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Outlaw Carolina Baseball League 1936 - 1938

The 1938 Kannapolis Towelers

In 1992, Marvin Watts explained that the reason behind the small number of players appearing in this photograph was that the Outlaw League was beginning to collapse, and the professionals did not want their picture taken for fear of being banned from the major leagues. 

Front row, left to right:  Mickey O’Neil, Wilbur McGill, Davis (bat boy), “Buck” Redfern (3B, MGR), "Chick" Suggs (OF), “Ginger” Watts (C). 

Back row:  Jake Daniel, Chief  Daney, Jim White (P), Marvin Watts and Terry Terhune.

The 1936 Kannapolis Towelers

The 1936 Kannapolis Towelers
 Front row, kneeling, left to right: Batboy, George Barley (P), Grey Clarke (3B), “Razz” Miller (OF), Reynolds (INF), Beams (INF), Ginger Watts (C-MGR); Back row, standing:  Vince Barton (OF), Fletcher Heath (2B), Marvin Watts (SS), Frank Hopkins (1B), Wilson (P), Horne (P), Gillespie (P), “Lefty” Archer (P), Rhem (P).  Not Shown:  Virgil “Coddle Creek” Taylor (P), "Chick" Suggs (OF).

The 1937 Kannapolis Towelers

The 1937 Kannapolis Towelers.  Kneeling, left to right:  Dunbar, Fletcher, Heath, “Coddle Creek” Taylor, Hayes (P), Bill Parker (P), Parks, Herman “Ginger” Watts (C), Harris.  Back row, standing:  Ellis Taylor, Tracey Hart (P), Marvin Watts (SS), Jim White (P), “Razz” Miller (OF), Eric Tipton, "Chick" Suggs (OF), Vince Barton (OF), Morris Wilson (P).

Winning By Any Means Necessary

Outlaw behavior was common among owners, team management, and players before and during the time of the ICBL.  Fights were not uncommon among the players or the fans if an umpire made an unpopular call. Managers, on the behalf of the owners, made financial offers to out-of-work players that were impossible to refuse, contract or not.

Before There Were Outlaws

The roots of the Independent Carolina Baseball League (ICBL), nicknamed the Outlaw League began in the Carolina Textile League. Various textile owners supported local baseball teams. The local clubs served as training grounds for unemployed, professional baseball players, and college baseball stars who all hoped to be noticed by scouts for the major ball clubs. Assured of a mill job in the off-season, the Textile League attracted players from all over the country.

Outlaw Carolina Baseball League 1936 - 1938

At one time, baseball ruled as America’s pastime. In 1936, a number of textile owners combined their passion for the sport with their desire to make money and formed the North Carolina Independent League. In the pursuit of winning, the owners began hiring professional baseball players, thus incurring the wrath of the major baseball teams, and the President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, Judge William G. Braham, who identified each of the teams in the newly formed ICBL as an outlaw league.