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.
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.
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.
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.
Newark Eagles pitcher Max Manning (aka Dr. Cyclops)
Effa Manley Society American Baseball Research 1946 Negro Leagues World Series Seamheads
