Akron Black Tyrites Logo on Social Media for February
In honor of Black History Month and to help share the story of Negro League Baseball in Akron, the Akron RubberDucks will change their social media profile pictures to logos inspired by the Akron Black Tyrites for all of February. The Akron Black Tyrites were a member of the Negro
In honor of Black History Month and to help share the story of Negro League Baseball in Akron, the Akron RubberDucks will change their social media profile pictures to logos inspired by the Akron Black Tyrites for all of February.
The Akron Black Tyrites were a member of the Negro National League in 1933. The club began that year in Columbus before moving to Akron for just 10 games. The team finished the season in Cleveland as the Giants.
The name was originally supposed to be “Tyr-ites” from the British word for tire, “tyre,” but the name soon became “Ty-rites” to match Akronites.
The team played their games at Akron’s League Park, which was a $135,000 ballpark constructed in 1928 on property at Crosier Street, Park Avenue, and Long Street.
Since the team only played a small number of games in Akron, only a few photos of the front of the uniform jersey appeared when the RubberDucks front office staff began research. To celebrate and honor the original Akron Black Tyrites, the RubberDucks created logos and uniforms in a style the team might have worn in 1933.
In a game against the Altoona Curve on September 3, 2021, the RubberDucks became the Akron Black Tyrites and took a combined no-hitter into the ninth inning before yielding a hit with two outs. Akron completed a one-hit shutout to defeat Altoona, 3-0.
On July 9, 2022, the RubberDucks became the Akron Black Tyrites once again in a game against the Altoona Curve. However the 2022 game carried even more of a special meaning as the Curve honored the Jax Red Caps by wearing the salute to the Negro League uniforms of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
This game marked the first time both of the Fast Forward Sports Group teams’ salute to the Negro Leagues uniforms were worn on the same field. Akron won the game 7-3.
The RubberDucks will honor the Black Tyrites in future seasons by wearing the uniforms for special games including on Friday, July 21, 2023.
To help the RubberDucks celebrate and share the story of the Akron Black Tyrites, you can order your own Akron Black Tyrites merchandise by visiting the RubberDucks Team Shop here.