OTD at Ebbets Field 9/8/1935: In the Crispus Attucks Community Council Benefit Doubleheader, the Philly Stars and New York Cubans Play to Nine-Inning Tie; Pittsburgh Crawfords Defeat Brooklyn Eagles

From the desk: WHERE THE EAGLES LEARNED TO FLY

The New York Age, Saturday, September 7, 1935

On Sunday, September 8, 1935, a charity doubleheader is staged at Ebbets Field for the Crispus Attucks Community Council of Brooklyn.  "The Council, named for a Negro patriot killed in the Boston Massacre of 1770, conducts relief work among Brooklyn's Negros."

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Saturday, September 7, 1935

The first game pits the New York Cubans, winners of the Negro National League's second half, against the 1934 champion Philadelphia Stars.  The second game features the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Negro National League first-half winners, versus the Brooklyn Eagles.  No less than ten future Hall of Famers, including the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame, participate in the twin bill benefit.

The New York Age, Saturday, September 7, 1935

Times Union (Brooklyn, NY), Saturday, September 7, 1935

"The Cubans-Philly game will be a grudge battle because it was the Cubans, second-half champions, who knocked the Stars out of a chance to defend their league title in a series the other weekend." - Times-Union.

NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE

PHILADELPHIA STARS vs. NEW YORK CUBANS

GAME ONE - The Philadelphia Stars and New York Cubans duel to a two-all tie.  Extra innings are not played to begin the second game on time.  

Right-hander Webster McDonald starts for Philadelphia and is opposed by Johnny Taylor for New York.  After five scoreless innings, Philly takes a 2-0 lead in the sixth.  The Cubans knot the game in the eighth.  Johnny Taylor yields just two hits and three walks with five strikeouts through seven innings pitched.  In relief of Taylor, southpaw Neck Stanley allows one hit and one walk over the final two innings.  Webster McDonald surrenders nine hits, two for extra bases, and three walks with six strikeouts. 

Left fielder Chaney White, second baseman Obie Lackey, and center fielder Lloyd Davenport account for Philadelphia's three hits.  Meanwhile, first baseman Jud Wilson and catcher Biz Mackey are held hitless in four at-bats apiece.  Right fielder Ted Page and McDonald score for Philly.

New York left fielder Lázaro Salazar leads the Cubans with three hits, including a double.  Center fielder Alejandro Oms also doubles.  Playing third base, Martín Dihigo and right fielder Clyde Spearman each singled and scored.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Monday, September 9, 1935

NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE

PITTSBURGH CRAWFORDS vs. BROOKLYN EAGLES

GAME TWO - The Brooklyn Eagles open with a run in the third, but the Crawfords promptly answer with two in the fourth.  Brooklyn ties the score in the bottom half of the fourth, then retakes the lead in fifth.  But the Eagles would score no more.  Pittsburgh left-hander Leroy Matlock holds the Eagles scoreless over the final four frames.  

In the meantime, the Crawfords erupt for two runs in the sixth, three in the seventh, and five more in the eighth.  After holding Pittsburgh hitless over the first three innings, Brooklyn Eagle starter Leon Day is knocked out of the box, but not before yielding twelve runs on twelve hits and five walks with three strikeouts through 7.1 innings pitched.  Right-hander Will Jackman fares no better, allowing four hits while failing to retire a batter.  In relief of Jackman, Terris McDuffie limits the Crawfords to a single hit over the final 1.2 innings.

The Crawfords get credited with eight outfield putouts and fifteen infield putouts but only three infield assists and one by shortstop Chester Williams.  The point here is the Brooklyn Eagles make solid contact, alas to no avail.  First baseman George Giles and second baseman Harry Williams lead Brooklyn with two hits each.  Williams and left fielder Fats Jenkins both hit for extra bases and scored.  Catcher Tex Burnett accounts for Brooklyn's third run.  But it's worth noting Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe was not a participant.  Otherwise, Pittsburgh Crawford starter Leroy Matlock allows eight hits and no walks with three strikeouts for the win.

All nine Crawford batters hit safely.  Chester Williams and Matlock lead the team with three hits each.  Leadoff man Cool Papa Bell wields two hits and scored twice; catcher Josh Gibson goes 2 for 4 with two runs scored; first baseman Oscar Charleston singled and scored in four trips, and third baseman Judy Johnson and right fielder Jimmy Crutchfield each hit for extra bases.

The Negro National League championship games between the 

Pittsburgh Crawford and the New York Cubans are forthcoming.

OTD Brooklyn Semipros 7/30/1939: Bay Parkway Dukes and Homestead Grays Split Games Of A Twin Bill At Erasmus Fied,

From the desk: NEGRO LEAGUE vs. BROOKLYN SEMIPROS

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Monday, July 31, 1939

On Sunday, July 30, 1939, not more than two miles from where I presently live, the local Bay Parkway Dukes and Homestead Grays split games of a doubleheader at Erasmus Field, McDonald Avenue at the Avenue M Station along the Culver Line.

