page_title: Armstrong Secret 9
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Armstrong Secret 9 / History
caption_attribution_description: English: An image of Louis Armstrong's (short-lived) baseball team, "Secret 9"
context_page_description: The Armstrong Secret 9, originally known as the Raggedy 9 and later also as the Smart 9, were a semi-pro Negro league baseball team. The team was sponsored by American jazz musician Louis Armstrong in 1931 in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. In the summer of 1931, they toured with Armstrong and they possibly played in 1932 before news coverage of them disappeared. They wore white uniforms with "Armstrong" displayed in a bold font on the chest of each jersey.
context_section_description: During the Jazz Age, the popularity of baseball made for an attractive medium used by American entertainers and public figures for self promotion. Both softball and baseball teams were formed by big name bands led by Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and Louis Armstrong. Unifying teams with bands gave a professional platform for all to evolve and grow in their craft as well as perform on a significantly larger scale in front of bigger audiences. Armstrong, an avid baseball fan and New Orleans native, sponsored a New Orleans based team called the Raggedy 9. The name was inspired by the poor quality of their uniforms. The ball club competed against other local amateur and semi-pro African American teams during Armstrong's three-month stay in New Orleans. Armstrong had such a great love for the team and their talent that he bought the team new uniforms made with fine cotton and put his name on the front of each uniform, renaming them Armstrong's Secret 9. The team was located in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, and played in the summer of 1931.
caption: The "Secret 9"; photo by Villard Paddio
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