Brooklyn Royal Giants facts for kids

The Brooklyn Royal Giants were a professional Negro league baseball team. They were based in Brooklyn, New York. The team started in 1905. John Wilson Connor, who owned the Brooklyn Royal Cafe, created the team. At first, they played against other semi-professional teams. Before World War I, they were one of the most famous independent teams.

Playing in Leagues

1919 Brooklyn Royal Giants team photo

In 1907, the Brooklyn Royal Giants joined a league. It was called the National Association of Colored Baseball Clubs of the United States and Cuba. This league played for three seasons. Other teams in the league included the Philadelphia Giants and the Cuban Stars of Havana.

Later, in the 1920s, the team's performance got worse. This happened when Nat Strong owned the team. They did not play well in the Eastern Colored League. While in this league, the Giants played their home games at Dexter Park in Queens.

The Last Years

The Giants played some special games against famous players. On October 11, 1926, they played against a team with Babe Ruth. The Giants won that game 3-1. In 1928, they played against a team that included both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

After 1928, the Giants went back to playing as an independent team. They tried to build a stronger team. However, the new team was never as good as the early ones. By the mid-1930s, they played like a minor league team. In the early 1940s, they became a semi-professional team. The Brooklyn Royal Giants stopped playing in 1942.

Important Players

Many great players were part of the Brooklyn Royal Giants. Some of them include:

• Smokey Joe Williams
• "Cannonball" Dick Redding
• Frank Wickware
• Charles "Chino" Smith
• John Henry "Pop" Lloyd