New Orleans Creoles facts for kids

The New Orleans Creoles were a baseball team from New Orleans, Louisiana. They played in the Negro leagues from about 1945 to 1952. The team was part of the Negro Southern League for several years and also the Negro Texas League. They played their games at Pelican Stadium. The Creoles were special because they hired women players and coaches! One famous player was Toni Stone, who played second base for them from 1949 to 1952. She was one of the first women to play professional baseball full-time in these leagues.

History

The New Orleans Creoles baseball team was owned by a person named Allen Page. He helped promote the team. Wesley Barrow was the team's manager in 1949 and 1950. A baseball expert named Larry Lester said the New Orleans Creoles were a "very good" semi-pro team. This means they were a strong team, even if they weren't in the very top professional leagues. They even played special games against teams from the Negro American League, like the famous Kansas City Monarchs.

Amazing Women Players

The Creoles were well-known for having women on their team, both as players and coaches. This was very unusual for baseball at the time!

• In 1945, Georgia Williams was a pitcher for the team.
• In 1947, Lucille Bland from Dillard University was the team's third base coach.
• Toni Stone joined the team in 1949 as a second baseman. She was a groundbreaking player. She was one of the first three women to play professional baseball full-time in the Negro leagues. After playing for the Creoles, she went on to play for the Kansas City Monarchs.
• Other women who played for the team around 1948–1949 included Fabiola Wilson from Xavier University of Louisiana and Gloria Dymond (also known as Lucille Gloria Dymond) from Southern University. They both played as outfielders.

Other Notable Players

Besides the amazing women, some male players also stood out. Milt Smith played for the team in 1948. Gene Bremer was another player who joined the team in 1949.