Remembering The Detroit Caesars And Their Championship Glory

There have been a lot of defunct baseball teams on a professional level in Michigan, but one of the most interesting that people may not remember was a team named after Little Caesars pizza.

The team was known as the Detroit Caesars, and this team actually won back-to-back championships in their league, and somehow, this is the first time I’ve ever heard about this.

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Recently, a man named Bill Mabee posted a photo on his Facebook showing a team picture of the Detroit Caesars, which even featured some former Detroit Tigers players.

The Detroit Caesars, a professional softball team that played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) 1977-1979. They played at Memorial Field in East Detroit. Mike Ilitch, owner of Little Caesar's Pizza and the team, would bring in players such as Jim Northrup, Mickey Stanley, Jim Price and Norm Cash to play part-time as a promotion to boost attendance. In the photo: Norm Cash (front row, second from the right) and Jim Northrup (third row, far left).

It turns out the softball team was a little bit more laid-back, as back in the early 80s, they played The King and his Court at a field in East Detroit on 10 Mile Road and Kelly.

The King and his Court were basically softball’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters, which only had a catcher, a first baseman, a shortstop, and the pitching of Eddy “the King “ Feigner.