GAME ONE - The visitors take the first tilt by a score of 8 to 2.  Homestead starter Tom Parker limits Bay Parkway to a pair of runs on ten hits and six walks with three strikeouts for the win.  Arlington, the Duke catcher, and Godfrey drive home Bay Parkway's only runs.  Meanwhile, all but shortstop Jelly Jackson hit safely for the Grays, while five batsmen wield multiple hits.  Homestead strikes for 14 total hits.  Playing first base, Josh Gibson is a perfect 3 for 3 with a double, stolen base, and two runs scored, and right fielder David Whatley is 2 for 5 with a stolen base, home run, and two runs batted in.  Joe Stryker relieves McClosky in the sixth but not before the Bay Parkway starter surrenders three runs in the second and four more in the fifth in a losing effort.

Negro National League

HOMESTEAD GRAYS

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Monday, July 31, 1939

GAME TWO - The Dukes and Grays slug their way to a four-all tie after three.  Afterwhich, Bay Parkway starter Abe Spiro settles down to toss four scoreless innings before yielding Homestead's fifth and final run in the eighth.  All told, Spiro allows just eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts for the win.  There was no stopping Josh Gibson, though.  Back behind the plate, Gibson goes 2 for 3 with a double and run batted in.  Gibson completes the twin bill with five hits in six times at-bat.  Grays starting pitcher  Specs Roberts helps his own cause with two runs batted in, which go for naught.  He otherwise surrenders four runs on seven hits, and one walk with a strikeout in only 2.2 innings pitched for the loss.

When Paterson Was The World: Negro Leagues Baseball at Hinchliffe Stadium

From the desk of: NEGRO LEAGUES CENTENNIAL

1932  ~  HINCHLIFFE STADIUM  ~  1997

"SILK CITY STADIUM"

Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Passaic River and neighboring Great Falls, New Jersey's historic Hinchliffe Stadium is named after the depression era Paterson Mayor John Hinchliffe.  Built during his administration, the park is one of just a few ballparks still standing to host Negro Leagues baseball games.

• Others include famous Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama; Hamtramck Stadium in Hamtramck, Michigan; Cooper Stadium, Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland's League Park and Jacksonville's J.P. Small Memorial Stadium.

Paterson resident John Ellerbee is one among a crew of locals who help build Hinchliffe Stadium - a 10,000 capacity cast concrete oval in Art Deco style, with an infield configuration and outfield dimensions somewhat resembling those of the Polo Grounds.  On July 8, 1932, Hinchliffe opened for business.  Third baseman John Ellerbee plays at Hinchliffe with the Paterson semi-pro Smart Set club alongside two young teammates named Monte Irvin and Larry Doby.

Barnstormers and independents immediately flock to Hinchliffe - which provided unsegregated seating and racially integrated play.  As word spread, Hinchliffe became known not only as on the most beautiful but one of the most welcoming stadiums in the state, according to Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium.

Negro National League II Arrives at
 Hinchliffe Stadium

I - NEW YORK BLACK YANKEES (1931-1948)

Founded in 1931 as the independent Harlem Black Bombers, then rebranded as the New York Harlem Stars, the club initially plays home games at the Polo Grounds and Dykman Oval in upper Manhattan.  By 1932 the club is recognized as the New York Black Yankees partly owned by famous entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

• According to NegroLeagueMuseum.com, the New York Black Yankees franchise is basically an extension of the New York Lincoln Giants who fold after the 1930 season.  In 1931 John Henry "Pop" Loyd managed the Harlem Stars' interim team, which serves as a bridge between the two long-time franchises.

In 1933 they take up residence at Hinchliffe Stadium and stay through 1937, then return during the 1939-1945 seasons.  For one season in 1938, they play home games at Triborough Stadium on Randall's Island, and from 1941 through 1947, they also famously play at Yankee Stadium.

On Sept. 22, 1933, Hinchliffe Stadium hosts the "Colored Championship of the Nation" featuring the New York Black Yankees versus the Philadelphia Stars.  The latter defeat the Black Yankees fourteen runs to eight.  The 1933 Stars feature Hall of Fame members Jud Wilson and Biz Mackey, while the Black Yankees boast notables Walter Cannady, Fats Jenkins, John Beckwith, George Scales, and Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe.

On July 13, 1935, New York Black Yankees pitcher Terris McDuffie pitches an 8-0 no-hitter against House of David at Hinchliffe Stadium.  Led at the plate by Dave Thomas, Thad Christopher, and Pete Washington, the New York Black Yankees top the 1935 Independent Clubs standings.

In 1936 they joined the Negro National League II.  Over the next twelve seasons, Hall of Famers Willie Wells, Mule Suttles, and Satchel Paige variously take turns donning a Black Yankees uniform and plying their respective talents in front of NY/NJ metropolitan area crowds.

