Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Once Upon A Summer 9/29/1918: Smokey Joe Williams Outlasts Irvin Brooks and John Donaldson in Lincoln Giants Decisive Series Win over Brooklyn Royal Giants

From the desk: DEM BARNSTORMERS & THE DONALDSON NETWORK





On Sunday, September 29, 1918, after defeating the Cuban Stars of Havana in game one, the New York Lincoln Giants complete a twin bill sweep with a victory over the Brooklyn Royal Giants in the second game at Olympic Field, Harlem.




New York and Brooklyn enter the game tied in their season series and bill it for the (local) colored championship.  

Right-hander Irvin Brooks toes the slab for Brooklyn and is opposed by right-hander Joe "Cyclone" Williams for the home Lincoln Giants.

The Harlem locals promptly take a 3-0 lead in the first inning, then increase it to five in the fourth, knocking Irvin Brooks out of the box before he records an out.  Royal Giant southpaw John Donaldson
is called in from his position in left field to relieve Brooks, who takes over center field, with
William Parks shifting to left.  Donaldson ends the threat, but as the final score suggests, the damage was already done.

Brooklyn manages single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Lincoln Giants answer with two more in their half of the sixth then another in the seventh.  The Royal Giants push across two runs in the eighth inning, but no more.  Smokey Joe twirls a scoreless ninth to close out the victory.

Future Hall of Famer Joe Williams allows four runs on eight hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over nine innings for the win.

Four Lincoln Giants wield multiple hits, Jules ThomasTodd Allen, and Bill Pierce hit for extra bases.

Irvin Brooks takes the loss, yielding five runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts while failing to pitch out of the fourth.  John Donaldson surrenders three runs in relief on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

William Parks and Bill Pettus lead Brooklyn with three hits each.  Right fielder Johnny Pugh accounts for two of four runs scored, John Donaldson and John Henry Lloyd the others.



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

LHP - JOHN DONALDSON'S PITCHING RECORD 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)
  12. 9/2/1918 - (L) 2 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 W, 1 K (Cuban Stars; Dexter Park)
  13. 9/4/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 6 runs, 7 hits, (?) W, (?) K (Camp Mills, Garden City, NY)
  14. 9/14/1918 - (W) No game account vs. Tietjen and Lang Ship Club (Nurge's Field, N.J.)
  15. 9/22/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 7 runs, 10 hits, (?) W, (?) K (New York Giants, Jersey City)
  16. 9/29/1918 - (ND) 4 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 W, 5 K (Lincoln Giants, Olympic Field)
  • LINE: 123 innings, 61 runs, 144 hits14 walks, 36 strikeouts, 4.46 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





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