Savannah Bananas return to Cincinnati this weekend with a connection to Reds history

Heading to Great American Ball Park for their three-game series against the Savannah Bananas, the Indianapolis Clowns are a recent addition to the Banana Ball League and are named in recognition of the Negro League team that once called Cincinnati home.

Founded in the 1930s, the team originated in Miami as the Ethiopian Clowns. The Clowns grew from entertainers into a true baseball team, who moved to Cincinnati and joined the Negro Leagues in 1943.

The Cincinnati Clowns were based at Crosley Field, the home of the Cincinnati Reds, during the 1943 season.

“In 1943, Cincinnati became a great choice for the Clowns to call their home due to the large baseball fanbase developed by the popular Cincinnati Reds, who had recently won a World Series in 1940, as well as a history of other Negro League teams who played there,” said Rick Walls, the executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

Then, they became the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns, playing in both Indianapolis and Cincinnati until 1947. The Clowns officially moved to Indianapolis where they continued to play in the league, even after the final Negro World Series in 1948.

Before he became the first African-American player in Cincinnati Reds history, Chuck Harmon was a member of the Indianapolis Clowns while he attended the University of Toledo in 1947.

A few years later, Harmon joined the Cincinnati Reds and broke the Reds’ color barrier in 1954. This historic event in Cincinnati came seven years after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier when he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

Not only did the Indianapolis Clowns help break barriers for people of color, but also for women. The Clowns were the first team to sign women such as Toni Stone, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson and Connie Morgan to a long-term contract.

“The Clowns were a remarkable baseball success story, providing opportunities for talented players who were barred from the Major Leagues prior to 1947,” Walls said. “They combined skill, showmanship and innovation to create an entertaining brand of ball that drew large crowds at Crosley Field.”

The Clowns were known for their tricks and gimmicks that introduced a new form of entertainment in competitive baseball. Today, these types of performances can be seen at Banana Ball games across the country.

The Banana Ball League created the Indianapolis Clowns team in 2026 in tribute to the former Negro League team who inspired Banana Ball’s style.

This weekend, the Clowns will return to Cincinnati for the first time in almost 80 years. Games against the Savannah Bananas will be held at Great American Ball Park from June 19-June 21.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. all weekend, fans can visit the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum to see artifacts from the Cincinnati Clowns and Negro League teams, along with 16,000-square feet of historical, interactive and educational Reds exhibits.

• In honor of Father’s Day, dads receive free admission on Sunday, June 21.
• Kids 12 and under receive free admission year-round, courtesy of the H.C.S. Foundation.
• Active military and veterans receive free admission year-round, courtesy of the Sargent Family Foundation.