But to thwart declining attendance due to Jackie Robinson's arrival at Ebbets Field and to separate themselves from other metro area competition (namely the New York Cubans and Brooklyn Royal Giants), the Black Yankees uproot local operations after the 1947 season and relocate to upstate Rochester, N.Y., where after the 1948 season they ultimately fold all operations.

II - NEW YORK CUBANS II (1935-1950)

The New York Cubans (reorganized under owner Alex Pompez) also take up residence at Hinchliffe Stadium in time for the 1935 season and, like the Black Yankees, waste no time hosting some of the game's premier teams and players.

The Pittsburgh Crawfords capture the 1935 Negro National League II first-half title and finish in first place overall, while the New York Cubans recover from a poor start to finish the season in third place and win the second half flag.  On Sept. 13, Hinchliffe Stadium hosts game one of the Championship Series.  The Paterson watches Cubans starter Frank Blake yield just four hits against a Crawfords lineup that features such greats as Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Pat Patterson, Judy Johnson, Sam Bankhead, Cool Papa Bell, and Jimmie Crutchfield.  

Facing Pittsburgh starter Harry Kincannon, New York's lineup featuring Lázaro Salazar, Alejandro Oms, Martín Dihigo, Rap Dixon, Clyde Spearman, and Dave Thomas defeat the Crawfords nine to three.  Games two and three are held at the Polo Grounds.  In-game two, New York's John "Neck" Stanley whitewashes the Crawfords on just four hits.  The series then shifts to Pittsburgh.  In game four, Martin Dihigo is opposed by Crawfords' starter Leroy Matlock.  New York wins the game six to one, giving the Cubans a commanding 3-1 series lead.  However, the Crawfords win game five at Pittsburgh, then sweep the next two games held at Philadelphia to win the championship.

After 1936 the New York Cubans fail to field a team for the next two seasons.

They resume playing in 1939 as members of the Negro National League II.  

In 1941, the New York Cubans line-up featured Caribbean Leagues star Juan "Tetelo" Vargas (who leads the team with a .327 average) and Pedro Cepeda (father to Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda).  Others include Ramón Heredia, Clemente "Sungo" Carreras, Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre, and Dave Barnhill.  The Homestead Grays are first-half champs and finish in first place overall.  New York wins the second-half flag, but bow to the Homestead Grays three games to one in the Championship Series.

The Cubans in 1943 and 1944 post-back-to-back second-place finishes again behind the Homestead Grays.

At the same time Jackie Robinson is breaking in with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Cubans are still splitting games between Hinchliffe and the Polo Grounds.  In 1947 the Newark Eagles won the Negro National League II first-half flag, and the Cubans win the second half flag and finish in first place overall.  There is no playoff, and thus New York is declared the champion.  Led by Luis "Lefty" Tiant (father of Boston Red Sox pitching great Luis Tiant) and Orestes "Minnie" Minoso, the New York Cubans go on to defeat the Negro American League champion Cleveland Buckeyes for the 1947 Negro World Series Championship.

The New York Cubans affiliation with the Negro National League II ends after the 1948 season.  The National Trust for Historic Preservation says the (independent) New York Cubans continue playing games at Hinchliffe Stadium until the team folded in 1950.

Newark Eagles Swoop Through
 Hinchliffe Stadium

Hailing from nearby Orange, N.J., Monte Irvin plays ball for East Orange High School and the Paterson semi-pro Smart Set when, during a Newark Eagles tryout at Hinchliffe Stadium, he is scouted and signed in 1937 by Abe Manley.  Monte makes a brief debut in 1938 as a 19-year old but effectively begins his Hall of Fame career in earnest the following season.  Shortly after that, a 17-year old local Paterson resident Larry Doby in 1942 is likewise signed by Abe Manley during a Newark Eagles tryout held at Hinchliffe Stadium.  However, Doby's upbringing is far more intertwined and, for that matter, intimately connected with Paterson's sports complex, for Larry is All-State in football, basketball, and baseball.  In 1941 and 1942, he leads Eastside High School to consecutive championships at Hinchliffe Stadium.  Monte and Larry play at Hinchliffe as teammates with the Smart Set; they visit Hinchliffe together as members of the Newark Eagles; then oppose each other in the 1954 World Series pitting the New York Giants versus the Cleveland Indians.  They are two of only four players to play in both a Negro World Series and a major league World Series, according to Negro League Baseball Museum.

