The Knoxville Giants
Knoxville’s First Professional
Black Baseball Team
Established 1920
1920
The Knoxville GiantS Join The Negro Southern League
The Knoxville Giants were Knoxville’s first professional Black baseball team when it joined the Negro Southern League as an inaugural member in 1920. For many years, the Giants were Knoxville’s only professional baseball team. Its presence in Knoxville brought local star players to the big leagues, including some of their most famous players such as Claude “Steel Arm” Dickey and Forrest “One-Wing” Maddox.
Knoxville Giants Baseball Team, c. 1930s.
First row, left to right: Ralph Banks (right field), Gross (second base), anonymous batboy, Bowden (short stop). Second row: Lynch (centerfield), Gibbs (right field), Ernest Waters (pitcher_, Taylor (right field), Harmon (centerfield). Third row: Stacy (right field), Sharp (Center), Goode (utility), Cecil Gross (pitcher), Leroy Bowerman (pitcher), Ballentine (manager).
Dr. Robert J. Booker Archive Studio at Beck Cultural Exchange Center
March 3, 1920
The Negro Southern League Established
The Arkansas Democrat reported on the formation of the Negro Southern League formation the following day, March 04, 1920
On February 13, 1920, Andrew “Rube” Foster and a group of team owners established the Negro National League in Kansas City, Missouri, creating a professional platform for Black athletes. A month later, Prof. William M. Brooks and Monroe D. Young, proprietor of the Grey Terrace Hotel, represented Knoxville at a meeting in Atlanta to help form the Negro Southern League (NSL). Knoxville secured its spot among eight founding teams, with Brooks, a respected educator and community leader, becoming the NSL’s first secretary and the Knoxville Giants' first manager. The Giants quickly assembled a roster and prepared for their debut season, drawing excitement and strong support from Knoxville’s Black community. Their early games were met with anticipation, as the team aimed to make a strong impression and build a lasting legacy in the league.
Weeks following the establishment of the Negro Southern League, Brewer’s Park in Knoxville was secured and designated the home field for future Knoxville Giants’ games. The park was then renamed Booker Washington Park and several prominent men came together and formed the Booker Washington Park Association. William M. Brooks and Monroe D. Sentor were among those involved with the association.
William M. Brooks (pictured left), manager of the Knoxville Giants and Austin High School professor, worked closely with the Booker Washington Park Association as a member of the board of directors. The association improved the park by remodeling the grandstand to accommodate 2,000 spectators, including box seats with for white spectators.
Born in Athens, Tennessee, Brooks spent much of his life in Knoxville. An alumni of Knoxville College, he would go on to teach and was equally dedicated in his profession as an educator as he was in baseball - even serving as president of the Negro Teachers’ League.
He formerly taught at the original Austin High School and later Knoxville Colored High School. Before his passing in 1938, Brooks served as the principal of Green School.
April 1920
The Knoxville Giants Ready To Play
The Knoxville Giants had a strong debut season in the 1920 Negro Southern League. Before the regular season began, they played several pre-season games, including a 3-game series against the powerhouse Indianapolis ABCs from April 19–21. They opened the NSL season with a 6–2 win over Nashville on April 29, led by Walter “Steel Arm” Dickey. The Giants played over 100 games, traveling roughly 5,500 miles. Stars like Forrest “One Wing” Maddox, Ralph “Pete” Cleage (the league’s top hitter), and future Hall of Famer Norman “Turkey” Stearnes helped them dominate much of the season. Steel Arm secured a 25-game win streak before falling to Montgomery in late July.
Knoxville Giants Team Members Who Played During the Inaugural Season, 1920.
Shifting Seasons for the Giants
WBIR's The Heartland Series: The Knoxville Giants, 1993. Bill Landry, producer of The Heartland Series, talked with three former Giants players: Ralph Banks, Ernest Waters, and Leroy Bowerman. All three men are pictured in the 1930s group photo of the Knoxville Giants team.
The seasons that followed brought both highs and lows for the Giants. As key players left to join other teams or pursue new opportunities, maintaining a competitive edge became difficult. By the end of the 1922 season, the Knoxville Giants withdrew from the Negro Southern League and continued playing as an independent team.
After departing from the Negro Southern League (NSL) following the 1922 season, the Knoxville Giants continued to play independently, driven by an unwavering passion for baseball. Unlike their earlier NSL rosters, which featured players from across the region, the independent Giants were composed predominantly of local talent, many of whom had grown up watching the 1920 team. This local composition fostered a deep camaraderie that extended beyond the field. The Giants often assisted visiting teams facing financial hardships, exemplifying their sportsmanship and community spirit. They competed against both Black and white teams, frequently walking to various ballparks within city limits to play, undeterred by the challenges of the era. Despite their prowess and popularity, opportunities to ascend to the major leagues remained elusive for Black players, with integration still over a decade away.
Beck's Mission To Restoring The Legacy and Memory of the Knoxville Giants
Director of Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Rev. Renee Kesler, talks Negro Leagues in baseball and the Knoxville Giants.
City of Knoxville - Link
The Beck Cultural Exchange Center is collaborating with the developers of the Tennessee Smokies Baseball Stadium, set to open in Downtown Knoxville in April 2025, to showcase the rich history of the area, particularly the neighborhood known as The Bottom. Among the notable figures featured in this exhibit are the Knoxville Giants.
The Dr. Robert J. Booker Archive Studio at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center houses a collection of photographs and documents related to the Knoxville Giants. These materials aid in our mission of making the historical significance of Black baseball in Knoxville a culturally enriching experience for ballpark visitors.
The new Smokies Baseball Stadium is anticipated to become one of the premier destinations along Beck's Cultural Corridor, offering visitors an immersive journey through the vibrant legacy of African Americans in the region. This initiative aligns with Beck's ongoing efforts to reclaim and celebrate Black history and culture, transforming the area into an interactive excursion where people can learn, discover, and experience this rich heritage.
More To Come Soon!
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This project is being supported in whole or in part by federal award number 21.027 awarded to the
City of Knoxville by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Arts & Culture Alliance.
Beck acknowledges the generous support of Knox County Tennessee Defined Services Program for ongoing support of this important work.
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Beck is proud to be grant recipients of the following organizations whose tremendous support makes it possible for us to make local Black history and culture accessible to all:
