Tracing their origins back to the 1930s, the Clowns were the last of the Negro league teams to disband, continuing to play exhibition games into the 1980s.

While still fielding a legitimate team, the Clowns also toured with several members known for comic acts — sort of a baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, including Joe "Prince" Henry.

Aaron played about three months as the Clowns' shortstop and cleanup hitter before being acquired by the Boston Braves organization for $10,000.

The Clowns fielded such stars as Buster Haywood, Hubert "Big Daddy" Wooten, DeWitt "Woody" Smallwood, showman and Harlem Globetrotter star "Goose" Tatum, and future Major Leaguers John Wyatt (Kansas City Athletics), Paul Casanova (Washington Senators), Hal King (Atlanta Braves), and Choo-Choo Coleman (New York Mets).

The 1976 movie The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, starring James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, and Richard Pryor, is loosely based on the barnstorming of the Indianapolis Clowns.