New Orleans Creoles

New Orleans Creoles
New Orleans Creoles
Information
League	Negro Southern League (1947–1948, 1950–1951); Negro Texas League (1949);
Location	New Orleans, Louisiana
Ballpark	Pelican Stadium
Established	1945
Disbanded	1952

The New Orleans Creoles were a Negro league baseball team based in New Orleans, Louisiana, from at least 1945 until at least 1952. The team was a member of the second Negro Southern League from 1947 to 1948 and 1950 to 1951, and a member of the Negro Texas League for the 1949 season.^[1]^[2] They played at Pelican Stadium and were known for hiring women players and coaches.^[1]^[2] Second baseman Toni Stone—the first of three women to play professional baseball full-time in the previously all-male Negro leagues—played for the Creoles from 1949 to 1952, prior to her time on the Kansas City Monarchs.^[1]^[2]

History

The New Orleans Creoles were owned and promoted by Allan Page (or Allen Page).^[1]^[3]^[4] The team was managed by Wesley Barrow during the 1949 and 1950 seasons.^[1] Baseball historian Larry Lester has referred to the New Orleans Creoles as "a very good semi-pro team."^[1] It played exhibition games against teams from the Negro American League, including the Kansas City Monarchs.^[1]

The Creoles were known for hiring women players and coaches.^[3] Georgia Williams pitched for the team in 1945.^[3] Lucille Bland of Dillard University served as the team's third base coach in 1947.^[2]^[3] Toni Stone was hired as a second baseman in 1949.^[1]^[3] Fabiola Wilson of Xavier University of Louisiana and Gloria Dymond (also known as Lucille Gloria Dymond) of Southern University are listed as outfielders on the team's 1948–1949 roster.^[2]^[3]

Notable male Creoles players include Milt Smith and Gene Bremer, who played on the team for the 1948 and 1949 seasons, respectively.^[5]^[6]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Cuicchi, Richard (6 February 2022). "Black History Month: Female Negro League trailblazer Toni Stone played for New Orleans Creoles". Crescent City Sports. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Henderson, Olivia (13 February 2019). "Black women throw curveball in New Orleans baseball". The Tulane Hullabaloo. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Heaphy, Leslie. "Women in the Negro Leagues". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
^ Whirty, Ryan (1 May 2012). "Diamonds in the Rough: Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, "the Negro Leagues" were the only games in town for black ballplayers". myneworleans.com. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
^ "Rigby, Charles B. - R-S 2018-04" (PDF). cnlb.org. Center for Negro League Baseball Research. pp. 360–361. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^ "Girl Star Featured on Negro Squad at League Park Sunday". Cleveland Call and Post. June 25, 1949 – via Proquest.

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