Showing posts with label Francis Nekola. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Francis Nekola. Show all posts

Monday, September 20, 2021

OTD Negro National League vs. Brooklyn Semipros 9/20/1939: In a Battle of Respective Champions, Bushwicks Defeat the Elite Giants at Dexter Park

From the desk: NEGRO LEAGUES vs. BROOKLYN SEMIPROS



On Wednesday, September 20, 1939, in their last regular-season game under the arc lights, Bushwick defeated the Nashville Elite Giants in a tightly contested affair at Dexter Park.



In a game pitting the Negro National League second-half champs versus the Metropolitan Baseball Association champions, right-hander Emery Adams toes the slab for Nashville and is opposed by Bots Nekola for Bushwick.  

Both pitchers go six innings.  Nekola allows just one run on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts, while Adams yields two runs in the third and one in the six, on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts in a losing effort.  

The score remains unchanged through the ninth.  

In relief of Nekola, Wally Singer allows no hits with four strikeouts over three scoreless innings.  Pitching in relief of Emery Adams, right-hander Willie Hubert throws two scoreless innings.

Second baseman Felton Snow accounts for two of the Elite Giants' five hits and scores their lone run in the fourth inning.  Bushwick's second baseman Al Cuccinello leads the team with two hits.  First baseman Gene Rodgers, Sol Mishkin, and Bots Nekola drive in a run each.

  • NOTE: The Elite Giants last played at Nashville in 1934 and arrived in Baltimore for the 1938 season.  I can't tell as to why the papers report the Elite Giants being from Nashville.  A 17-year old catcher named Roy Campanella appears on the roster but does not appear in this game.




Friday, July 23, 2021

OTD Brooklyn Semipros 7/23/1941: Bushwicks Defeat Kansas City Monarchs On Festive Night At Dexter Park

From the desk: NEGRO LEAGUES vs. BROOKLYN SEMIPROS



On Wednesday, July 23, 1941, in a tightly contested affair, the Bushwicks defeated the Kansas City Monarchs at Dexter Park.

The game itself marks the eleventh anniversary of the first-ever night game played at Woodhaven's ballpark.  Back on July 23, 1930, in the first night game, Bushwick lost to the Springfields.  In celebration of that night and paying homage to Max Rosner, Bushwick alumni, former members of Springfield, including owner Archie Turner, and home plate umpire that game, Buster Brown, are all on hand before a crowd upwards of 8,000 fans.  Sportswriter Lester Bromberg of the World-Telegram serves as master of ceremonies.  




With Kansas City pitching great Satchel Paige (nursing a sore arm) looking on from a box behind home plate, Bushwick's Francis "Bots" Nekola limits the Monarchs to one run on just five hits (all singles) and two walks with five strikeouts for the victory.  In fact, the Monarchs remain hitless through the fifth.

Kansas City inevitably spoils the shutout when Buck O'Neil lifts a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the sixth.  Ironically, it is starter Frank "Schoolboy" Bradley who scores the Monarch's only run.  Bradley, third baseman Newt Allen, second baseman Rainey Bibbs, left fielder Willie Simms, and shortstop Jesse Williams accounts for Kansas City's hits.

"The fielding star of the game was Jesse Williams, shortstop of the Kansas City team.  He handled eight chances brilliantly, several times robbing the Bushwick players of base hits." - The Brooklyn Citizen, July 24, 1941

Bradley yields three runs on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in an effective albeit losing effort on the mound.  With the game tied at one through the sixth, Bushwick bunches together four of their seven hits in the seventh resulting in two runs and a 3-1 final margin of victory.  Bots Nekola helps his own cause with two hits.  Center fielder Buddy Hall wields a triple in the first and drivers home a run, and left fielder Jimmy Ashford also drives home a run and scores.  Third baseman Gene Zaiser and catcher Charlie Hargreaves also score for Bushwick.