More than fun and games: Meet the family behind an Indianapolis Clowns legacy

CINCINNATI — The Savannah Bananas are back in Cincinnati, but this year they face a new opponent: the Indianapolis Clowns.

The Clowns were implemented into Banana Ball this season to honor the original Negro League team that played from the 1930s to 1989. The team also had stints in Miami (Florida) and here in Cincinnati as the Ethiopian and Cincinnati Clowns.

So, when 93-year-old West Chester resident Myra Merchant heard the Clowns were coming to town, she said she was shocked.

“It brings back a lot of beautiful memories,” she said.

Merchant’s husband, Henry Lewis “Speed” Merchant, was an outfielder for the original Clowns team. He coined the nickname “Speed” because of his pace on the bases.

WATCH: Meet the family of Indianapolis Clowns legend Henry Lewis “Speed” Merchant

The Savannah Bananas are back in Cincinnati, but their opponents hit home for one family

In 1950, he won the title for most stolen bases in a single season with 45 bases stolen in 80 games.

“(He) was a hell of a ball player,” Merchant said of her late husband. “He could run, he was a beautiful runner.”

“Speed” died of prostate cancer in 1982, but even four decades later, at the Merchant family’s table, sit dozens of photos and memorabilia — a physical record of a legacy Merchant refuses to let fade.

Noelle Blumel

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“I can’t help it, it’s part of history,” she said. “I thank God he had a chance to prove himself in the Negro League.”

Their three children, Charisse, Herma Jean and Rashawn Merchant, still live in the Cincinnati area as well and remember the tricks he used to do as a player.

“They came up with tricks (like) hiding the ball and digging into the dirt and coming up (with it),” Charisse said.

Charisse added that even after his time as a player, their father would still perform the tricks from time to time.

“He just knew how to do so many things,” Rashawn said. “He could take the baseball and roll it down his shoulder… could catch the ball behind his back, over his head.”

Myra Merchant

Myra said the tricks, in addition to the baseball, made the games a joyful spectacle.

“There was laughter and fun in the game, the way they played it, and it was enjoyable,” Merchant said.

That enjoyment, however, came with adversity. The Clowns often had to perform in the face of open discrimination.

“It was rough,” Charisse said. “(Going to) certain places to eat, they would send whoever was the lightest-skinned guy on the team. He would go to the back and get the sandwiches or whatever to eat.”

The hostility didn’t stop there.

“Players being thrown ice, (patrons) would throw the bottles at them,” Charisse said. “But (the players) kept going and they would win the game and hurry up and get on the bus.”

Charisse added that sometimes the players could not change out of their jerseys after games because they had to leave the hostile environment immediately to avoid things escalating.

Myra described the era with unflinching clarity.

“Prejudice, back in the, the ’30s and ’40s, and even a lot of times in the ’50s, that prejudice was still there,” she said. “And you had to endure it, take it, smile and keep going.”

When asked what made the players want to keep going, Myra’s answer was immediate.

“I’ll put it this way, our Lord came here, and he knew what he had to endure,” she said. “He kept going, and that’s what the Black man has done. He kept going. Because had he stopped, where would he have been today?”

Charisse and Rashawn echoed that sentiment.

“He loved the game. It was just in his blood, and that’s what he wanted to do,” they said.

Now with a new generation of the Clowns making headlines, the Merchant family said their hope is that the fans and players know about the pioneers who wore the name first.

Rashawn Merchant

“I thank God because it lives on. He’s part of history. And it lives on through the children and every Black player. Every Black man that came through hell,” Myra said.

Charisse and Rashawn said they want that history to be part of the celebration.

“Just remember that it started through a lot of hardship, that it wasn’t all fun and games,” Rashawn said. “There’s a history there and all of it’s not the best, but they made the best of what they had.”

Myra said the struggles they went through, though grueling, are part of what makes America a great country.

“They were part of America. That’s what makes America great, and it is a great country,” she said. “This is a melting pot of beautiful colors. She have her problems — What country has none? But we can solve them together, united as one.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.