1924 Colored World Series
Encyclopedia
The 1924
Colored World Series
was a best-of-nine match-up between the Negro National League champion Kansas City Monarchs
and the Eastern Colored League
champion Hilldale
. In a ten-game series, the Monarchs narrowly defeated Hilldale 5 games to 4, with one tie game. It was the first World Series between the respective champions of the NNL and ECL. It was the second year of existence for the ECL, but no agreement could be reached in 1923 for a post-season series, owing primarily to unresolved disputes between the leagues. Five members of the Baseball Hall of Fame participated in the series: Biz Mackey
, Judy Johnson
, and Louis Santop
played for Hilldale, while Bullet Rogan
and José Méndez
played for the Monarchs. In addition, Monarchs owner J.L. Wilkinson was also inducted into the Hall.
After yesterday's tie game, another game was rescheduled for the following day. Before a sparse weekday crowd, former Monarch Rube Currie relieved Red Ryan with one out in the third and the Monarchs leading 3-0, and shut them out the rest of the game. Hilldale tied the game in the third on two base hits, a walk, and three steals, including Otto Briggs’ steal of home. Two walks and two errors helped score Hilldale’s winning run with none out in the ninth.
}
}
1924 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Washington Senators over New York Giants *First Negro League World Series: Kansas City Monarchs over Hilldale -Awards and honors:*League Award** Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P** Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Dodgers, P...
Colored World Series
Negro League World Series
The Negro League World Series was a post-season baseball tournament which was held from 1924-1927 and from 1942-1948 between the champions of the Negro leagues, matching the mid-western winners against their east coast counterparts....
was a best-of-nine match-up between the Negro National League champion Kansas City Monarchs
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time...
and the Eastern Colored League
Eastern Colored League
The Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Clubs, more commonly known as the Eastern Colored League , was one of the several Negro leagues, which operated during the time organized baseball was segregated.- History :...
champion Hilldale
Hilldale Club
The Hilldale Athletic Club was an African American professional baseball team based in Darby, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia....
. In a ten-game series, the Monarchs narrowly defeated Hilldale 5 games to 4, with one tie game. It was the first World Series between the respective champions of the NNL and ECL. It was the second year of existence for the ECL, but no agreement could be reached in 1923 for a post-season series, owing primarily to unresolved disputes between the leagues. Five members of the Baseball Hall of Fame participated in the series: Biz Mackey
Biz Mackey
James Raleigh "Biz" Mackey was an American catcher and manager in Negro league baseball. He came to be regarded as black baseball's premier catcher in the late 1920s and early 1930s...
, Judy Johnson
Judy Johnson
William Julius "Judy" Johnson was an American third baseman in Negro league baseball.Johnson was born in Snow Hill, Maryland. Although his father wanted him to be a boxer, Johnson, who was 5 ft 11 in and only 150 lb , was far better suited for a career in baseball...
, and Louis Santop
Louis Santop
* , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley -External links:* – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16*...
played for Hilldale, while Bullet Rogan
Bullet Rogan
Charles Wilber "Bullet" Rogan, also known as "Bullet Joe" , was an American pitcher and outfielder for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro baseball leagues from 1920 to 1938...
and José Méndez
José Méndez
José de la Caridad Méndez was a Cuban right-handed pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues. Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, he died at age 41 in Havana. Known in Cuba as El Diamante Negro , he became a legend in his homeland. He was one of the first group of players elected to the Cuban...
played for the Monarchs. In addition, Monarchs owner J.L. Wilkinson was also inducted into the Hall.
Series Summary
- Kansas City Monarchs vs. Hilldale
- Monarchs won the Series, 5-4 (1 tie)
- Team Owners: J.L. Wilkinson, Kansas City; Ed BoldenEd BoldenEdward "Ed" Bolden was an American baseball executive and owner in the Negro Leagues. He established and owned the Hilldale Club of the 1910s–1920s and Philadelphia Stars of the 1930s–1950s, until his death...
, Hilldale - Managers: José MéndezJosé MéndezJosé de la Caridad Méndez was a Cuban right-handed pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues. Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, he died at age 41 in Havana. Known in Cuba as El Diamante Negro , he became a legend in his homeland. He was one of the first group of players elected to the Cuban...
, Kansas City; Frank WarfieldFrank WarfieldFrancis Xavier Warfield was an infielder and manager in the Negro leagues.Standing at just 5'7", Warfield was known primarily for his fielding and baserunning excellence, but he also had several good years at the plate. In 1922, he hit .342 for the Detroit Stars...