List of Legends Who Play at Hinchliffe Stadium

American Hall of Fame/Cuban Hall of Fame

Over twenty future Hall of Famers
play games at Hinchliffe Stadium:

JOSH GIBSON    OSCAR CHARLESTON    SATCHEL PAIGE    WILLIE FOSTER  

LARRY DOBY    MONTE IRVIN

WILLIAM "Judy" JOHNSON    JAMES "Cool Papa" BELL    JOHN HENRY "Pop" LOYD

JAMES "Biz" MACKEY    GEORGE "Mule" SUTTLES

RAY DANDRIDGE    WILLIE WELLS    JUD WILSON    TURKEY STEARNS 

BUCK LEONARD    LEON DAY    RAY BROWN

American/Cuban Hall of Fame
MARTÍN DIHIGO **

Cuban Hall of Fame
ALEJANDRO OMS    LÁZARO SALAZAR

As Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby begin integrating major league baseball and other premiere African-American players follow, so begins the Negro Leagues baseball enterprise's demise.  Hinchliffe Stadium is forced into hosting more varied sporting events such as boxing and auto racing.  In 1963 the Paterson school district took over ownership of the stadium.  It remains in use through the 1980s when the original dirt and grass playing surface is replaced with astroturf.  The infield is also rotated clockwise from its actual alignment.  All the while, Hinchliffe Stadium falls further and further into widespread disrepair.  By 1997 extensive deterioration and matters of public safety force its closure. Hinchliffe is chained shut and ignored, left unattended to fend against relentless nature and weathering.

Finally, the restoration of Hinchliffe Stadium begins in earnest when in 2013, the National Park Service designates the park as a National Historic Landmark.  It also stands as baseball's only Historic Landmark.  Seven years later, the National Trust for Historic Preservation lists the stadium as one of the country's most endangered historic places.  Both are essential steps towards renovating the complex.  Last year, work commenced on the facade, ticket windows, decorative tile, main entrance gate, and (most recently) the cast concrete stadium signs.

Better yet, the Paterson city council earlier this month (August) approved a tax break for developers to rebuild their historic stadium.  The mega project includes senior housing, parking, and a restaurant.  Groundbreaking is expected in October with a grand opening in two years, according to newyork.cbs.com.

Larry Doby "... had fond memories of those times." - Larry Doby Jr.

Hopefully, Larry's field of dreams is restored in a manner befitting its former glory.

Pulling "Double Duty" at Ebbets Field: Negro Leagues Great Ted Radcliffe

From the desk of: 100th ANNIVERSARY NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL

The Season Ted Radcliffe Pulls 

"Double Duty" at Ebbets Field

New York City author and syndicated sportswriter Damon Runyon indeed is responsible for devising the famous sobriquet "Double Duty" after witnessing Ted Radcliffe play behind the plate in the first game of a championship doubleheader, then with great proficiency pitch the second game at Yankee Stadium.

"Runyon ... gave me that name - that it's worth the price of admission of two to see Double Duty Radcliffe in action." - Ted Radcliffe

That quote is from the Black Diamonds interviews (1978) with Stephen Banker.  These recordings are invaluable.  In listening to Mr. Radcliffe, I hear a very affable, straightforward, endearingly, strong-minded person.  So, in the name of history, and in honor of the 100th anniversary of the original Negro National League founded in 1920 by Rube Foster, please allow me to respectfully stir up some trouble.

Mr. Radcliffe opens the interview saying the nickname dates back from the 1931 championship series between his Homestead Grays versus the New York Lincoln Giants.  My heart says to go along with it.  However, I'm afraid that Double Duty misspeaks.  The Lincoln Giants cease operations after the 1930 season.  I also disagree with Britannica insofar as Homestead's opponent is the New York Black Yankees.  Radcliffe correctly recalls playing the 1931 championship series as a member of the independent Homestead Grays.  That much is true.  However, according to the Center for Negro Leagues Baseball Research, Homestead defeats the Kansas City Monarchs six games to three.  Radcliffe is a teammate alongside, among other numerous greats, Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston.  However, the same holds true for 1932 when they are members of the Pittsburgh Crawfords - a simple oversight over 45-years later.  For reference sake, there is an L.A. Times version regarding his nickname I believe to be the correct one: Double Duty and the independent Pittsburgh Crawfords oppose the Monroe Monarchs (of the Negro Southern League) in 1932 at Yankee Stadium.

First off, the matchup itself is made possible when the original Negro National League folded in 1931, and the Negro Southern League (a minor circuit established in 1920 by Tom Wilson) is declared major for the upcoming 1932 season until a new Negro National League II is established in time for the 1933 season.  The 1932 Monroe Monarchs finish the regular season in second place with a 34-14 overall record, just one game and mere percentage points behind the Chicago American Giants. Meanwhile, the Nashville Elite Giants, despite finishing the regular season in fourth place, are second-half champs (league standings according to Seamheads).  Chicago (first-half and regular season champs) and Nashville square off in a best five of nine championship series.  According to the Center for Negro Leagues Baseball Research,  Nashville wins two of three games in Chicago.  The American Giants then square the series, winning two of three at Nashville.  Chicago wins games seven and eight to clinch the championship.  According to Baseball-Reference, the Monroe Monarchs dispute the regular season standings and their lack of post-season consideration and defyingly proceed forward with a championship series against the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

Circling back to the interview and the original double-header in question, I believe Radcliffe is spot on when he recalls being behind the plate for Satchel Paige, who wins game one (4-0), then serves double duty on the mound (whitewashing the Monroe Monarchs, 3-0) at Yankee Stadium.

Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe makes his professional debut in 1928 as a catcher with the Detroit Stars.  After which, he variously plays for the St. Louis Stars, the aforementioned Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords, and the Columbus Blue Birds, until coming east in 1933 to play with the New York Black Yankees.  By 1934 he is back west with the fabled Chicago American Giants.

In 1935, twelve years before Jackie Robinson's arrival at 55 Sullivan Place, all-time negro league great Double Duty plays home games donning a Brooklyn uniform at Ebbets Field.  He is enticed by better pay to join Brooklyn, where the Eagles kick off their inaugural season.  At the plate, he bats .268 and posts a 4-6 record on the mound, according to Negro Leagues Museum, with 21 strikeouts in 11 games, and 57.2 innings pitched according to Seamheads.  Another source points out Radcliffe has trouble securing his release from the Brooklyn Eagles but eventually succeeds.  By late June, he plays for the integrated Bismarck Churchills, where he joins future Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, and other players familiar with him.  Together they win the first National Semi-Pro Championship.

The Brooklyn Eagles are owned by Abe and Effa Manley, who promptly relocate the Eagles to Newark before the 1936 season.  Thus rendering 1935 Brooklyn's lone season as a participating member in the Negro National League II.  For one season, at least, the cast of future Hall of Famers and league standouts who (potentially) play at Ebbets Field is a veritable roll call of baseball legends.

1935 Negro National League-II Comes to Ebbets Field:

• Brooklyn Eagles - Double Duty is teammates with Hall of Famer Leon Day, outfielders Rap Dixon, Fatz Jenkins, Ed Stone, and first baseman George Giles.

• Pittsburgh Crawfords - treat Ebbets Field fans with Hall of Famers Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson, Cool Papa Bell, and standouts Pat Patterson, Sam Bankhead, Leroy Matlock, and Spoon Carter.  

• Columbus Elite Giants - star pitchers Jim Willis and Andy Porter pitch from the Ebbets Field mound.

• New York Cubans - hailing locally from Hinchliffe Stadium in Patterson, N.J., Ebbets Field crowds welcome Hall of Famer Martin Dihigo and Cuban Hall of Famers Alejandro Oms and Lazaro Salazar.  

• Homestead Grays - Ebbets Field crowds also witness Hall of Famers Buck Leonard and Ray Brown and top players Tommy Dukes and Matt Carlisle.  

• Chicago American Giants - Mule Suttles, Willie Foster, Turkey Stearns, and Willie Wells, all in the Hall of Fame, all play at Ebbets.

• Philadelphia Stars - Hall of Famer Biz Mackey, and outfielders Ted Page and Jake Dunn.  

• Newark Dodgers - Hall of Famer Ray Dandridge and outfielder Jim Williams.  

• Seamheads.com

Picking up in 1936, Ted Radcliffe spends the rest of his playing career with the Cincinnati Tigers, Memphis Red Sox, Birmingham Black Barons, Louisville Buckeyes, and Kansas City Monarchs.  Double Duty also puts in overtime as player/manager of the Cleveland Tigers in 1937, Memphis Red Sox (1938-1941), and the Chicago American Giants in 1943.

According to Seamheads, the right-hander posts a career 47-37 record and 3.94 ERA against negro leagues competition with 302 strikeouts in 627.2 innings pitched.  However, SABR member Gary Livacari takes things a leap forward by writing Radcliffe "is thought to have won about 500 games and had 4,000 strikeouts."

In Black Diamonds, Double Duty says the best game he ever pitched occurs while managing the Memphis Red Sox; he throws fourteen scoreless innings.  Opposing him is Satchel Paige, who hurls seven scoreless innings before yielding to the bullpen.  The game ends in a scoreless tie due to darkness.  

At the plate, biographer Kyle P. McNary estimates that Radcliffe owns a .303 lifetime batting average, 4,000 career hits, and 400 home runs in 36-years, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Radcliffe plays in multiple East-West All-Star games as both a pitcher and catcher.  He says one of his biggest thrills comes during the 1944 East-West All-Star Game.  Trailing midway against the East, Radcliffe's brother Alec triples, and Double Duty follows with a home run hit into Comiskey Park's upper deck, giving the West All-Stars the lead.

Needless to say, Double Duty's candidacy for baseball's Hall of Fame needs some drastic reconsideration.

