Loading...
 

Jackie Robinson’s All-Stars Exhibitions

Ad in Arkansas Press, 10/20/1950
Ad in Arkansas Press, 10/20/1950


The Jackie Robinson's All-Stars barnstorming tour played exhibition games in Arkansas in 1948, 1950 and 1953.

History

The Jackie Robinson All-Stars was a postseason barnstorming team of primarily black baseball players. The team first appeared in Arkansas during October 1948, playing games against the Memphis Red Sox in Little Rock and Pine Bluff.1 On October 15th in Little Rock, the Robinson All-Stars won a 7-2 victory in front of a crowd of 5,000. After being rained out during their visit in 1949, the Robinson All-Stars returned to Little Rock to play the Indianapolis Clowns on October 23rd, 1950.2 With 3,000 in attendance, the teams played to a 7-7 tie in 12 innings.

In October 1953, Robinson returned to Arkansas again to play the Negro American League All-Stars in Little Rock and Hot Springs.3 . In an afternoon game at Jaycee Park in Hot Springs on October 22nd, the Robinson All-Stars lost a 9-14 contest. A crowd of only 800 fans attended the exhibition, the smallest crowd of the entire tour. Later that evening, the two teams traveled on to Travelers Field in Little Rock. 4,137 fans showed up to see the Robinson All-Stars beat the Negro American Leaguers 7-6. The victors were aided by two homeruns off the bat of Luke Easter. However, the highlight of the game might of been a triple play turned by the Negro Americans in the 7th inning.

October 15th, 1948, Little Rock, AR

Team123456789R
Robinson All-Stars 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 27
Memphis Red Sox 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 02

Estimated attendance 5,000. Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella played.

October 16th, 1948, Pine Bluff, AR

Result unknown.

October 21st, 1949, Little Rock, AR

Rainout. 4

October 23rd, 1950 Little Rock, AR

"Little Rock again proved a hoodoo for Robinson, the evening of October 21, Jackie being rained out there for the second year in succession. The afternoon contest at Pine Bluff, Ark., also was called off because of rain . . . Rescheduling the rained-out game at Little Rock for October 23, Robinson headed his own team of stars to begin a ten-game series against the Indianapolis Clowns. The contest played before 4,634, wound up in a 7-7 tie after being called at the end of the twelfth inning to enable the squads to make the trip to Houston, Tex. Robinson led his team with a double and two singles, scoring two runs."5

Team123456789101112R
Indianapolis1050000100007
Robinson All-Stars0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 7
6 7
Estimated crowd 3,000. Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby and Don Newcombe played.

October 22, 1953, Hot Springs, AR

Team123456789R
Robinson All-Stars 1 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 9
Negro American All-Stars 0 0 0 7 0 3 0 4 x 14

Estimated crowd 800. Jackie Robinson, and Gil Hodges, Luke Easter played.

October 22, 1953, Little Rock, AR

Team123456789R
Negro American All-Stars 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 6
Robinson All-Stars 1 0 0 1 2 0 2 1 x 7

Estimated crowd 4,137. Jackie Robinson, and Gil Hodges, Luke Easter played.
1 Chicago Defender 10/16/1948 p.15
3 The Sporting News, 11/4/1953
4 The Sporting News, 11/2/1949
5 The Sporting News, 11/1/1950
6 Oregonian, 10/24/1950
7 Trenton Evening Times, 10/24/1950