SHARING THE ACCOMPLIHMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN NORTHERN NEVADA HISTORY
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The Players Baseball Team
The Players
were an African American team that played in the City of Reno Baseball League during the 1970’s and 1980’s. One of the founders of the team, Columbus Davis Jr. who grew up in Hawthorne, Nv and is a long time Northern Nevada resident, recalls playing softball from a kid to age 35.
Baseball has played a significant part in Mr. Davis’s family history. His father, Columbus Davis Sr., was a pitcher for the House Of David baseball team during the early 1900’s. This is the same team Satchel Page started his athletic career. Columbus Davis Sr. played with The House Of David from 1919 to 1943“African American players were scattered among other teams in the Reno league and we figured we had enough to form our own team”. said Columbus Davis Jr.
The Players were a spirited team with easily recognizable green, black and red uniforms. They played in the City Of Reno Baseball League from 1976 to 1985.
Some of the athletic venues they played in included Idelwild Park, Wooster High School, and Shadow Mountain, Trainer Middle School, Hawthorne NV, and baseball tournaments in California.
Columbus Davis, Willie Prince, Walter Prince, and Ronnie Davis were the organizers of the team and Clifford Cole was appointed to be the team manager. Other team members included Sporty Willis, Don Buckner, Reuben Martin, Clifford Cheathon Sr, Jerry Puccinelli, Charles Jones, Charles Green, Floyd Luke, Ken Howard and Lou Johnson.