Brooklyn to Newark Part Two: Where Negro National League Eagles Dare

From the desk of: 100th Anniversary of Negro League Baseball

EFFA MANLEY

MATRIARCH OF THE NEWARK EAGLES

Brooklyn to Newark Part One: 

Negro National League Eagles Take Flight

Part Two: Where Eagles Dare   

Born December 22, 1885, in Herford, North Carolina, Abe Manley eventually makes his way up the east coast with stops at Norfolk, and Camden, until finally arriving in Brooklyn, New York.  Along the way, Abe creates a living in real estate and running numbers (not uncommon for the time) through which he becomes a familiar figure within Negro League circles.  Effa Manley, born in 1897 and raised in Philadelphia, relocates after graduating high school to New York City, where she takes up residence in Harlem.  A fervent baseball fan and particularly fond of watching Babe Ruth play, she is often in attendance at Yankee Stadium.  Effa Manley recounts meeting Abe there during the 1932 World Series pitting the Yankees against the Chicago Cubs.  In June of 1933, the two baseball fans are married, and by November 1934, the Negro National League owners grant Abe Manley's years' long request for a franchise.

Abe and Effa Manley together establish the Brooklyn Eagles with home games slated for play at Ebbets Field.  The inaugural 1935 Eagles finish fifth, one game above par with a 32-31 record.  Out in Pittsburgh, the Crawfords cruise to the pennant finishing ten games ahead of the Columbus Elite Giants, New York Cubans, and Philadelphia Stars.  Finishing behind Brooklyn is the Chicago American Giants and Homestead Grays, while the Newark Dodgers finish in last place, 25-games out of first.  After the season, Abe Manley purchases the struggling Newark Dodgers club, merges them together with the Brooklyn Eagles, and transfers team operations to New Jersey, giving rise in 1936 to the fabled Newark Eagles Baseball Club.  


Abe is responsible mainly for scouting, drafting, and acquiring personnel.  He is the one who scouts Monte Irvin coming out of high school and from the sandlots of New Jersey.  He also acquires future Hall of Famer Willie Wells from the Chicago American Giants.  In fact, Ray Dandridge becomes a member of the Eagles through Abe Manley's purchase of the Newark Dodgers.  Otherwise, Abe plays a significant role in procuring many higher-profile players to ever don the iconic Newark Eagles uniform.  But that's where his team responsibilities unofficially stop, and those of Effa Manley officially begin.  

Mrs. Manley does not procure talent, but you answer to her once in the Newark Eagles fold.  Effa does not just step into the role of tireless chief executive and nurturing matriarch of the Eagles.   She assumes full responsibility for all team administration and baseball operations - handling the media, attending to marketing and promotion, ticket sales, travel arrangements, and accommodations, down to player contracts, and attending league meetings.  Effa Manley handles all of this with dignity, and grace, and professionalism, even when confronted by overt male sexism practiced by, among others, fellow league owners.

From 1936 through 1948, the Newark Eagles play at Ruppert Stadium, where they author one of the more legendary narratives in Negro National League and baseball history.  In thirteen seasons, they fall under par just five times. Otherwise, they register six third-place finishes, three second-place finishes, and one first-place finish culminating in a Negro League World Series championship.

Today there are 41 members from the various Negro Leagues enshrined into baseball's Hall of Fame.  Eight hail from the Newark Eagles: Effa Manley; Monte Irvin; Ray Dandridge; Leon Day; Willie Wells; Mule Suttles; Biz Mackey; and Larry Doby.

Other Newark greats and team standouts include future Brooklyn Dodgers hero Don Newcombe; Jimmy Hills; Max Manning; George Giles; Ed Stone; Fats Jenkins; Harry Williams; Terris McDuffie; Fred Wilson; Jimmy Hill; Bus Clarkson; Lennie Pearson; Johnny Davis; Rufus Lewis; Pat Patterson; Leniel Hooker; among others.

After a 27-31 finish in 1936, the Eagles of 1937 are led on the mound by Leon Day and Terris McDuffie, who join together for eight victories in eleven combined starts.  McDuffie leads Brooklyn starting pitchers with a 3.12 earned run average.  First baseman Mule Suttles bats .318 and leads the team with seven home runs and 32 RBI.  Twenty-three old third baseman Ray Dandridge leads the Eagles with 45 hits, twelve doubles, and a .375 batting average, with shortstop Willie Wells right behind Dandridge boasting a .369 average.  The team finishes in second place with a 36-22 record, just 6.5 games out of first.

The Eagles of 1939 finish second behind the Homestead Grays, but their 37-21 record qualifies them for post-season play.  During the season, a 22-year old Leon Day posts a 7-3 record with a 3.41 ERA.  James Brown authors a fine 1.89 ERA through eight appearances and 38 innings pitched, and Jimmy Hill goes 5-1 with an even 3.00 earned run average.  At the plate, Fred Wilson leads the team with a .368 average.  Ed Stone bats .342 with a team-leading seven home runs and 31 runs batted in.  At 38-years of age Mule Suttles has another big season batting .351 while tying for the team lead in home runs and finishing second with 25 runs batted in.  However, the Eagles place fourth with a 1-3 record in a four-team round-robin playoff against the victorious Baltimore Elite Giants, the Homestead Grays, and Philadelphia Stars.

