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1923 negro national league

You asked for it, now you’ve got it.  Patrick Rock has generously supplied his statistical compilation of the 1923 Negro National League.  We’ve got batting and pitching statistics; fielding statistics should come in a week or so.

Download nnl_batting_1923.csv

Download nnl_pitching_1923.csv

Please note that this compilation is copyrighted by Patrick.  In particular, he’d like to reserve exclusivity for gaming purposes to Replay Games, which published his 1923 NNL Yearbook for use with the Replay board game.

If you have any questions, send them to me, and I’ll pass them on to Patrick.

1921 negro national league, v. 1.2 (league only)

Since I haven’t posted any new statistics lately, here is a new version of something old: the 1921 Negro National League, this time with games between NNL teams only. 

Download 1921_nnl_1.2 LEAGUE ONLY.xls

Games involving the Bacharachs, Hilldales, Cleveland Tate Stars, Pittsburgh Keystones, and Tesreau Bears are not included (for totals that include these games, see version 1.1).  This is by no means the final version—I have already found box scores for a number of additional games, and might still be able to find some more (mostly for games played by the ABCs against other NNL teams in smaller Indiana towns and cities).

The goal I’m working toward is a sort of baseball abstract for the first three years of the Negro National League, 1920-1922.  Aside from 1921, I’ve also published a version of 1922 (though the final manuscript will include revisions of those years, with additional games), and 1920 is nearly finished.  I’ll keep you updated on my progress in the coming months.

UPDATE 10:06 p.m., 3/7/07: Made a minor correction in the 1921 file (added range factors and fielding percentages to totals by position on the fielding tab).

ABCs vs donie bush all-stars, 1914

Here is an account by Scott Simkus of a 1914 series between the Indianapolis ABCs and a major/minor league team (with stats also compiled by Scott):

*******
In his Complete Book of Baseball’s Negro Leagues (p. 108), John Holway recounts the story of a 1915 post-season series pitting C.I. Taylor’s Indianapolis ABCs against a team of white major and minor league All-Stars managed by Detroit Tiger shortstop Donie Bush.  In fact, the Donie Bush All-Stars / ABCs series was a running attraction in Indianapolis for several years in the 1910s.  These games took place in Indianapolis after the professional seasons had ended and when most of the players had already returned home.  Bush, an Indianapolis native, rounded up the top white professionals from around Indy and battled the ABCs on consecutive Sundays in October.  These games were promoted heavily in the newspapers and attracted record-setting crowds. 

In the case of Indy, the 1915 series served as preparation for their trip to Cuba that winter.  Indeed, immediately following their last game against Bush’s Stars, they hopped aboard a train and headed south, en route to Havana.  If you’ve read the Complete Book (and if you’re reading Agate Type, I’m sure you have), you know C. I. Taylor needed to bail Bingo DeMoss and Oscar Charleston out of jail first before embarking on their trip.  The contests were hard-fought, and in the last of four games (Holway lists only three, with stats for two), a controversial call instigated a near-riot.  Donie Bush was called safe on a close play, an enraged Bingo DeMoss (the ABCs second baseman) charged the umpire, and rookie Oscar Charleston sprinted in from centerfield and slugged the umpire in the jaw.  In the four game series, Taylor’s ABCs went 1-2-1 (the first game—not listed by Holway, possibly because it was a minor leaguer on the bump—was a 12-inning, 3-3 tie, Oscar Charleston going 3 for 4 against a minor league pitcher).

Holway, however, doesn’t mention the Bush All-Stars / ABCs series played in other years, such as the four-game series played in October of 1914.  Although Charleston had not yet arrived on the scene, a number of very interesting players participated.  The ABC’s went 2-2 in the four games.  A quick recap:

Game One, Oct 11, 1914: Detroit Tiger George “Hooks” Dauss (18-15, 2.86) went head-to-head with Stringbean Williams (10-9 according to Holway).  ABCs scored first and had a 3-2 lead going into the fifth inning.  The game was tied in the sixth, when Dauss hit a long homer to take the lead in his own ballgame.  They never looked back and cruised to a 6-3 victory.

