Secret Nine Baseball

The Secret Nine, originally known as the Raggedy Nine and later also as the Smart Nine, were a semi-pro Negro league baseball team. The team was sponsored by American jazz musician Louis Armstrong in 1931 in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana.[1] In the summer of 1931, they toured with Armstrong. No further records indicate them going the Negro National League (NNL). They wore white uniforms with "Armstrong" displayed in a bold font on the chest of each jersey.[2]

History

The "Secret 9"; photo by Villard Paddio

During the Jazz Age, baseball became an attractive sport with which America's entertainers used to advertise themselves. Both softball and baseball teams were formed by big name bands such as Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and Louis Armstrong. As Armstrong was an avid baseball fan, he would go on and sponsor a hometown team called the Raggedy Nine. The name was inspired due to the poor quality of their uniforms. The ball club competed against other African American teams in the Negro League during his three-month stay in New Orleans. This gave African Americans an opportunity to play on a professional level.[3] Armstrong had such a great love for the team and their talent that he bought the team new uniforms made with fine cotton and put his name on the front of each uniform, renaming them Armstrong's Secret Nine. The team was located in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, and it lasted until the summer of 1931.[4]

1931: The Three-month tour

When Louis Armstrong returned home from his professional music tour, he and his Secret Nine went on a three-month homecoming tour in his hometown during which they scrimmaged with other black baseball teams in southern Louisiana. They played against the Melpomene White Sox at St. Raymond Park, where they had 1,500 fans in attendance. This game caused a spike in the African-American community when Louisiana Weekly published an article about the team. Louis Armstrong didn't just sit back and watch the team play as they toured, Peter J. Levinson asked the musician what he played and Armstrong replied with the type of instruments he had played. James re-asked the question with "No, what position in baseball?" The Secret Nine competed against colleges and prison teams as well, with the Armstrong throwing out the first pitch every game.[2][5]

Members

While no rosters are known to exist, the team was made up of members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club.[5][6]

Significance

During this time in the entertainment world, Barnstorming teams provided a showcase for an evolving "African American" performances. Prior to 1950, the segregated entertainment industry rejected performers who wouldn't abide by the Jim Crow laws. This prompted big named musicians and ball players to turn their mainstream culture rejection into a proclamation for the African American identity. Unifying teams with bands gave a professional platform for all entertainers to evolve and grow in their craft and perform on a significantly larger scale.[7]

Uniforms

The Raggedy Nine had tattered uniforms and busted cleats before Louis Armstrong's intervention. Armstrong provided them with brand new white uniforms with engraved stitching and Armstrong's last name on the front and their respective numbers on the back. This gave the men more confidence in their ball skills and a boost of improvement in each area of the game. In August 1931 a reporter for the Louisiana Weekly commented that the team was "outfitted with just about everything a good ball club needs" that included everything "from their baseball caps down to the mascot's water bucket." The players tried to keep their new uniforms in good condition, something that proved detrimental as they did not want to mar them by sliding in the dirt. In the same Louisiana Weekly article it was noted "Yeah, Louis's boys were all spruced up in their 'Sunday Go To Meetings,' but when it came to bucking up against a guy with a luck piece, they couldn't meet the issue. Wonder if they were too well dressed?"[6]

References

  1. ↑ Nollen, Scott Allen (2004-01-01). Louis Armstrong: The Life, Music, and Screen Career. McFarland. ISBN 9780786418572.
  2. 1 2 Hasse, John Edward (April 1, 2014). "Rare Footage of Duke Ellington Highlights When Jazz and Baseball Were in Perfect Harmony". Smithsonian.com.
  3. ↑ Tanenhaus, Sam (1989). Louis Armstrong. Holloway House Publishing. p. 151.
  4. ↑ "Swingin' with the All Stars: Louis Armstrong & Baseball". louisarmstronghouse. May 8, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Louis Armstrong's Secret Nine: A Baseball Story". OffBeat Magazine. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  6. 1 2 "Diamonds in the Rough". myneworleans. June 12, 2012.
  7. ↑ Phillips, Murray G. (2006). Deconstructing Sport History: A Postmodern Analysis. SUNY Press.
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