In 1940 the Eagles posted a 26-21 record good for third place, only five games out of first.  One game in the final standings separates the second-place Baltimore Elite Giants from Homestead Grays, who capture yet another pennant.  Meanwhile, the Eagles are led by Biz Mackey, Fred Matthews, Bus Clarkson, Lennie Pearson, and Monte Irvin, whom all bat over .300 for the season.  Center fielder Lennie Pearce boasts a .347 average, drives in 33 runs, and ties Bus Clarkson for the team lead with eight home runs.  Monte Irvin leads the team with a .371 average and posts a team-high 39 runs batted in.  Pitchers Jimmy Hill and Max Manning join together for 32 appearances and combine for 182.1 innings pitched in which they post a joint 18-6 record with a 3.65 earned run average.

Now 22-years old, Monte Irvin highlights the 1941 regular season by slashing an exceptional  .395/.442/.645, with 60 hits, twelve doubles, eight home runs, 48 runs batted in, and eight stolen bases - all team highs.  Leon Day bats .316, with four home runs, and finishes right behind Irvin with 32 runs batted in.  On the mound, Day is limited to 27.1 innings with a 3.95 ERA.  However, with a 27-23 record, the Eagles again finish third, a distant 12.5 games back of the Homestead Grays.

Six future Hall of Famers characterizes the 1942 Newark Eagles: Ray Dandridge; Willie Wells; Leon Day; Monte Irvin; Mule Suttles, and newcomer Larry Doby.  Rookie second baseman Larry Doby joins the fold as an 18-year old.  Five years later, on July 5, 1947, Larry Doby breaks the American League color barrier as a member of the American League Cleveland Indians.  Two-way threat Leon Day, now 25-years old, posts a 7-2 record with a 1.82 earned run average and a .344 batting average in 128 at-bats.  Lennie Pearson edges Day with a team-leading .346 average while smashing eleven home runs with 56 RBI.  And lest we forget 37-year old player/manager Willie Wells who bats .343 in 181 at-bats.

After back to back sub-par seasons, Newark in 1945 finishes third with a slightly improved 27-25 record.  Center fielder Johnny Davis leads the Eagles with a .321 batting average, four home runs, and 21 runs batted in.  Monte Irvin appears in just five games due to military service.  Meanwhile, a 19-year old rookie pitcher named Don Newcombe bursts onto the scene with a 4-3 record and a 2.38 ERA, with 36 strikeouts through eight appearances and 64.1 innings pitched.

The 1946 Newark Eagles are heralded as one of the greatest Negro League teams ever.  As well they should be.  Second baseman Larry Doby and shortstop Monte Irvin must be considered one of the best double-play combinations of the day, if not all of baseball.  Irvin hits five home runs and leads the team with a .363 average and 53 runs batted in.  Larry Doby hits a team-leading seven home runs while batting .339, with 47 runs batted in.  First baseman Lennie Pearson drives in 50 runs with a .310 average and amasses a team-leading 17 stolen bases.  Left fielder Johnny Davis bats .319 and is the third Newark Eagle to drive home 50 runs or better.  Catcher Leon Ruffin, third baseman Pat Patterson, center fielder Jimmy Wilkes, and right fielder Bob Harvey round out the field.  On the mound, the Eagles boast an exceptional pair of double-digit winners.  Leon Day is 11-2 with a 2.41 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 123 innings pitched; Max Manning is 10-2 with a 2.80 ERA, with 63 strikeouts over 109.1 innings pitched.  Complimenting the duo is pitching mate Rufus Lewis who goes 7-2 with a 2.73 ERA and 49 strikeouts in thirteen appearances, and 82.1 innings pitched.

Propelled by their depth of elite talent, Newark dominates the Negro National League season, soaring to a 50-20 (.714) record en route to a perch atop the league standings.  As well, they post an expanded 54-24 record against all comers.  Newark dethrones the Homestead Grays as Negro National League champions, snapping the former champion's historic string of nine consecutive pennants.  That bears repeating: the mighty Homestead Grays, who still feature Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, et al.  The second place Grays finish 1946 with a 36-34 record, a distant 14.0 games back of Newark.  The Baltimore Elite Giants, New York Cubans, and Philadelphia Stars fare no worse, but the New York Black Yankees finish dead last with a 12-45 record, a distant 31.5 games out of first.

Having unseated the mighty Homestead Grays, Newark turns its attention towards the Negro American League champion Kansas City Monarchs - transcendently famous and favored to win the 1946 Negro League World Series.  The Monarchs finish their NAL regular season with a similar 50-16-2 record, outpacing the second-place Birmingham Black Barrons by a 14.0 game margin.  And they own a 56-26 overall record in all contests.  Kansas City on the mound features the great Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Ford Smith, Steve Wylie, and Jim LaMarque.  In the field, the Eagles are opposed by Buck O'Neil, Willard Brown, Ted Strong, Herb Souell, and Hank Thompson.  And guiding Kansas City from the dugout is long-time Monarchs player and manager Frank Duncan.

