Toledo Red Man Tobaccos

American basketball team

Toledo Red Man Tobaccos
Toledo Crimson Coach Tobaccos

Leagues| National Professional Basketball League (1929–1930)
American Basketball League (1930–1931)
National Professional Basketball League (1932–1933)
Founded| 1926
Folded| 1935
Arena| Westminster Gym (1926–1928)
Toledo YMCA gym (1928–1929)
Toledo Civic Auditorium (1929–1932)
Toledo Coliseum (1932–1933)
Knights of Columbus gym (1933–1934)
Toledo Coliseum (1935)
General manager| Ed Cannon
Head coach| Pete Doelling (1927–1928)
Pip Koehler (1928–1930)
Dutch Dehnert (1930–1931)

The Toledo Red Man Tobaccos are a defunct American basketball team based in Toledo, Ohio that were champions of the National Professional Basketball League during the 1929–30 season. For the 1930–31 season, the team played in the American Basketball League, with 12 wins and 24 losses in that season. In 1932, the team returned to the NPBL as the Toledo Crimson Coach Tobaccos.

## History

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### Early years

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The Red Man Tobaccos were sponsored by the Toledo-based Pinkerton Tobacco Company, which produced Red Man Tobacco, and requested to be billed as the Red Man instead of the Red Men to avoid confusion with the Improved Order of Red Men. The team began in 1926 as an industrial team and became a semipro team the following season.[1] The Red Man Tobacco team originally played in the Westminster Gym and featured a number of Toledo's former high school and college stars, such as Rollie Boldt, as well as professional players like Chase Clements. It was managed by Ed Cannon and coached by A. W. "Pete" Doelling.[2] In 1928, the Red Man moved to the Toledo YMCA gym. Cannon had 200 bleacher seats installed, which brought capacity up to 1,100. An electric timing and scoring device was also installed.[3] That same year, the team added former Ohio State center Cookie Cunningham and player-coach Pip Koehler.[4][5]

During its semipro years, the Toledo Red Man Tobaccos opponents included teams from the American Basketball League (the Chicago Bruins, Cleveland Rosenblums, New York Celtics, Rochester Centrals, and Fort Wayne Hoosiers), barnstorming clubs (Jim Thorpe's World Famous Indians and Olson's Terrible Swedes), independent outfits (Flint Buick Flyers, Rochester Olds Motors, and Canton Orphans), and industrial teams (Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, Fort Wayne General Electrics, Auburn Automobile, Michigan Central Railroad, Robert Lee Shops, and Detroit Tool Shop).[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

### National Professional Basketball League

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In 1929, the Red Man Tobaccos were a founding member of the National Professional Basketball League. The NPBL, which also included teams from Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, Dayton, Columbus, Canton, and Cincinnati, was headed by Red Man manager Ed Cannon.[19] The team moved to the new Toledo Civic Auditorium, which could seat over 4,200 spectators for basketball games.[20] Cannon signed former Cleveland Rosenblums and Fort Wayne Hoosiers forward Len Sheppard to one of the largest contracts in professional basketball.[21] Toledo finished the season with a 17–3 record and defeated the Dayton Kellys 4 games to 2 to win the NBPL championship.[22]

### American Basketball League

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In 1930, Cannon was offered a franchise in the American Basketball League. He requested three players as a condition of joining the league and only joined after this demand was met, which caused hard feelings from the ABL's other owners, who felt that his intransigence had delayed the league.[23] That December, Cannon, unhappy with the team's play, released all of the Red Man players except for Davey Banks and signed five members of the recently folded Cleveland Rosenblums (Dutch Dehnert, Joe Lapchick, Pete Barry, Lou Spindell, and Charley Shudtz).[24][25] The Red Man finished the year with a 12–24 record and were well off the pace for the first and second half championships.[26]

### Return to independence

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The ABL elected not to play a 1931–32 season due to financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression, but the Red Man continued as an independent team. Denhert, Lapchick, Banks, and Barry left the team to form the Rosenblum-Celtics with Nat Hickey.[27] Cannon replaced them with Frank Shimek, Rusty Saunders, Carl Husta, and Shang Chadwick – the latter three coming from the reigning ABL champion Fort Wayne Hoosiers.[28] The Red Man Tobaccos opponents included the Brooklyn Visitations, New York Renaissance, and Chicago Bruins.[29][30][31]

### Return to the NPBL

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In 1932, Toledo returned to National Professional Basketball League, this time sponsored by another Toledo tobacco company – Crimson Coach, and playing at the Toledo Coliseum.[32] The Crimson Coach Tobaccos consisted of Fred Jacobs, Abe Yourist, Arnie Straka, Ollie Wiza, Hank Hubbard, Jim Barnham, and captain Pip Koehler and finished the year with an 8–4 record.[33][34] The team made the NPBL finals, but were swept in three games by the Akron Firestone Non-Skids.[35]

