OTD Negro National League vs. Brooklyn Semipros 9/10/1937: Leon Day Hurls Two-Hit Shutout; Newark Eagles Defeat Bushwick at Dexter Park

From the desk: NEGRO LEAGUES vs. BROOKLYN SEMIPROS

The Brooklyn Citizen, Saturday, September 11, 1937

On Friday, September 10, 1937, Newark's 20-year old right-hander and future Hall of Famer Leon Day leads the Eagles in victory over Bushwick at Dexter Park.

Newark's Leon Day limits the Dexters to a mere two hits and one walk with four strikeouts in a complete-game shutout effort.  Not one Bushwick baserunner reaches second base.  In fact, only four Bushwick players even reached first: two hits, a walk, and a hit by pitch.  Leon Day also finishes strong, retiring Bushwick in order in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. 

This is not to say Bushwick starter Bernie Pearlman was ineffective, perhaps just unlucky.  Pearlman yields just two runs on ten hits and two walks with four strikeouts in the loss in an otherwise fine effort.

After six scoreless innings of play, Day comes to his own aid in the seventh inning.  Third baseman 

Ray Dandridge singles and Leon Day wallops a double off the right-field wall, scoring Dandridge.  Newark picked up an insurance run in the ninth when left fielder Lennie Pearson doubled and scored due to a misplay in right field.

Third baseman Al Reiss and shortstop Russell Bergman account for Bushwick's only hits.

Ray Dandridge with three hits and Lennie Pearson with two account for half of Newark's ten hits.  Shortstop Willie Wells wields the second of Newark's two extra-base hits, while first baseman 

Mule Suttles is held hitless in four trips.

NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE

NEWARK EAGLES

The Brooklyn Citizen, 

Saturday, September 11, 1937

OTD Negro National League vs. Brooklyn Semipros 8/29/1937: Leon Day Wins Two as Newark Eagles Sweep Both Ends of Twin Bill Against Bay Parkways at Erasmus Field

From the desk: NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE vs. BROOKLYN SEMIPRO

The Brooklyn Citizen, Monday, August 30, 1937

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.

NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE

NEWARK EAGLES

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.

The Brooklyn Citizen, Monday, August 30, 1937

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.

OTD Brooklyn Semipros 7/27/1941: Mule Suttles Provides Bay Parkways Lesson In Hitting; New York Black Yankees Sweep Twin Bill at Erasmus Field

From the desk: NEGRO LEAGUES vs. BROOKLYN SEMIPROS

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Monday, July 27, 1941

On Sunday, July 27, 1941, not more than two miles from where I presently live, the Bay Parkway Dukes lose both games of a double-header to the New York Black Yankees at Erasmus Field, McDonald Avenue at the Avenue M station along the Culver Line.

The Dukes hang tough, losing the first game 9-5 and the second by a more tightly contested 14-12 margin.  But truth be told, Yankees left fielder Mule Suttles was better ... than everybody!  The future Hall of Famer drives home two runs in game one.  Then in game two, twice comes to the plate with the bases loaded; a triple in the fourth clears the bases, and a double in the eighth clears them again. 

Yankees left-hander Neck Stanley earns the victory in game one, and Russ Dedeaux starts game two, but Connie Rector earns the win.  

Bay Parkway's Timmy Adams drives home two-run in game two and extends his consecutive hitting streak to 16 games.  Abe Spiro started game two.

"Mule Suttles, often called the Babe Ruth of Negro baseball paced the Black Yankees heavy onslaught..."

NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE

NEW YORK BLACK YANKEES

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Monday, July 27, 1941

OTD Negro National League 6/29/1935: Brooklyn Eagles Defeat Chicago American Giants at Cole's Park

From the desk: WHERE THE EAGLES LEARNED TO FLY

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 

Sunday, June 30, 1935

On Saturday, June 29, 1935, in a Negro National League contest, the Brooklyn Eagles defeated the Chicago American Giants at Cole's Park, Chicago, Illinois.

After three scoreless frames, the Eagles and Giants trade single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.  Chicago then pushes across the go-ahead run in the eighth.  Nursing a 3-2 lead in the top half of the ninth, Chicago's first baseman Steel Arm Davis fails to secure a throw from second baseman Jack Marshall thus clearing the way for Brooklyn to muster four unanswered runs and secure a come-from-behind 6-3 victory.  

All but center fielder Willie Ward hits safely for the Eagles.  First baseman George Giles leads Brooklyn with two hits, including a double, two stolen bases, two runs scored, and right fielder Ed Stone delivers two runs batted in.  Fats Jenkins, catcher Clarence Palm, third sacker Javier Perez, and Bill Yancey drive home a run apiece.  Starter Will Jackman allows three runs on seven hits and four walks through nine innings for the win.

Giants' starter Ossie Brown walks one and strikes out three and is relieved in the ninth but not before yielding six runs on nine hits in a losing effort.  Right-hander Melvin Powell finishes the game in relief of Brown.  Shortstop Willie Wells is held hitless; Turkey Stearns, a hit and a run scored.  Steel Arm Davis leads Chicago with three hits, including two doubles and two runs batted in.  Left fielder Mule Suttles accounts for the Giants' third run batted in.

The Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana), 

Sunday, June 30, 1935