1946 Negro League World Series
BASEBALL REFERENCE

Newark Eagles (4) defeat Kansas City Monarchs (3)

Kansas City takes Game One played at the Polo Grounds by a slim 2-1 margin.  Satchel Paige earns the victory in relief of Hilton Smith, while Newark's Rufus Lewis suffers a tough luck loss in relief of Leon Day.   

Newark wins Game Two by a 7-4 final at Ruppert Stadium.  Trailing 4-1 after six, Newark erupts for six runs in the bottom half of the seventh.  Despite yielding four runs winning pitcher Max Manning allows just two hits through nine innings pitched.  Ford Smith takes the loss for Kansas City, while Satchel Paige appears in relief. 

Game Three shifts to Blues Stadium at Kansas City where the Monarchs march to a commanding 15-5 victory.  Jim LaMarque goes the distance for Kansas City.  Newark's Cotton Williams takes the loss. 

Newark evens the series with an 8-1 victory in Game Four at Blues Stadium.  Rufus Lewis goes the distance, allowing just one run and limiting the Monarchs to a mere four hits.  Satchel Paige proves ineffective in relief for a second straight game.  Monte Irvin hits a three run home run, and Larry Doby connects for a double and triple. 

Game Five is played at Chicago's Comiskey Park.  Newark manufactures ten hits against Monarchs starter Hilton Smith, but only push across one run.  Max Manning suffers the loss upon yielding five runs on nine hits through nine innings.  Kansas City leads the series three games against two. 

Facing elimination, Leon Day and the Newark Eagles withstand a first inning barrage - five runs by the Monarchs.  The Eagles regroup by the second, and hold on for a 9-7 Game Six victory at Ruppert Stadium.  Monte Irvin hits his second and third home runs; Willard Brown likewise hits his third homer for the series; and Lennie Pearson also connects for a pair of home runs.  Leniel Hooker earns the victory in relief of Leon Day.

Game Seven: With two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Newark Eagles achieve a come from behind 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Monarchs at Ruppert Stadium, to capture the 1946 Negro League World Series championship.  The Eagles jump out to a first inning lead.  But Buck O'Neil ties the game in the sixth with his second home run for the series.  With Larry Doby and Monte Irvin on base in the Newark eighth, Johnny Davis doubles plating the tying and go ahead runs. 

SERIES NOTES: The now 27-year old Monte Irvin makes the 1946 series his personal showcase.  He leads all batters with a .462 batting average, a .533 OBP, three home runs, and an .885 slugging average, while his eight runs batted in rank second behind Kansas City center fielder Willard Brown's ten.  Rufus Lewis carries the pitching load for Newark going 2-1 with a 1.23 eared run average and a series leading 15 strikeouts.  Rufus also leads the series with a stellar 0.95 WHiP.  Max Manning ranks second with a 1.27 WHiP.  Manning is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA, and matches Lewis with 15 strikeouts.  Although largely ineffective as a reliever Satchel Paige fans 13 batters.

Despite achieving a second straight 50-plus win season, the New York Cubans clinch the 1947 pennant by six games over the Eagles.  Larry Doby and Monte Irvin once again lead the team.  Doby posts a team-leading .354 average, eight home runs, and 41 runs batted in.  Monte Irvin hits .304 with a team-high eleven home runs and 47 runs batted in.  Max Manning leads the pitching staff with one of his best seasons, going 12-4 with a 2.77 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 130 innings pitched.

The Eagles of 1948 finish third with a 33-32 record in what turns out being their last season at Newark and being the team's final season affiliated with the Negro National League.  Times are changing; major league integration is taking hold; the subsequent impact is transforming business conditions throughout Negro League baseball.  Abe and Effa Manley elect to sell the Newark Eagles, who are relocated to Houston and incorporated into the Negro American League.  A year later, the team again moves, this time to New Orleans.  Finally, after the 1951 season, the team folds operations for good.

• Monte Irvin makes his major league debut on July 8, 1949, with the New York Giants, two years before the arrival of Willie Mays.  After an eight-year career, Monte is inducted in 1973 into baseball's Hall of Fame.

The storied franchise founded in 1935 by Abe and Effa Manley ceases to exist - now relegated to history and lore.  Abe Manley passes away in 1952, thus sadly missing his wife's enshrinement as the only woman, to date, into Cooperstown's Museum and Baseball Hall of Fame.

"The Eagles were to (black) Newark 
what the Dodgers were to Brooklyn" - 

Newark Eagles pitcher Max Manning (aka Dr. Cyclops)

Effa Manley Society American Baseball Research   1946 Negro Leagues World Series Seamheads  

Kansas City Monarchs SeamHeads   Newark Eagles Seamheads    NegroLeagueBaseballPlayersAssociation  NegroLeagueBaseballMuseum.com   BOOK: The Most Famous Woman in Baseball, Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues by Bob Luke