1916-1922 (7 seasons)
Richmond Giants Team History
Franchise History
Last 5 Seasons
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Richmond Giants
Franchise Overview 1916-1922 (7 seasons)
Just before the 1916 baseball season, an irreconcilable dispute between Indianapolis ABCs co-owners C.I. Taylor and Thomas Bowser broke out, which ultimately caused the club to split into two different factions, with each respective owner forming their own team. Since neither owner wanted to yield the 'ABCs' moniker to the other, the teams were quickly dubbed 'Taylor's ABCs' and 'Bowser's ABCs' by the press. Taylor's ABCs played most of their home games at Federal League Park, while Bowser's ABCs kept Northwestern Park for their home field.
After the 1916 season, Bowser sold his team to Indianapolis-based Black businessman Warner Jewell, who owned and operated a pool hall. The team was then known as 'Jewell's ABCs' for the 1917 season. After the Federal League Park in Indianapolis was demolished after the 1916 season, it forced both ABCs teams, as well as the white Indianapolis Indians, a minor league club, to share just two available ball fields (Washington Park and Northwestern Park). The arrangement was disastrous for Jewell's club, who consistently found themselves third on the pecking order for the two fields, severely affecting their gate receipts.
After the 1917 season, Jewell pledged his ABCs would commit themselves to a barnstorming existence for the 1918, opting to play only road games rather than battle two more talented and better-funded teams for a spot on the either of Indianapolis' premier diamonds. The result was disastrous; lopsided losses and no-shows marred Jewell's short-run at a barnstorming-only schedule. By late May 1918, Jewell's club had seemed to quietly disband.