An insider history of the Indianapolis Clowns, sometimes referred to as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball The Indianapolis Clowns were a black touring baseball team that featured an entertaining mix of comedy, showmanship, and skill. Sometimes referred to as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball—though many of the Globetrotters’ routines were borrowed directly from the Clowns—they captured the affection of Americans of all ethnicities and classes. Author Alan Pollock was the son of the Clowns' owner Syd Pollock, who owned a series of black barnstorming teams that crisscrossed the country from the late 1920s until the mid-1960s. They played every venue imaginable, from little league fields to Yankee Stadium, and toured the South, the Northeast, the Midwest, the Canadian Rockies, the Dakotas, the Southwest, the Far West—anywhere there was a crowd willing to shell out a few dollars for an unforgettable evening.
Alan grew up around the team and describes in vivid detail the comedy routines of Richard “King Tut” King, “Spec Bebob” Bell, Reece “Goose” Tatum; the “warpaint” and outlandish costumes worn by players in the early days; and the crowd-pleasing displays of amazing skill known as pepperball and shadowball. These men were entertainers, but they were also among the most gifted athletes of their day, making a living in sports the only way a black man could. They played to win.
More than just a baseball story, these recollections tell the story of great societal changes in America from the roaring twenties, through the years of the Great Depression and World War II, and into the Civil Rights era.
AcknowledgmentsIntroductionRileyJames A.Celebration: The Essence of the ClownsThe Heart and Soul of Black BaseballPeanuts, Goose and EdNature Boy, Prince Jo and Birmingham SamSyd Pollock: The Man Behind the ClownsDad and BaseballView from the OfficeView from the BusThe Twenties and Thirties: Road MapBlue Sox, Red Sox and Cuban StarsEnter the ClownsThe Forties: With FireDenver Post Tournament ChampionsBunny and BusterStyle Defined and RefinedHighlights and InsightsMore Tales of Goose and TutLife on the RoadAt the HelmRemembrance of Players PastThe Fifties: The Jody TransitionFirst PennantRepeat ChampionsA Shortstop Named HenryToni StoneCharlie, Connie and PeanutJackie Robinson's All-StarsOn the Road AgainFarewell to the KingBobo, Yogi and ChauffThe Sixties: A Section Reserved for WhitesNo Camelot for the ClownsThe Clowns in CooperstownBobo RevisitedMy RoomieOn Being Black and on the RoadRiding into the SunsetOne Last HurrahAs Mailmen WhistleThe Last WhalerLegacyEpilogueIndexPhotos follow page
Alan Pollock was the son of Clowns' owner Syd Pollock. Noted baseball historian James A. Riley is author of The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues.
“This delightful offering about the infamous African American traveling baseball team of the 1920s-60s, the Indianapolis Clowns, is equal parts memoir and history. As the son of the owner of the Clowns, Pollock was in a unique position to offer insights, recollections, and period photographs. The Clowns were the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball for decades, bringing their unique brand of skill and raucous entertainment to far-flung corners of North America. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers; all levels.” —CHOICE
“It is part memoir and part history of the country’s most successful barn-storming baseball team, a changing group of black ballplayers, including three women, who attracted fans for their inspired clowning, but who were also dazzlingly accomplished players.” —Boston Sunday Globe
". . . a significant historical document as it is one of the rare first-hand accounts of both barnstorming baseball and the barnstorming business . . . it is a book of value to anyone who seeks to understand the fate of one type of baseball within the tent of African-American baseball, or anyone who wants to go back inside this colorful and entertaining baseball life." —H-Florida
“Syd Pollock’s son, Alan, grew up with the Clowns and worked for his father in various capacities. Alan finished drafting Barnstorming to Heaven shortly before his death, and veteran baseball writer James Riley edited the manuscript and shepherded it through publication. Alan Pollock lovingly recounted the routines of King Tut and the Clowns and recorded a treasure trove of anecdotes. His insider’s account of the business side of baseball barnstormers is fascinating and illustrated by a superb collection of photographs. Barnstorming to Heaven is excellent baseball history, a must for every fan’s bookshelf.” —The Alabama Review
“This is a fond farewell to baseball’s barnstorming tradition and its greatest proponent, Syd Pollock of the Indianapolis Clowns. A must-read for every fan.” —Robert Peterson, author of Only the Ball was White
