Recap
The Kansas City Royal Giants were a professional Negro league baseball team, based in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1910 to 1912, the Kansas City Royal Giants played as a member of the Western Independent Clubs, along with their local rival, the Kansas City Giants.
The Royal Giants were owned by Kansas City businessmen M.B. Garrett and George Washington Walden, with Jack Johnson hired to manage the ballclub. Fortune J. Weaver was also an owner of the KC Royal Giants and was president of the Afro–American Realty and Investment Company. Just before the start of the 1910 season, Johnson unsuccessfully attempted to start a Negro National League, writing articles that appeared in newspapers in Chicago and other major cities. Johnson wrote: "It certainly has been proven from the big leagues on down to the minors, that there is nothing in the world that beats organized baseball and harmony..."
The Kansas City Royal Giants played their final season in 1912, continuing as a member of the Western Independent Clubs. Playing again under Jack Johnson, the Royal Giants finished with a 3–2 record, placing 2nd among Western Independent Clubs. Following the 1912 season, a Kansas City Royal Giants team played in 1916 thorough the 1920s as a semi–professional negro leagues team. In 2016, it was reported that the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) dedicated a new grave marker for "Topeka Jack" Johnson at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Topeka, Kansas.
The Kansas City Royal Giants were one of the most successful teams in the Negro leagues during their brief existence. They were known for their strong pitching staff and their aggressive hitting. The Royal Giants were also one of the most popular teams in the Negro leagues, drawing large crowds to their games.
The Kansas City Royal Giants were an important part of the history of Negro league baseball. They helped to pave the way for the integration of Major League Baseball, and they helped to showcase the talent of African-American players. The Royal Giants were a proud and successful team, and they will be remembered as one of the great teams in Negro league history.
