While Joplin had its first professional baseball team in the form of the Colts who became the Miners, it did not mean that others put down their gloves and bats. One group of men who continued to play, perhaps as an amateur team, were the Joplin Bankers. Note, the team consisted of the bare minimum to play with one man for every position.
The 1907 Joplin Bankers baseball team.
Source: The Joplin Globe
While Joplin did not have a professional baseball team until around 1901 / 1902 in the form of the Joplin Colts (who became the Miners), amateur teams were active and present before then. Among them was this African American team called the Joplin Shadies. Unfortunately for the Joplin team, on July 30, 1896, they lost to a Carthage team.
A brief score from Joplin's African American baseball team in 1896.
Source: The Joplin Globe
