The Pepsi Cola Giants were one of the many semi-professional baseball teams once located in the Tampa Bay area and showcased some of the best African American talent in the state. This image, taken in the late 1930s, came during a time when teams such as the Giants served as feeders for professional Negro League teams. The best of the best from local semi-pro teams were likely to be signed by major clubs such as the New York Black Yankees, Indianapolis Clowns and Newark Eagles.This photograph features players such as Alex Broome, “Schoolboy” Allen, Adam Young, John McQueen, Nathaniel Davis, Tete Guzman, Red Lopez, “Mutt” Brooks, J.B. Broome, John Gibbons, and Pepsi Cola Giants owner George Morris.
The Tampa Bay History Center is currently hosting an exhibit on loan from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum called “Shades of Greatness: Art Inspired by the Negro Leagues Baseball.” The exhibit, which also features a component highlighting local Negro League players from the Tampa Bay area, runs through April 25.
Photograph Courtesy of Special & Digital Collections, Tampa Library, University of South Florida