Game Two, Oct. 18, 1914: Taylor beefs up his squad by adding Chicago American Giants superstars John Henry Lloyd, Bruce Petway, Jess Barbour and Frank Wickware (who did the pitching, striking out 9 in 8 innings of work).  Dauss once again hurled for the All-Stars and beared down, shutting out the beefed up ABC squad, 3-0.  Wickware was exceptional, allowing only 7 hits and 1 walk during his stint.  Lloyd went 2 for 4 against Dauss, with a double.  (I’ve never seen this game listed in his personal contests against major league pitchers.)  Barbour was also 2 for 4.  Petway didn’t fare so well, going 0 for 3 and allowing 5 stolen bases.  In what was to become a critical play in the game, Bush stole second, then on the very next pitch, headed for third.  A frustrated Petway gunned the ball over Barbour’s head and Bush trotted in to score.

Game Three,  Oct. 25, 1914:  Dauss had to leave town, the American Giants players returned home, and a minor league pitcher got the start for the Bush men.  Benny Kauff, the batting champion of the Federal League, started in center field for the All-Stars.  Dicta Johnson (7-10 per Holway) started for the ABCs and was brilliant, shutting out the All-Stars with his spitball, allowing only 4 hits as the ABCs won 8-0. Kauff went 1 for 4 and was roughed up during his one inning of relief pitching in a mop-up role.  The Indianapolis Star was unmerciful: “As a pitcher, Bennie Kauff is the king of base stealers in the Federal League… The ABCs rode the Hoofed star all over the lot and some of the balls he floated up to them were lost in the reservoir located just outside of the left-field barrier.”

Game Four, Nov. 1, 1914:  Dicta Johnson started again and was nearly un-hittable.  He struck out 15 batters (Kauff was 0 for 3) and the ABCs cruised to a 6-3 victory to even the series.  Ben Taylor went 3 for 4 against major leaguer Lefty Whitehouse (2-0, 4.85 with the Indianapolis Hoosiers).

Here are stats for the four games:

Download 1914_bushs_all_stars.doc

1924 eastern colored league, park factors

Here are some park data for the Eastern Colored League, 1924.  It’s only one season, so isn’t close to the final word about these parks, but every little bit helps.  The numbers are: park factor for runs (or simple home/road ratio; that is, runs scored in home games divided by runs scored in road games, multiplied by 100), adjusted park factor (same thing, adjusted for proportion of home to road games); then in parentheses the number of home and road games.  Harrisburg and Atlantic City have not been completely researched yet (games come from the Pittsburgh Courier).

Bacharach Giants, Bacharach Park (a.k.a. Inlet Park, Atlantic City): 107, 104 (26, 20)

Baltimore Black Sox, Maryland Park: 81, 87 (37, 18)

Brooklyn Royal Giants, Dexter Park: 136, 102 (2, 32)

Harrisburg Giants, Island Park: 92, 97 (15, 22)

Hilldale Club, Hilldale Park (Darby PA): 82, 88 (40, 19)

Lincoln Giants, Catholic Protectory Oval (Bronx): 129, 121 (41, 16)

Washington/Wilmington Potomacs: 113, 106 (26, 27)—OVERALL
        Griffith Stadium (Washington DC):  128 (14 games)
        Wilmington DE: 95 (12 games)

Other than the Lincolns’ Catholic Protectory Oval, which was a very good hitters’ park, possibly on the level of Stars’ Park in St. Louis, I don’t have a very strong sense of the ECL parks yet.  The Royal Giants’ Dexter Park is just here to complete the list, as I’ve so far found only two games played there (it can hardly be said to have been their home park).  The Cuban Stars were evidently a traveling team this season.  I don’t offhand remember the name of the Wilmington park, though I should know it.

UPDATE 4/19/07  I should have pointed out that I also have park factors for the Negro National League, 1920-24, posted here.  They will be updated with fresher research soon.

