Toledo Red Man Tobaccos

History

Early years

The Red Man Tobaccos were sponsored by the Toledo-based Pinkerton Tobacco Company, which produced Red Man Tobacco, and requested to be billed as the Red Man instead of the Red Men to avoid confusion with the Improved Order of Red Men. The team began in 1926 as an industrial team and became a semipro team the following season. The Red Man Tobacco team originally played in the Westminster Gym and featured a number of Toledo's former high school and college stars, such as Rollie Boldt, as well as professional players like Chase Clements. It was managed by Ed Cannon and coached by A. W. "Pete" Doelling. In 1928, the Red Man moved to the Toledo YMCA gym. Cannon had 200 bleacher seats installed, which brought capacity up to 1,100. An electric timing and scoring device was also installed. That same year, the team added former Ohio State center Cookie Cunningham and player-coach Pip Koehler.

During its semipro years, the Toledo Red Man Tobaccos opponents included teams from the American Basketball League (the Chicago Bruins, Cleveland Rosenblums, New York Celtics, Rochester Centrals, and Fort Wayne Hoosiers), barnstorming clubs (Jim Thorpe's World Famous Indians and Olson's Terrible Swedes), independent outfits (Flint Buick Flyers, Rochester Olds Motors, and Canton Orphans), and industrial teams (Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, Fort Wayne General Electrics, Auburn Automobile, Michigan Central Railroad, Robert Lee Shops, and Detroit Tool Shop).

National Professional Basketball League

In 1929, the Red Man Tobaccos were a founding member of the National Professional Basketball League. The NPBL, which also included teams from Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, Dayton, Columbus, Canton, and Cincinnati, was headed by Red Man manager Ed Cannon. The team moved to the new Toledo Civic Auditorium, which could seat over 4,200 spectators for basketball games. Cannon signed former Cleveland Rosenblums and Fort Wayne Hoosiers forward Len Sheppard to one of the largest contracts in professional basketball. Toledo finished the season with a 17–3 record and defeated the Dayton Kellys 4 games to 2 to win the NBPL championship.

American Basketball League

In 1930, Cannon was offered a franchise in the American Basketball League. He requested three players as a condition of joining the league and only joined after this demand was met, which caused hard feelings from the ABL's other owners, who felt that his intransigence had delayed the league. That December, Cannon, unhappy with the team's play, released all of the Red Man players except for Davey Banks and signed five members of the recently folded Cleveland Rosenblums (Dutch Dehnert, Joe Lapchick, Pete Barry, Lou Spindell, and Charley Shudtz). The Red Man finished the year with a 12–24 record and were well off the pace for the first and second half championships.

Return to independence

The ABL elected not to play a 1931–32 season due to financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression, but the Red Man continued as an independent team. Denhert, Lapchick, Banks, and Barry left the team to form the Rosenblum-Celtics with Nat Hickey. Cannon replaced them with Frank Shimek, Rusty Saunders, Carl Husta, and Shang Chadwick – the latter three coming from the reigning ABL champion Fort Wayne Hoosiers. The Red Man Tobaccos opponents included the Brooklyn Visitations, New York Renaissance, and Chicago Bruins.

Return to the NPBL

In 1932, Toledo returned to National Professional Basketball League, this time sponsored by another Toledo tobacco company – Crimson Coach, and playing at the Toledo Coliseum. The Crimson Coach Tobaccos consisted of Fred Jacobs, Abe Yourist, Arnie Straka, Ollie Wiza, Hank Hubbard, Jim Barnham, and captain Pip Koehler and finished the year with an 8–4 record. The team made the NPBL finals, but were swept in three games by the Akron Firestone Non-Skids.

Later years

The NPBL folded after the 1932–33 season and the Crimson Coaches became an independent team once again. Cannon was able to retain a number of players (including Koehler, Jacons, Straka, and Wiza) and obtained the use of the Knights of Columbus gym. Cannon turned his attention to softball in 1934 and the following year the Crimson Coach Tobaccos won the world amateur softball championship. Crimson Coach's final basketball game occurred on January 2, 1935, when a team of former Red Man and Crimson Coach players assembled by Cannon lost to the Brooklyn Jewels 21–20.

