On Sunday, August 29, 1937, not more than two miles from where I presently live, the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League win games of a tightly contested doubleheader against the Bay Parkway Dukes at Erasmus Field, McDonald Avenue at the Avenue M station along the Culver Line, Brooklyn.
GAME ONE - Starting for the Dukes, Phil Mooney is opposed by the familiar right-hander Terris McDuffie who was hurling for Brooklyn two years ago before the Manleys relocated the Eagles to Newark. The two duel to a one-all tie through nine innings. Newark scores their run in the second and the Bay Parkways in the fourth. Afterwhich, the score remains unchanged for the next five innings, and into extra innings, they go at Erasmus Field.
Mooney allows the lone run on just five hits through nine. After the second, he hurls seven scoreless innings but exits to a no-decision. He is relieved in the tenth inning by Eddie Bell. Meanwhile, Terris McDuffie lasts through the twelfth inning, and like Mooney, walks off to a no-decision. McDuffie, after the fourth twirls eight scoreless innings.
After enduring another four scoreless frames, the Eagles finally get to Eddie Bell for three runs in the top of the fourteenth inning. Second baseman Dick Seay doubles, and after a walk issued to shortstop Willie Wells, first baseman Mule Suttles doubles to right field, plating Seay with the game's decisive run.
Right-hander Leon Day, who entered the game in the thirteenth, tosses two scoreless innings for the win. Right fielder Ed Stone leads the Eagles with three hits, and third baseman Ray Dandridge
wields two.
GAME TWO - A seven-inning contest is agreed upon. Newark promptly scores three runs on four hits against Bay Parkway starter Johnny Ubinski in the first inning. Afterwhich, Ubinski settles in with help from Teddy Wronewic's stellar play in left field, allowing no runs on just three scattered hits over the final six innings.
However, Leon Day makes Newark's lead stand. The Dukes manage two runs in the fourth and not much else. After his relief stint in game one, Leon Day holds Bay Parkway to six hits with three strikeouts over seven innings for the win. Ed Stone leads the Eagles with two hits, while Mule Suttles, Dick Seay, and center fielder Jimmie Crutchfield crossed home for Newark. Despite seven strikeouts, Johnny Ubinski takes the hard-luck loss.
