Indianapolis Clowns vs New York Black Yankees Barnstorming Tour (1957)

This ticket is from the 1957 barnstorming season of the Indianapolis Clowns and New York Black Yankees. This game was played at League Park in Lexington, Kentucky on Sunday, July 1, 1957. The ticket features photos of Clowns headline entertainers King Tut and Spec Bebop as well as a caricature of first baseman Nature Boy Williams.

Richard "King Tut" King

The Indianapolis Clowns had dropped out of the Negro American League after the 1955 season to concentrate on barnstorming fulltime. By the early 1950’s all the best black ball players were signing to play for the “white” Major League baseball organizations. Ed Hamman, the owner of the Clowns, felt the team could make more money barnstorming and that barnstorming may be the only way to financially survive in black baseball. Hamman was in the best position to make this decision because he had spent his entire career on the road and no one understood barnstorming better than him. 



When the Clowns were barnstorming during the 1950’s and 1960’s they carried two teams. The Indianapolis Clowns and their own road team opponent. The rationale for two teams was that most of the places that they booked to play did not always have a strong local team. One thing that had not changed in black baseball was that the fans always expected a good game. So, the Clowns borrowed an idea from the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team by having there own road team opponent. The name of the Clowns road team changed over the years. Some of the team names used were New York Stars, New York Royals, Baltimore Stars and Georgia Flyers. But by far the most popular team name and most used over the years was the New York Black Yankees. Fans seemed to recognize and identify with the team name New York Black Yankees and fans also saw them as a worthy opponent for the world famous Indianapolis Clowns.

New York Black Yankees (1955)

Negro League veteran, Sylvester Snead, managed the 1957 Indianapolis Clowns team. The Clowns included a good mix of Negro League veterans and young ball players. Negro League veterans who played for the 1957 Indianapolis Clowns were: Verdes Drake, Art Hamilton, Carl Forney, Mal Murray, Walt Lundy, Prince Joe Henry and Taylor Smith. Clarence ”Choo Choo” Coleman led a strong group of young players that included James Cobbin, Bill Canegata, Reggie Howard and James Portier. Coleman would go on to play in the Major Leagues for four seasons with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Players moved back and forth between the Clowns and Black Yankees rosters. However, most of the young ball players usually ended up playing for the New York Black Yankees team.