, Hilldale
| Game | Score | Date | Ballpark | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City 6 Hilldale 2 | October 3, 1924 (Friday) | Baker Bowl Baker Bowl Baker Bowl is the best-known popular name of a baseball park that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its formal name, painted on its outer wall, was National League Park. It was also initially known as Philadelphia Park or Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds.It was on a small... , Philadelphia, PA |
5,366 |
| 2 | Kansas City 0 Hilldale 11 | October 4, 1924 (Saturday) | Baker Bowl, Philadelphia, PA | 8,661 |
| 3 | Kansas City 6 Hilldale 6 (13 innings) | October 5, 1924 (Sunday) | Maryland Baseball Park, Baltimore, MD | 5,503 |
| 4 | Kansas City 3 Hilldale 4 | October 6, 1924 (Monday) | Maryland Baseball Park, Baltimore, MD | 584 |
| 5 | Hilldale 5 Kansas City 3 | October 11, 1924 (Saturday) | Muehlebach Park Municipal Stadium (Kansas City) Kansas City Municipal Stadium was a baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City, Missouri. It hosted the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association from 1923 to 1954 and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues during the same period... , Kansas City, MO |
3,891 |
| 6 | Hilldale 5 Kansas City 6 | October 12, 1924 (Sunday) | Muehlebach Park, Kansas City, MO | 8,885 |
| 7 | Hilldale 3 Kansas City 4 (12 innings) | October 14, 1924 (Tuesday) | Muehlebach Park, Kansas City, MO | 2,539 |
| 8 | Hilldale 2 Kansas City 3 | October 18, 1924 (Saturday) | Schorling Park South Side Park South Side Park was the name used for three different baseball parks that formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois at different times, and whose sites were all just a few blocks away from each other.... , Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
2,608 |
| 9 | Hilldale 5 Kansas City 3 | October 19, 1924 (Sunday) | Schorling Park, Chicago, IL | 6,271 |
| 10 | Hilldale 0 Kansas City 5 | October 20, 1924 (Monday) | Schorling Park, Chicago, IL | 1,549 |
Game One
October 3, 1924, at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | |
| Hilldale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | |
| W: Bullet Rogan Bullet Rogan Charles Wilber "Bullet" Rogan, also known as "Bullet Joe" , was an American pitcher and outfielder for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro baseball leagues from 1920 to 1938... (1-0) L: Phil Cockrell Phil Cockrell Phillip Cockrell, born Phillip Williams, was a baseball player in the Negro Leagues. He played pitcher and outfielder from 1917 to 1934. He was the first pitcher to pitch in the first Negro League World Series... (0-1) |
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| HRs: none | |||||||||||||
| Umpires: McBride, Freeman, Coolan, and McDevitt | |||||||||||||
-
- Rogan pitched an 8-hitter, holding Hilldale scoreless until two out in the ninth. Warfield’s bases-loaded error in the sixth allowed the Monarchs to score two, and aided by Cockrell’s three errors in the same inning, opened up a five-run inning for the Monarchs. Phil Cockrell, who lost this first game of the series, later umpired in Game Four of the 1942 Colored World Series1942 Colored World SeriesThe Colored World Series was a best-of-seven match-up between the Negro American League champion Kansas City Monarchs and the Negro National League champion Washington-Homestead Grays. In a six-game series, the Monarchs swept the Grays four games to none, with two additional games not counted in...
.
- Rogan pitched an 8-hitter, holding Hilldale scoreless until two out in the ninth. Warfield’s bases-loaded error in the sixth allowed the Monarchs to score two, and aided by Cockrell’s three errors in the same inning, opened up a five-run inning for the Monarchs. Phil Cockrell, who lost this first game of the series, later umpired in Game Four of the 1942 Colored World Series
-
- Hilldale did not use its own ballpark, Hilldale ParkHilldale ParkHilldale Park was a ballpark in Darby, Pennsylvania at the corner of Chester and Cedar Avenues. It was the home field of the Hilldale Daisies professional baseball team which played in the Negro Leagues between 1910 and 1932. The ballpark opened in 1914. It is said to have had a well-manicured field...
, but instead used Baker Bowl, home field of the Philadelphia Phillies, for the first two games, owing to its larger capacity.
- Hilldale did not use its own ballpark, Hilldale Park
Game Two
October 4, 1924 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
| Hilldale | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 2 | |
| W: Nip Winters Nip Winters Jesse "Nip" Winters was a pitcher in Negro League baseball, playing for many top eastern teams from 1920 to 1933, and considered one of the top left-handed pitchers of his day.-References:... (1-0) L: Bill McCall (0-1) |
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| HRs: none | |||||||||||||
| Umpires: McDevitt, McBride, Freeman, and Doolan | |||||||||||||
-
- Bill McCall could not get through the first inning, facing only three men and recording no outs before Bill “Plunk” Drake came in to relieve. Drake did not fare much better, lasting only 1⅔ innings himself. Hilldale led 9-0 by the end of the third.