1922 nnl plus, v. 2.01

Here is a corrected version of 1922:

Download 1922_nnl_2.01.xls

Fielding and pitching totals have been balanced (double plays and errors), a few minor mistakes have been corrected, and aspects of the formatting have been improved.

1922 negro national league, v. 2.0

Here, after a week and a half of surprisingly difficult work, is the new version of the 1922 Negro National League, which also covers games involving the Bacharach Giants, Hilldale Club, and Baltimore Black Sox.  I’ve also included the league-only stats, as already posted here.  In all, there are eight tabs:

1. Standings
2. Scores
3-5. NNL Only Batting, Fielding, Pitching
6-8. “NNL Plus” Batting, Fielding, Pitching (includes the aforementioned three eastern clubs)

UPDATED TO VERSION 2.01

1922 NNL, version 1.2

A minor update, with two new Cuban Stars / Detroit games, and some slight corrections to other numbers.

UPDATED TO VERSION 2.01

I’m still in the process of collecting data for Bacharachs, Hilldales, and Baltimore Black Sox games in 1922.  Also, I am extensively reworking 1921, auditing as well as separating out NNL-only numbers so as to create two files (NNL only and all Negro Leagues).  This has been a traditional way to present Negro League statistics dating back to the Negro League Committee reports on 1921 and 1930 that appeared in SABR’s Baseball Research Journal in the 1980s.

1922 NNL, version 1.1

Here are revised 1922 statistics. 

UPDATED TO VERSION 2.01

Since the file I previously uploaded apparently hasn’t been working, I’m not sure whether detailing the additions will matter to anyone, but here they are anyway:

1) Added SIX new games: 5 for the American Giants, 3 for Detroit, 3 for St. Louis, 1 for Indianapolis.

2) Fixed a one-hit discrepancy between the league pitching and batting totals.

3) Fixed various discrepancies between individual and team totals.

4) Added a standings tab, with corrected NNL-only standings, plus expanded standings for currently known games involving Hilldale, Bacharach Giants, and Baltimore Black Sox.  Also includes updated PF figures (home/road ratio for runs).

The additional games saw John Beckwith take something of a hit, his BA falling to .388—while Oscar Charleston had a field day in the one ABCs game I added, going 4 for 5 with two doubles, a home run, and a stolen base.  His average rises to .391, and his SLG to an NNL-leading .703.  Heavy Johnson, standing pat at .405, now leads in BA.

Again, I will be out of town this weekend (but this time for research purposes!).  Next week, I should be able to get expanded statistics up (that is, including Bacharachs, Hilldales, and Black Sox).

1922 negro national league

Here they are: for the first time anywhere, comprehensive statistics for the 1922 Negro National League. 

UPDATED TO VERSION 2.01

These numbers are only for games between NNL clubs; games with non-league clubs such as the Hilldales and Bacharachs are not included here (I will post a file featuring totals against all top African-American clubs within the next week or so).  I’ve found box scores for 192 out of 239 known games between NNL teams (80 percent).  The weakest coverage is for games played in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, as well as Detroit in May, when with one exception the Free Press published box scores only for Sunday games.

The file posted here follows on what I’ve posted for Cuban series: just one file, with tabs for batting, fielding, and pitching.  The other material I’ve included for 1916 and 1921 Negro League statistics will be forthcoming soon, plus additional goodies; in the meantime you can find the 1922 NNL standings here and park factors here (though figures for both of these will be revised).

Some surprises here: John Beckwith compiled the highest batting average (.410), just ahead of Heavy Johnson (.405).  Another Monarch, Hurley McNair, drew far and away the most walks with 44 (Oscar Charleston and Frank Duncan tying for second with 28).  Jelly Gardner stole 24 bases, beating out his teammate Jimmie Lyons with 20.  The American Giants swiped more than any other team in the league (109), averaging more than two per game (and that’s with many stolen bases certainly going uncounted).

Bullet Rogan led in home runs, edging Charleston 15-13, and came very near to matching Beckwith’s league-leading .696 slugging percentage.  He also recorded the best total run average (3.82) and opponents’ on-base percentage (.280), while allowing the fewest home runs per plate appearance (.003).  He outhomered the batters he faced 15 to 2, hitting .366/.442/.693.

