Once Upon A Summer 9/1/1918: New York Lincoln Giants Sweep Twin Bill From Brooklyn Royal Giants at Olympic Field; Joe "Cyclone" Williams Earns Dual Victory, John Donaldson Suffers Loss in Second Tilt

From the desk: DEM BARNSTORMERS & THE DONALDSON NETWORK

The Evening World (New York, NY), Saturday, August 31, 1918

New-York Tribune (New York, NY), 

Saturday, August 31, 1918

On Sunday, September 1, 1918, the Brooklyn Royal Giants were defeated in both ends of a doubleheader by the New York Lincoln Giants at Olympic Oval, Harlem.

GAME ONE - Sunday's opener features Brooklyn right-hander Irvin Brooks pitted against Joe "Cyclone" Williams for New York.  The Lincoln Giants open the scoring with a run in the second.  Afterwhich, the score remains unchanged until the Lincoln Giants add single runs in the fifth and sixth innings for a 3-0 lead.  Smokey Joe Williams makes it stand.  Brooklyn eventually enters the scorer's book with a run in the seventh and one in the ninth inning but would score no more.  All told, future Hall of Famer Joe Williams limits the Royal Giants to a pair of runs on eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts for the victory.  Shortstop John Henry "Pop" Lloyd and third baseman Oliver Marcell lead the Royal Giants with two hits apiece, and right fielder Johnny Pugh connects for a home run.  Batting fourth between Pop Lloyd and Marcell, John Donaldson is held hitless by Joe Williams.  Irvin Brooks is the hard-luck loser, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts.  Center fielder Jules Thomas leads the Lincoln Giants with two hits, including a double.  Left fielder Blainey Hall, first baseman Ted Kimbro, and shortstop Dick Wallace score for the Lincoln Giants.

NEW YORK LINCOLN GIANTS

New York Herald, Monday, September 2, 1918

GAME TWO features Brooklyn southpaw John Donaldson opposed by Ad Lankford for the Lincoln Giants.  In another tightly contested affair, the Royal Giants open the scoring in the first inning, but the home team answers with two in the bottom half of the frame.  The Lincoln Giants add a run in the fifth.  Afterwhich, Brooklyn musters single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, tying the game at three.  Pitching in relief of Lankford, Joe Williams and John Donaldson traded zeroes in the eighth.  In the top of the ninth, Brooklyn cannot affect the score, but the Lincoln Giants do just that, pushing across the winning run in the home ninth to complete a twin bill sweep of the Royal Giants.  In a relief role, Williams earns his second victory of the day, while highly reputed midwesterner John Donaldson takes the loss.  

New-York Tribune, Monday, September 2, 1918

⚾

BROOKLYN ROYAL GIANTS

ONCE UPON A SUMMER, 1918: JOHN DONALDSON'S LONE SEASON WITH THE BROOKLYN ROYAL GIANTS

• 6/28 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Acquire Midwest Pitching Great, John Donaldson
• 6/30 - John Donaldson Loses Brooklyn Royal Giants Debut To New York Lincoln Giants
• 7/3 - John Donaldson Poised To Make Brooklyn/Queens Debut At Dexter Park
• 7/4 - John Donaldson Twirls Shutout Over Cuban Stars In Dexter Park Debut
• 7/7 - Joe Williams Wins Second Straight Decision Over John Donaldson; Lincoln Giants and Royal Giants Split Twin Bill
• 7/13 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Glendale at Farmer's Oval, Queens
• 7/14 - John Donaldson Defeats Bushwick; Royal Giants Split Twin Bill At Dexter Park
• 7/15 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Take Series Opener From Atlantic City Bacharach Giants
• 7/16 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Take Game Two from Bacharach Giants; John Donaldson Earns The Victory
• 7/17 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Wrap Up Series With Bacharach Giants at Atlantic City
• 7/18 - N.Y. Ship League Team Defeat Brooklyn Royal Giants at Camden, New Jersey
• 7/21 - Cuban Stars Double-Up Brooklyn Royal Giants; John Donaldson Takes Loss at Dexter Park
• 7/24 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Bow To Stan Baumgartner and Bethlehem Steel at Allentown, PA
• 7/27 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Camp Dix Soldiers*
• 7/28 - Silk Sox Clout John Donaldson's Offerings; Brooklyn Royal Giants Fall at Doherty's Oval
• 8/3 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Prospect Heights at Hackensack*
• 8/4 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Forfeit Game To Glendale at Farmer's Oval
• 8/7 - Bethlehem Steel Team Hosts a Scoreless Tie Against Brooklyn Royal Giants
• 8/11 - New York Lincoln Giants and Royal Giants Split Twin Bill at Olympic Field; Joe "Cyclone" Williams Wins Opener, John Donaldson Wins Game Two
• 8/17 - New York Ship Wins Second Contest Against Brooklyn Royal Giants at Camden, N.J.
• 8/18 - The Tietjen & Lang Shipyard Nine Defeat John Donaldson and the Brooklyn Royal Giants, North Bergen, N.J.
• 8/24 - Morse Dry Dock BBC Defeat Royal Giants in John Donaldson's True Brooklyn Debut
• 8/25 - Irvin Brooks Twirls Shutout; Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Glendale at Farmer Oval, Queens

LHP - JOHN DONALDSON'S STARTS w/ BROOKLYN:

1. 6/30/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 2 runs, 7 hits, 2 W, 2 K (Lincoln Giants; Olympic Field)
2. 7/4/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 0 RUNS, 5 hits, 1 W, 6 K (Cuban Stars; Dexter Park)
3. 7/7/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 3 runs, 9 hits, 2 W, 2 K (Lincoln Giants; Olympic Field)
4. 7/14/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 1 run, 7 hits, 1 W, 5 K (Bushwick; Dexter Park)
5. 7/16/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 4 runs, 14 hits, (?) W, 6 K* (Atlantic City; Bacharach Park, N.J.)
6. 7/21/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 6 runs, 10 hits, 4 W, 1 K (Cuban Stars; Dexter Park)
7. 7/28/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 9 runs, 16 hits, 2 W, 3 K (Silk Sox, Doherty's Oval, N.J.)
8. 8/11/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 2 runs, 13 hits, (?) W, (?) K (Lincoln Giants, Olympic Field)
9. 8/18/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 5 runs, 5 hits, (?) W, 4 K (Tietjen & Lang, Nurge's Field, N.J.)
10. 8/24/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 8 runs, 19 hits, 1 W, 2 K (Morse Dry Dock, Brooklyn)
11. 9/1/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 4 runs, 14 hits, (?) W, (?) K (Lincoln Giants, Olympic Field)

• LINE: 99 innings, 44 runs, 119 hits, 13 walks, 30 strikeouts, 4.00 ERA 

BEDFORD & SULLIVAN PODCAST:

Restoring Baseball Great John Donaldson's Lost Legacy With Negro Leagues Historian and Founder of The Donaldson Network, Peter Gorton.

Minnesota native Peter Gorton leads a group of historians dedicated to discovering the lost legacy of John Wesley Donaldson.  In this episode, we discuss the man, baseball career, and life of one of the more incredible and inspiring athletes to ever play the game, and how his amazing legacy became lost to a nation, most particularly Baseball's Hall of Fame.  

Original airdate: March 13, 2021