### Later years

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The NPBL folded after the 1932–33 season and the Crimson Coaches became an independent team once again. Cannon was able to retain a number of players (including Koehler, Jacons, Straka, and Wiza) and obtained the use of the Knights of Columbus gym.[36] Cannon turned his attention to softball in 1934 and the following year the Crimson Coach Tobaccos won the world amateur softball championship.[37] Crimson Coach's final basketball game occurred on January 2, 1935, when a team of former Red Man and Crimson Coach players assembled by Cannon lost to the Brooklyn Jewels 21–20.[38][39]

## Year-by-year

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Year  | League  | Reg. Season  | Playoffs

|
|
|

1929/30  | NBL  | 1st (1st half); 2nd (2nd half)  | Champion
1930/31  | ABL  | 4th (1st half); 5th (2nd half)  | Did not qualify

## References

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1. ^ Biesel, David B. (1993). Can You Name that Team?: A Guide to Professional Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Basketball Teams and Leagues. Scarecrow Press. pp. 66–67. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
2. ^ "Red Man Quintet Plans Big Season in Court Game". The Toledo News-Bee. November 16, 1927. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
3. ^ "Red Man Tobaccos Ready For Battle". The Toledo News-Bee. November 28, 1928. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
4. ^ "Red Man Sign Former Stater". The Toledo News-Bee. December 1, 1928. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
5. ^ "Koehler Faces Old Playmate". The Toledo News-Bee. November 21, 1928. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
6. ^ "Red Man Quint Schedules 2 Cage Games". The Toledo News-Bee. November 22, 1927. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
7. ^ "Tobaccos To Play Centrals". The Toledo News-Bee. February 29, 1928. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
8. ^ "Celtics Tangle With Red Man Five". The Toledo News-Bee. December 10, 1927. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
9. ^ "Red Man Cagers To Battle Tough Foes". The Toledo News-Bee. February 4, 1929. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
10. ^ "Red Man Cagers Clash With Rochester Team Saturday". The Toledo News-Bee. January 28, 1929. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
11. ^ "Ft. Wayne Wins Over Red Man". The Toledo News-Bee. December 5, 1928. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
12. ^ "Red Man Cagers Open Here Saturday". The Toledo News-Bee. November 26, 1928. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
13. ^ "Red Man Five Wins At Akron". The Toledo News-Bee. January 23, 1929. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
14. ^ "Michigan Centrals to Open City Cage Season Against Red Man". The Toledo News-Bee. December 3, 1927. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
15. ^ "Barhan and Brandes Lead Local Red Man Tobaccos to Close Win". The Toledo News-Bee. December 28, 1927. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
16. ^ "Electric Have a Star in Hoffman". The Toledo News-Bee. January 10, 1929. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
17. ^ "Red Man Cage Five Defeated at Columbus". The Toledo News-Bee. December 27, 1927. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
18. ^ "Bob Taylor to Appear on Home Floor Saturday". The Toledo News-Bee. January 26, 1929. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
19. ^ "Six Cities Are Ready To Form New Basketball Loop". The Toledo News-Bee. August 19, 1929. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
20. ^ Conn, Kenneth (October 29, 1929). "Auditorium to Boom Winter Sports". The Toledo News-Bee. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
21. ^ "Shepherd Is Signs For Red Man Team". The Toledo News-Bee. November 7, 1929. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
22. ^ "National Professional Basketball League: 1929-1930". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
23. ^ Conn, Kenneth (August 18, 1930). "Passing It Along". The Toledo News-Bee. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
24. ^ "Toledo Fires Floor Squads". Youngstown Vindicator. December 9, 1930. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
25. ^ "Toledo Signs Clevelanders". Painesville Telegraph. December 9, 1930. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
26. ^ "American Basketball League: 1930-1931". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
27. ^ "Rosenblums to Meet Red Men". The Toledo News-Bee. December 29, 1931. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
28. ^ "Pro Cage Team Planned". The Toledo News-Bee. November 30, 1931. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
29. ^ "Red Man Cage Team to Open Here Sunday". The Toledo News-Bee. December 5, 1931. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
30. ^ "Renaissance Five Boasts Strong Record". The Toledo News-Bee. January 15, 1932. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
31. ^ "Cookie Cunningham To Play Against Red Man Five Here". The Toledo News-Bee. December 25, 1931. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
32. ^ "Pro Cage Loop Moguls Will Discuss Plans". The Toledo News-Bee. November 14, 1932. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
33. ^ "Pro Cagers Start Play on Sunday". The Toledo News-Bee. December 24, 1932. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
34. ^ "Toledo - 1932-1933". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
35. ^ "National Professional Basketball League: 1932-1933". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
36. ^ "Coach Quintet Back On Floor for Pro Drive". The Toledo News-Bee. November 28, 1933. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
37. ^ "Ohio Team Wins Softball Crown". The Telegraph-Herald. September 11, 1935. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
38. ^ "Pro Cagers To Play Here". The Toledo News-Bee. December 24, 1934. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
39. ^ Senn, Jack (January 3, 1935). "Invaders Win Game By Rally". The Toledo News-Bee. Retrieved 1 April 2024.