Enjoy.  As always, let me know if you find any errors, have any questions, or think you can contribute more box scores.

1921 negro national league

Here are the full statistics for the 1921 Negro National League, plus several top-level, non-NNL black professional teams: the Cleveland Tate Stars and Pittsburgh Keystones in the Midwest; and the Bacharach Giants, Hilldale Club, Baltimore Black Sox, and All-Cubans in the east.  Also included are games these teams played against a white semipro (or independent professional) team, the Tesreau Bears, which starred former major leaguers Jeff Tesreau, Manuel Cueto, Larry Doyle, and Harry Wolter.

Download 1921_NNL_Standings_1.1.xls

Download 1921_NNL_Batting_1.1.xls

Download 1921_NNL_Fielding_1.1.xls

Download 1921_NNL_Pitching_1.1.xls

These have been ready for some time; I hesitated to post them because of the eccentric inclusion of the non-black Tesreau Bears.  It would take a little time to recompile the stats without the Bears included, and I haven’t had the time lately.  In the end I decided to go ahead and make them available in this form.  The Bears’ games do not, in my opinion, dilute the statistics at all.  Overall, the team was 20-15 against Negro League teams in 1921.  Two of the Bears’ games counted here were against the American Giants; the rest were against the Bacharachs and Hilldales.

A few words about the structure of black baseball in 1921.  The Negro National League, based in the Midwest, included the Chicago American Giants, Joe Green’s Chicago Giants, Kansas City Monarchs, St. Louis Giants, Indianapolis ABCs, Detroit Stars, Columbus Buckeyes, and the Cuban Stars (based, for this one season, in Cincinnati’s Redland Field).  The Cleveland Tate Stars and Pittsburgh Keystones played NNL teams extensively, and would join the league in 1922 with substantially the same rosters.  The Bacharach Giants and Hilldale Club were both officially associate members.  Four NNL teams (Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, and the American Giants) toured the east coast, playing Hilldale and the Bacharachs; the Bacharachs toured the midwest and played several NNL teams.

The east coast scene was complicated.  The Bacharachs and Hilldales were obviously the best teams.  Three of the other important clubs—the Lincoln Giants, Brooklyn Royal Giants, and eastern Cuban Stars—all based in New York City, all booked by Nat Strong, did not play any teams associated with Rube Foster’s NNL.  They did play the Tesreau Bears, who went 15-7 against them (while going 4-7 against the Bacharachs and Hilldales, and splitting a doubleheader with the American Giants).  Had there been a New York City independent pro league featuring the Bears and the three Nat Strong-booked black teams, the Bears would have been odds-on favorites to win the pennant.

Unfortunately, I could not compile full statistics for these “Nat Strong League” games, as I’ve yet to find a good box score source for games played in the Lincoln Giants’ home field, the Catholic Protectory Oval in the Bronx.  The New York Age wasn’t publishing box scores then, the Amsterdam News has not (to my knowledge) been archived prior to 1923, and I cannot (astonishingly) find a New York daily newspaper from the 1920s that published Negro League and semipro box scores. (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle focused, unsurprisingly, on Brooklyn and some baseball activity in Queens.)  So none of those games are represented here; neither are the Lincoln Giants, Brooklyn Royal Giants, or eastern Cuban Stars.

The 1921 NNL was the first Negro League (or first baseball league of any kind) I compiled statistics for.  This project has been going on for more than five years, and includes data gleaned from (at least) 27 newspapers.  Though like any Negro League statistical project it can hardly be called complete, at this point it is the most extensive compilation of the 1921 season published anywhere.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the “c” column in the fielding tables represents “chances.”  In most box scores for games played in Chicago, putouts and assists were lumped together as chances.  Also, you’ll  note that I haven’t included figures for catchers’ non-K putouts and fielding percentage (inspired by Bill James), as I have normally done.  I’ll try to get that in future versions of 1921.