Professional Playing Career
Toni Stone began her professional career as the first female baseball player in the Negro Leagues with the San Francisco Sea Lions in 1949. She batted two runners in during her first time up to bat with the Sea Lions. It is said that she left the team shortly after joining, due to not being paid a promised amount of money by the owner. She then went on to play with the Black Pelicans for a short amount of time and then she joined the New Orleans Creoles from 1949-1952. Syd Pollock, the manager of the Indianapolis Clowns, put out a flyer looking to recruit a new "attraction" for the ball field to add to the literal clowns he already had. Stone decided to join the Clowns, where she would play second base to replace Hank Aaron. She played with the Clowns for 50 games and maintained a batting average of 0.243. Is is said that she even got a hit off of Satchel Paige. In 1954, Stone's contract was sold to the Kansas City Monarchs, and she retired after the season due to lack of playing time.
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