-
- Nip WintersNip WintersJesse "Nip" Winters was a pitcher in Negro League baseball, playing for many top eastern teams from 1920 to 1933, and considered one of the top left-handed pitchers of his day.-References:...
shut out the normally high-scoring Monarchs on four singles.
- Nip Winters
Game Three
October 5, 1924 at Maryland Baseball Park in Baltimore| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| Hilldale | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 1 |
| HRs: KC – Newt Joseph (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Umpires: Freeman, Dolan, McDevitt, and McBride | ||||||||||||||||
-
- The Monarchs took a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth and again into the bottom of the twelfth, but were unable to put Hilldale away. William Bell pitched 12 innings for no decision; he played the thirteenth inning in right field, as Rogan came in from center field to pitch the thirteenth inning. Monarch fielding errors at in the fifth and ninth innings allowed Hilldale to stay in the game. Biz MackeyBiz MackeyJames Raleigh "Biz" Mackey was an American catcher and manager in Negro league baseball. He came to be regarded as black baseball's premier catcher in the late 1920s and early 1930s...
received three intentional walks during the game. The game was called on account of darkness after thirteen innings. - This game was played at Maryland Park, home park of the Baltimore Black SoxBaltimore Black SoxThe Baltimore Black Sox were a professional Negro league baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.- Founding :The Black Sox started as an independent team in 1916 by George Rossiter and Charles Spedden...
, on account of Pennsylvania's blue laws, which did not allow professional baseball games on Sundays.
- The Monarchs took a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth and again into the bottom of the twelfth, but were unable to put Hilldale away. William Bell pitched 12 innings for no decision; he played the thirteenth inning in right field, as Rogan came in from center field to pitch the thirteenth inning. Monarch fielding errors at in the fifth and ninth innings allowed Hilldale to stay in the game. Biz Mackey
Game Four
October 6, 1924 at Maryland Baseball Park in Baltimore| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 4 | |
| Hilldale | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
| W: Rube Currie (1-0) L: Cliff Bell (0-1) | |||||||||||||
| HRs: none | |||||||||||||
| Umpires: Freeman, Dolan, McDevitt, and McBride | |||||||||||||
After yesterday's tie game, another game was rescheduled for the following day. Before a sparse weekday crowd, former Monarch Rube Currie relieved Red Ryan with one out in the third and the Monarchs leading 3-0, and shut them out the rest of the game. Hilldale tied the game in the third on two base hits, a walk, and three steals, including Otto Briggs’ steal of home. Two walks and two errors helped score Hilldale’s winning run with none out in the ninth.
Game Five
October 11, 1924, Muehlebach Park, Kansas City| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilldale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 1 | |
| Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| W: Nip Winters (2-0) L: Bullet Rogan (1-1) | |||||||||||||
| HRs: Hilldale – Judy Johnson Judy Johnson William Julius "Judy" Johnson was an American third baseman in Negro league baseball.Johnson was born in Snow Hill, Maryland. Although his father wanted him to be a boxer, Johnson, who was 5 ft 11 in and only 150 lb , was far better suited for a career in baseball... |
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| Umpires: McGrew, Anderson, Costello, and Goeckel | |||||||||||||
-
- Judy Johnson’sJudy JohnsonWilliam Julius "Judy" Johnson was an American third baseman in Negro league baseball.Johnson was born in Snow Hill, Maryland. Although his father wanted him to be a boxer, Johnson, who was 5 ft 11 in and only 150 lb , was far better suited for a career in baseball...
three-run inside-the-park home run with one out in the ninth shocked the crowd into silence and provided the difference in the game. A controversial umpire call and three defensive misplays helped set the table for Johnson’s heroics. Until the fatal ninth, the game had been a classic pitchers duel between staff aces Winters and Rogan. Winters finished the game with a flourish, retiring 25 of the last 26 men he faced. Hilldale had a 3-1 lead in games.
- Judy Johnson’s
-
- Rube Foster had originally scheduled games Five, Six and Seven for his own ballpark, but Kansas City ownership and fans strenuously objected to losing such lucrative dates, and Foster relented.
Game Six
October 12, 1924 at Muehelbach Park in Kansas City| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilldale | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 | |
| Kansas City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 1 | ||
| W: William Bell (1-0) L: Hosley “Scrip” Lee (0-1) | |||||||||||||
| HRs: none | |||||||||||||
| Umpires: Anderson, Costello, Goeckel, and McGrew | |||||||||||||
-
- Phil Cockrell started the game for Hilldale, but was driven from the mound in the first inning, allowing four runs. Scrip Lee pitched the remainder of the game, but tired in the eighth when the Monarchs scored the tie-breaking run.