Year-by-year

References

References

1. (1993). "Can You Name that Team?: A Guide to Professional Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Basketball Teams and Leagues". Scarecrow Press.
2. (November 16, 1927). "Red Man Quintet Plans Big Season in Court Game". The Toledo News-Bee.
3. (November 28, 1928). "Red Man Tobaccos Ready For Battle". The Toledo News-Bee.
4. (December 1, 1928). "Red Man Sign Former Stater". The Toledo News-Bee.
5. (November 21, 1928). "Koehler Faces Old Playmate". The Toledo News-Bee.
6. (November 22, 1927). "Red Man Quint Schedules 2 Cage Games". The Toledo News-Bee.
7. (February 29, 1928). "Tobaccos To Play Centrals". The Toledo News-Bee.
8. (December 10, 1927). "Celtics Tangle With Red Man Five". The Toledo News-Bee.
9. (February 4, 1929). "Red Man Cagers To Battle Tough Foes". The Toledo News-Bee.
10. (January 28, 1929). "Red Man Cagers Clash With Rochester Team Saturday". The Toledo News-Bee.
11. (December 5, 1928). "Ft. Wayne Wins Over Red Man". The Toledo News-Bee.
12. (November 26, 1928). "Red Man Cagers Open Here Saturday". The Toledo News-Bee.
13. (January 23, 1929). "Red Man Five Wins At Akron". The Toledo News-Bee.
14. (December 3, 1927). "Michigan Centrals to Open City Cage Season Against Red Man". The Toledo News-Bee.
15. (December 28, 1927). "Barhan and Brandes Lead Local Red Man Tobaccos to Close Win". The Toledo News-Bee.
16. (January 10, 1929). "Electric Have a Star in Hoffman". The Toledo News-Bee.
17. (December 27, 1927). "Red Man Cage Five Defeated at Columbus". The Toledo News-Bee.
18. (January 26, 1929). "Bob Taylor to Appear on Home Floor Saturday". The Toledo News-Bee.
19. (August 19, 1929). "Six Cities Are Ready To Form New Basketball Loop". The Toledo News-Bee.
20. (October 29, 1929). "Auditorium to Boom Winter Sports". The Toledo News-Bee.
21. (November 7, 1929). "Shepherd Is Signs For Red Man Team". The Toledo News-Bee.
22. "National Professional Basketball League: 1929-1930".
23. (August 18, 1930). "Passing It Along". The Toledo News-Bee.
24. (December 9, 1930). "Toledo Fires Floor Squads". Youngstown Vindicator.
25. (December 9, 1930). "Toledo Signs Clevelanders". Painesville Telegraph.
26. "American Basketball League: 1930-1931".
27. (December 29, 1931). "Rosenblums to Meet Red Men". The Toledo News-Bee.
28. (November 30, 1931). "Pro Cage Team Planned". The Toledo News-Bee.
29. (December 5, 1931). "Red Man Cage Team to Open Here Sunday". The Toledo News-Bee.
30. (January 15, 1932). "Renaissance Five Boasts Strong Record". The Toledo News-Bee.
31. (December 25, 1931). "Cookie Cunningham To Play Against Red Man Five Here". The Toledo News-Bee.
32. (November 14, 1932). "Pro Cage Loop Moguls Will Discuss Plans". The Toledo News-Bee.
33. (December 24, 1932). "Pro Cagers Start Play on Sunday". The Toledo News-Bee.
34. "Toledo - 1932-1933".
35. "National Professional Basketball League: 1932-1933".
36. (November 28, 1933). "Coach Quintet Back On Floor for Pro Drive". The Toledo News-Bee.
37. (September 11, 1935). "Ohio Team Wins Softball Crown". The Telegraph-Herald.
38. (December 24, 1934). "Pro Cagers To Play Here". The Toledo News-Bee.
39. Senn, Jack. (January 3, 1935). "Invaders Win Game By Rally". The Toledo News-Bee.