in the Negro Leagues(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09)
Playing under the name Toni Stone, she was the first of three women to play in the Negro Leagues, a second baseman who batted.243 for the IndianapolisClowns and Kansas City Monarch in 1953 and 1954.
Four years later, she joined the IndianapolisClowns, where within a year she was joined by Mamie "Peanuts" Johnson, a pitcher, and second-baseman Connie Morgan.
The highlight of Stone's career was in 1953, when she got a single off of the legendary Satchel Paige in a game in Nebraska.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the ABC's(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09)
The IndianapolisClowns are generally more well known the ABCs, probably because they played later than the ABCs and are more recent in our memory.
The Indianapolis ABCs were a top team in the Negro Leagues--they just came along before the Clowns.
Oscar Charleston, born in Indianpolis in 1896, played for the Indianapolis ABC's for much of his professional career and is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
home.cinci.rr.com /debono/abcfaq.html (337 words)
Hugabug Clown Family Entertainment Indianapolis(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09)
indianapolis family entertainment with clowns, balloon twisting, singing telegrams in indianapolis indiana and facepainting at birthday parties or special events for entertainment
To the Indianapolis area and beyond--we offer a full range of party entertainment for kids and kids at heart - clowns, face painters, balloon twisters, balloon delivery, singing telegrams and much more!
At Hugabug we believe in a light make-up, non-scary, totally friendly clown look that even the most timid child is sure to love.
www.gohugabug.com (328 words)
Negro Leagues: Chuck Harmon(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09)
But with the IndianapolisClowns he spent almost all of his time on the bus.
"From Indianapolis, where we played the Kansas City Monarchs, to Flint, Mich., where we played the Monarchs again, to Ft. Wayne, where we got rained out, to Michigan City, where we were supposed to play but got rained out again, then to Chicago to play the American Giants in a doubleheader on Sunday."
He still appreciates the treatment accorded him by Goose Tatum, one of the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns stars and a basketball star with the Harlem Globetrotters.
IndianapolisClowns Ashwood Baseball with Display Stand from Great Balls of Wood®
Crafted from ash wood, the IndianapolisClownsbaseball is the exact size of an official baseball and is laser carved with 108 stitches (just like a real baseball).
The actual item will have the IndianapolisClowns logo.
After seeing me practice for about 10-15 minutes, they wanted me to play for them, but the Clowns would not let me out of my contract with them.
"It's definitely not about the money, although, money would be nice." I hope to mention and recognize other players that have failed to be recognized, such as the last group of baseball players from the IndianapolisClowns.
They are also working on one in Indianapolis, Indiana and Savannah, Georgia.