Game Seven
October 14, 1924 at Muehlebach Field in Kansas City| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilldale | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| W: José Méndez (1-0) L: Nip Winters (1-1) | |||||||||||||||
| HRs: none | |||||||||||||||
| Umpires: Costello, Goeckel, McGrew, and Anderson | |||||||||||||||
-
- Nip Winters pitched twelve innings and took the loss, while Méndez pitched brilliantly in relief for the win. Newt Joseph stole home in the fourth inning to start the Monarchs’ scoring. Bullet Rogan did not hit the ball out of the infield, but still managed to get three hits, score one run, and drive in the winning tally in the twelfth inning.
Game Eight
October 18, 1924 at Schorling Park in Chicago| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilldale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | |
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0 | |
| W: Bullet Rogan (2-1) L: Rube Currie (1-1) | |||||||||||||
| HRs: none | |||||||||||||
| Umpires: Goeckel, Moore, McGrew, and Costello | |||||||||||||
-
- In one of Negro League baseball’s legendary games, the Monarchs rallied for three runs in the ninth to stun Hilldale. Because of an injury to shortstop Jake Stephens some weeks before and to get maximum offensive output from his lineup, Hilldale manager Warfield moved regular third baseman Judy Johnson to short, moved catcher-short stop Mackey to third, and installed aging backup receiver Louis SantopLouis Santop* , Personal profiles at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. – identical to Riley -External links:* – unknown content, URL confirmed 2010-04-16*...
as the regular catcher. With three players playing out of position at critical defensive positions, Warfield’s moves came back to haunt him in the ninth when Mackey and Johnson both missed key plays, and when Santop dropped Frank Duncan’s foul popup, Duncan lined a single past Mackey that scored the tying and winning runs.
- In one of Negro League baseball’s legendary games, the Monarchs rallied for three runs in the ninth to stun Hilldale. Because of an injury to shortstop Jake Stephens some weeks before and to get maximum offensive output from his lineup, Hilldale manager Warfield moved regular third baseman Judy Johnson to short, moved catcher-short stop Mackey to third, and installed aging backup receiver Louis Santop
-
- Also legendary was the vicious verbal assault that Warfield launched against Santop following the loss, laying blame for the loss squarely at Santop's feet. Santop and others were already in tears in their locker room following the game, and it is one of Blackball's legends that Santop never recovered from the humiliation of Warfield's tirade.
Game Nine
October 19, 1924 at Schorling Park in Chicago| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilldale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 4 | |
| Kansas City | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 | |
| W: Nip Winters (3-1) L: William “Plunk” Drake (0-1) | |||||||||||||
| HRs: none | |||||||||||||
| Umpires: McGrew, Costello, Goeckel, and Moore | |||||||||||||
-
- Starting and completing his fourth game of the series, Nip Winters won for the third time to tie the series. William Bell started for Kansas City, but was shelled with none out in the fifth inning when Hilldale tied the score 2-2. Drake pitched creditably until tiring in the ninth, when Hilldale scored two to win. The Series was now tied for the third time.
Game Ten
October 20, 1924 at Schorling Park in Chicago| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilldale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 0 | ||
| W: José Méndez (2-0) L: Scrip Lee (0-2) | |||||||||||||
| HRs: none | |||||||||||||
| Umpires: Costello, Goeckel, Moore, and Conlin | |||||||||||||
-
- Although still weak from surgery before the series and advised by a doctor not to exert himself, Méndez had already pitched 10 innings of relief in the first nine games, and upon the advice of Rube Foster named himself to start the final game. Game Ten became part of his legend. He matched Hilldale starter Scrip Lee zero for zero for seven full innings until Lee tired in the bottom of the eighth. Lee changed from his normal submarine delivery to an overhand style in that inning, and the Monarchs scored five runs off of him, including one by Méndez himself. When Hilldale went out in the ninth, the Monarchs had won the first Colored World Series.
- Lee, the losing pitcher in the Series finale, later umpired the opening game of the 1942 Colored World Series1942 Colored World SeriesThe Colored World Series was a best-of-seven match-up between the Negro American League champion Kansas City Monarchs and the Negro National League champion Washington-Homestead Grays. In a six-game series, the Monarchs swept the Grays four games to none, with two additional games not counted in...
.
Sources
- Books
}
}
- Newspapers
- Baltimore Afro-American, October 1924
- Chicago Defender, October 1924
- Kansas City Call, October 1924
- Pittsburgh Courier, October 1924