1949 ALBION MALLEABLE GIANTS

Summer has traditionally been a great time in Albion’s history for that great American past-time, the sport of baseball/softball. One team that was prominent for many years was the Albion Malleable Giants, sponsored by our leading foundry.

Malleable ball teams date back to the turn of the century, ca. 1900. Later, when Malleable secretary-treasurer Montford B. Murray began recruiting African-American men living in the South to work at the Malleable beginning in 1916, he was also recruiting ball players for the team. As a result, Malleable teams of the 1920s especially gained a reputation of being strong competitors as they played across Southern Michigan.

From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photo of the 1949 Albion Malleable Giants. This photo was taken on August 21, 1949 at Victory Park, just prior to the game against Pulaski. That game ended in a 5-5 tie after the Pulaski players walked off the field following the Giants’ tying run in the 10th inning.

Front row, (L-R) Manager Willie Harris, Bill Honaker, Henry Newton (bat boy’s helper), Allen Harris (bat boy), and William Chandler. Middle row: Eli Lewis, John Woods, Nathaniel Howard, James McIntosh, Roy Stallworth, Josephus Jones, Ed Honaker, and Dale McDonald. Top row: George Stallworth, Ulysses Curtis, A.D. Ware, Richard Anderson, Jessie Davis, Charles Gray, and Bob Habern. How many of our readers remember the Albion Malleable Giants?

	Frank Passic — Albion Historian An Albion native and 1971 graduate of Albion High School, Frank Passic has been researching and writing Albion history since 1976. He is the creator of the Albion Historical Notebook, with hundreds of articles appearing weekly in the Morning Star and The Recorder. Frank maintains an extensive personal archive including Riverside Cemetery records, family surname files, genealogies, photographs, city directories, and high school yearbooks. Support his 2026 research at the Historic Albion Michigan Facebook page. Historical Notebook \| From the Archives \| Subject List \| 100 Years Ago \| Alphabetical Index \| Frank Passic Home Page \| Albion History Books \| Contact Frank
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