Toledo Red Man Tobaccos

{{Infobox basketball club

| name = Toledo Red Man Tobaccos
Toledo Crimson Coach Tobaccos

| nickname =

| leagues = National Professional Basketball League (1929–1930)
American Basketball League (1930–1931)
National Professional Basketball League (1932–1933)

| founded = 1926

| arena = Westminster Gym (1926–1928)
Toledo YMCA gym (1928–1929)
Toledo Civic Auditorium (1929–1932)
Toledo Coliseum (1932–1933)
Knights of Columbus gym (1933–1934)
Toledo Coliseum (1935)

| gm = Ed Cannon

| coach = Pete Doelling (1927–1928)
Pip Koehler (1928–1930)
Dutch Dehnert (1930–1931)

| colors =

| folded = 1935

}}

The Toledo Red Man Tobaccos are a defunct American basketball team based in Toledo, Ohio that were champions of the National Professional Basketball League during the 1929–30 season. For the 1930–31 season, the team played in the American Basketball League, with 12 wins and 24 losses in that season. In 1932, the team returned to the NPBL as the Toledo Crimson Coach 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.{{cite book |last1=Biesel |first1=David B. |title=Can You Name that Team?: A Guide to Professional Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Basketball Teams and Leagues |date=1993 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |pages=66–67 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fRz9AAAAQBAJ |access-date=31 March 2024}} 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.{{cite news |title=Red Man Quintet Plans Big Season in Court Game |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KXdXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 16, 1927}} 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.{{cite news |title=Red Man Tobaccos Ready For Battle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=huxXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=3 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 28, 1928}} That same year, the team added former Ohio State center Cookie Cunningham and player-coach Pip Koehler.{{cite news |title=Red Man Sign Former Stater |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iexXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 1, 1928}}{{cite news |title=Koehler Faces Old Playmate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gOxXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 21, 1928}}

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).{{cite news |title=Red Man Quint Schedules 2 Cage Games |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LndXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA20 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 22, 1927}}{{cite news |title=Tobaccos To Play Centrals |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZRtYAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA15 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=February 29, 1928}}{{cite news |title=Celtics Tangle With Red Man Five |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PndXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 10, 1927}}{{cite news |title=Red Man Cagers To Battle Tough Foes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-tXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=February 4, 1929}}{{cite news |title=Red Man Cagers Clash With Rochester Team Saturday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n-tXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=January 28, 1929}}{{cite news |title=Ft. Wayne Wins Over Red Man |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jOxXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA41 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 5, 1928}}{{cite news |title=Red Man Cagers Open Here Saturday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hOxXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA17 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 26, 1928}}{{cite news |title=Red Man Five Wins At Akron |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=metXAAAAIBAJ |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=January 23, 1929}}{{cite news |title=Michigan Centrals to Open City Cage Season Against Red Man |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHdXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 3, 1927}}{{cite news |title=Barhan and Brandes Lead Local Red Man Tobaccos to Close Win |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TXdXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 28, 1927}}{{cite news |title=Electric Have a Star in Hoffman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jutXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=January 10, 1929}}{{cite news |title=Red Man Cage Five Defeated at Columbus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THdXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 27, 1927}}{{cite news |title=Bob Taylor to Appear on Home Floor Saturday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nOtXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=January 26, 1929}}

=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.{{cite news |title=Six Cities Are Ready To Form New Basketball Loop |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vCdYAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA14 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=August 19, 1929}} The team moved to the new Toledo Civic Auditorium, which could seat over 4,200 spectators for basketball games.{{cite news |last1=Conn |first1=Kenneth |title=Auditorium to Boom Winter Sports |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X-1XAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA17 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=October 29, 1929}} Cannon signed former Cleveland Rosenblums and Fort Wayne Hoosiers forward Len Sheppard to one of the largest contracts in professional basketball.{{cite news |title=Shepherd Is Signs For Red Man Team |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DClYAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA17 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 7, 1929}} Toledo finished the season with a 17–3 record and defeated the Dayton Kellys 4 games to 2 to win the NBPL championship.{{cite web |title=National Professional Basketball League: 1929-1930 |url=https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/league/national-professional-basketball-league/ |website=Pro Basketball Encyclopedia |access-date=31 March 2024}}

=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.{{cite news |last1=Conn |first1=Kenneth |title=Passing It Along |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VBxYAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=August 18, 1930}} 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).{{cite news |title=Toledo Fires Floor Squads |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSpAAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=Youngstown Vindicator |date=December 9, 1930}}{{cite news |title=Toledo Signs Clevelanders |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pKVZAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=Painesville Telegraph |date=December 9, 1930}} The Red Man finished the year with a 12–24 record and were well off the pace for the first and second half championships.{{cite web |title=American Basketball League: 1930-1931 |url=https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/league/american-basketball-league-10/ |website=Pro Basketball Encyclopedia |access-date=31 March 2024}}

=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.{{cite news |title=Rosenblums to Meet Red Men |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uO1XAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 29, 1931}} 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.{{cite news |title=Pro Cage Team Planned |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oe1XAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA11 |access-date=31 March 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 30, 1931}} The Red Man Tobaccos opponents included the Brooklyn Visitations, New York Renaissance, and Chicago Bruins.{{cite news |title=Red Man Cage Team to Open Here Sunday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pu1XAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 5, 1931}}{{cite news |title=Renaissance Five Boasts Strong Record |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8PVXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA9 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=January 15, 1932}}{{cite news |title=Cookie Cunningham To Play Against Red Man Five Here |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=te1XAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 25, 1931}}

=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.{{cite news |title=Pro Cage Loop Moguls Will Discuss Plans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uOxXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 14, 1932}}

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.{{cite news |title=Pro Cagers Start Play on Sunday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2exXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA7 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 24, 1932}}{{cite web |title=Toledo - 1932-1933 |url=https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/team-standings-by-year/?y=1932-1933&t=Toledo |website=Pro Basketball Encyclopedia |access-date=1 April 2024}} The team made the NPBL finals, but were swept in three games by the Akron Firestone Non-Skids.{{cite web |title=National Professional Basketball League: 1932-1933 |url=https://probasketballencyclopedia.com/league/national-professional-basketball-league-2/ |website=Pro Basketball Encyclopedia |access-date=1 April 2024}}

=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.{{cite news |title=Coach Quintet Back On Floor for Pro Drive |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=at9XAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=November 28, 1933}} Cannon turned his attention to softball in 1934 and the following year the Crimson Coach Tobaccos won the world amateur softball championship.{{cite news |title=Ohio Team Wins Softball Crown |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mr1BAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Telegraph-Herald |date=September 11, 1935}} 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.{{cite news |title=Pro Cagers To Play Here |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_VXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=December 24, 1934}}{{cite news |last=Senn |first=Jack |title=Invaders Win Game By Rally |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ofBXAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13 |access-date=1 April 2024 |work=The Toledo News-Bee |date=January 3, 1935}}