#Shortstops: Real Clowning Around
The Clowns were a part of the Negro American League. When the team was created in 1930s, it was originally formed to mimic a minstrel show. This is how the team got the name “clowns” – because the players were always “clowning” during the game. The origins of the team date back circa 1930-1941 as an independent team with no major affiliations.
The Clowns were an exuberant team with many talented players who had unique personalities. The highly talented team included many famous names over the years, including “King Tut”, “Spec BeBop”, future globetrotters star Goose Tatum, Dero Austin, Ted Richardson, a young Hank Aaron and a colorful character by the name of Ed Hamman.
The most famous names out of these players are Aaron and Hamman. Hank Aaron played 26 games for the Clowns in 1951. During that time span, Aaron batted .366 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 41 hits and nine stolen bases. Aaron’s stint with Clowns was very short, as he only played for the team for three months.
Aaron would later play for the Braves when his contract was purchased from the Clowns. He officially was signed by Braves scout, Dewy Briggs, on July 12, 1954. The Clowns thought very highly of Hank Aaron despite his time with the team being short.
Ed Hamman had this to say about Aaron:
“He’s the same Hank who used to wear a Clown uniform. And I like what he said just recently about, even if he broke Babe’s Ruth record, nobody would forget the Babe. Me, I hope he breaks that record. Wouldn’t that be something, from the Clowns to home-run champion of all time.”
There are two known little people that played on the team. The first was Spec BeBop who was known to have a rowdy personality. The second was Dero Austin who was also known to be rowdier than BeBop. Despite the supposed problems that Hamman said their drinking habits brought to the team, this duo drew many people to games.
The team also signed women ball players in order to draw fans. These players included Toni Stone, Mamie (Peanut) Johnson, and Connie Morgan.
Throughout the years, the Clowns showed they knew how to entertain fans. During their peak, the Clowns played games in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The team once played in front a record crowd of 41,127 fans in Detroit. The team also published souvenir programs that featured “Laff Books” which had jokes created by the players. In the museum collection there is a 1968 Ed Hamman's Indianapolis Clowns souvenir program signed by Satchel Paige.
But the Clowns were also winners. The team capture Negro American League titles in 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1954. The team’s on-field success and commitment to the fan experience makes them stand out as one of the brilliant teams that baseball has ever seen.
Alexa Brown is the 2022 education intern in the Hall of Fame’s Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development
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