Greenville’s Black baseball history receives long overdue recognition
Baseball has been a cornerstone of the Greenville community for over 100 years, and names like “Shoeless Joe” Jackson form a familiar part of that history.
But other names, like the Greenville Black Spinners or Meadowbrook Park, may be less familiar.
The names belong to Greenville’s rich story of Black baseball. Recent efforts by community organizations and local leaders through projects like the city’s Mayberry Park are bringing long-overdue honor and recognition to that history.
Hometown heritage
In the days of segregation, Greenville was home to several Black minor league teams including the Greenville Black Spinners, Greenville Negro Red Socks, St. Anthony Braves and Greenville Negro All-Stars.
Sterling High School, the first Black public school in Greenville, also had a baseball team that started in the 1950s. Many Sterling High Tigers players went on to play in the local minor leagues.
“Baseball was a huge part of the Black community,” said Mike Chibbaro, a local historian and author. “It was the game played by the neighborhood kids. It was very much part of their culture.”
Chibbaro’s book, “Voices from Meadowbrook Park,” chronicles the history of baseball in Greenville.
The Greenville Black Spinners was the most notable minor league team in the area. Manning “Kingfish” Clark, a local businessman, started the team in the 1920s with the help of Mark Durham. The team was born out of a need for recreational activities for Black youth and young adults in Greenville.
Several prominent players came out of the Greenville Black Spinners, including Rico Dawson, who played shortstop for the Sterling High Tigers. While playing for the Black Spinners, Dawson received a contract to play for the Indianapolis Clowns. This opportunity led him to become an extra for “Bingo Long and the Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings,” a 1976 movie about Black baseball leagues.
Another notable player from Greenville was Thomas Hallums, nicknamed “Big Thomas.” Hallums played for the Sterling High Tigers, South Carolina State University and the Greenville Black Spinners. He was drafted by the New York Mets in 1970 and played four seasons in the minor leagues.
Overdue honors
Clark, Dawson and Hallums were posthumously inducted into the Greenville Baseball Hall of Fame in January. The men are the first Black members inducted, according to Chibbaro, who serves as the Hall of Fame’s steering committee chair.
“They are individuals who made significant contributions to the game of baseball and the community, but because of segregation their accomplishments had long been overlooked and not well known” Chibbaro said. “It was important to finally bring to light and recognize individuals like these who are just as deserving as their white counterparts.”
The Greenville Black Spinners, Sterling High Tigers and other teams played their home games at Meadowbrook Park, located on the south side of what is now Unity Park, after it was built in 1938. The baseball field was constructed on a portion of land once designated for Mayberry Park, the city’s segregated park for Black children.
Read more about the history of Mayberry Park
According to “Voices from Meadowbrook Park,” Black teams could only play at Meadowbrook Park on specific days and couldn’t use the stadium’s locker rooms to change into their uniforms. Black spectators were also required to use separate concession and restroom facilities at the ball field.
In 2020, the city of Greenville constructed Unity Park on the site of the former Mayberry and Meadowbrook parks. To honor the history of the former segregated park, the city is currently building a new Little League baseball field called Mayberry Park. Construction of the park is expected to be completed this summer.
Greenville’s Black Minor League Baseball teams
Greenville Black Spinners: 1922-1957*
St. Anthony’s Braves: 1945-1953*
Greenville Negro Red Socks: 1955-1956*
Greenville Negro All-Stars: Various years
Sterling High Tigers: 1950s-1969*
* Last reference in The Greenville News or Greenville Piedmont
According to Mike Chibbaro’s research
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