Flannel Negro League "Memphis Pros" Uniform Circa 1941-48
That the Memphis Pros were an element in that institution we revere as the "Negro Leagues" is foregone. However, their mention in the annals of non-major league baseball is not to be found - at least, not easily. The "Pros" were indeed pros, but they were captive to the heralded Memphis Red Sox - much the same as AAA franchises today relate to parent clubs. In Negro League parlance, such a squad was called a "feeder" team. And similarly, the identifying color schemes and logo styles of "feeders" and parent teams were quite similar in most instances. Dissimilar to Major League baseball, however, is that those affiliations in the Negro Leagues could last for decades. Such a phenomenon is demonstrated in this uniform (jersey and pants) that has survived the years from that subordinate team, the Memphis Pros, that we may present it in these pages. The pants are a button-down variety, [size] "32", with no tagging to indicate manufacturer. Staining from infield contact is extensive, but these pants have no damage to the material (except mildly at the pocket flaps) or piping, and they retain all their original buttons (except for one missing, again, at one pocket). The jersey is also a button-down gray flannel bearing the team's identity and verso "8" in stitched felt. The buttons are all intact and appear to be original. (We do note however, that the buttons on the pants are gray while those on the jersey are maroon, but they're dimensionally identical.) The collar bears its manufacturer's name, "Lawson Cavette", and its vintage dates this piece to the period 1941 to '48. The jersey is in splendid condition with light soiling and one small hole near the bottom button. Otherwise, all the applications, including the piping, are solidly intact. One enigma, however, clouds the lineage of this uniform. Handwritten in the collar, we can identify "E. Adams." And our research indicates that this is Earl Adams (a.k.a. "Ace") who served duty with the Memphis Red Sox in 1931 and again in 1937, but that's where the trail goes cold. Nevertheless, this is the real article, a savory morsel of that rich heritage we know as the Negro Leagues.
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