East-West League
Encyclopedia
The East-West League was an American Negro baseball league
that operated during the period when professional baseball in the United States was segregated. Cum Posey
organized the league in 1932, but it didn't last the full year and folded in June of that year. It was the first Negro league to include teams from both the Eastern
and Midwestern United States
.
Although the league lasted less than one season, it featured one of the strongest teams in the history of Negro league baseball, the Detroit Wolves
. The league provided a foundation for the development of the second Negro National League, which would become the premier league for African American
baseball players.
, the nation no longer had any functioning major Negro leagues. The first Negro National League, which operated primarily in the American Midwest, limped through the 1931 season following the death of its founder, Rube Foster, but formally disbanded in March 1932. In the Eastern states, the Eastern Colored League
folded in 1928, and its successor, the American Negro League
, folded after the 1929 season.
In this environment, Cum Posey, the owner of the Homestead Grays
, undertook an ambitious plan to create a single league that encompassed teams in the East and Midwest. Posey was facing a strong local competitor, Gus Greenlee
's Pittsburgh Crawfords
, and hoped that a new league would bolster the Grays and isolate the Crawfords. In January 1932, Posey organized the East-West League. The team featured eight teams located in the East and Midwest, at least two of which (Homestead and Detroit) were owned by Posey. The plans for the new league were ambitious relative to the previous Negro leagues. The Al Munro Elias Bureau
was hired to compile statistics, and the league would hire salaried, traveling umpire
s.
The league began play in May, but attendance was poor because of the severe financial conditions of the Depression. Teams soon abandoned the planned schedule and turned to better paying bookings with white semipro teams. Within a month, it was clear that the league couldn't continue. In June the Detroit Wolves folded, and by early July the league had ceased operations.
The poor financial performance of the league weakened Posey's Grays in their competition against Greenlee's Crawfords. Greenlee recruited a number of Grays star players, including Josh Gibson
, Cool Papa Bell, and Oscar Charleston
, who joined a Crawfords team anchored by the great pitcher Satchel Paige
. In the face of dismal league attendance, by late May Posey invited the Crawfords to join the league and allowed the Grays and other East-West League teams to schedule games with the Crawfords. By the end of the year, Posey's new league was defunct and his Grays were severely weakened.
In the following year, 1933, Greenlee organized a second Negro National League (1933–1948). The Homestead Grays and Baltimore Black Sox
of the old East-West League were franchises of the new league, though Homestead was expelled part-way through the season after a dispute. Because initially the new Negro National League operated in in both the Eastern and Midwestern regions in many of the same cities as the East-West League, it was sometimes also referred to as the "East-West League." Beginning in 1937, the Negro American League
was organized in the Midwest, and the Negro National League was concentrated in the East.
The Wolves, owned by Posey who also owned the Homestead Grays, drew many of their players from the Kansas City Monarchs
and the St. Louis Stars
. Their roster included Cool Papa Bell, Ray Brown, Mule Suttles
, Willie Wells
, and Cyclone Joe Williams
, and their pitcher/manager was William ("Dizzy") Dismukes. Despite a strong winning record, the Wolves were disbanded due to poor attendance and many of the players were reassigned to the Homestead Grays.
According to Holway, the batting champion was catcher Bill Perkins, who hit .449 for Homestead and .408 overall, including his games played for the non-league Pittsburgh. Mule Suttles led the league teams with 9 home run
s, though three players with non-league Pittsburgh hit more (Rap Dixon
with 11 HR and Josh Gibson
and Oscar Charleston
each with 10). Suttles led in home run rate with 31 HR per 550 AB
. The top league pitchers were Harry Salmon (14–6 with Homestead) and Bertrum Hunter (12–4 with Detroit), with Satchel Paige
of non-league Pittsburgh holding the overall lead in wins with a 21–9 record.
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
that operated during the period when professional baseball in the United States was segregated. Cum Posey
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Willis "Cum" Posey, Jr. was an American baseball player, manager, and team owner in the Negro leagues, as well as a star professional basketball player and team owner....
organized the league in 1932, but it didn't last the full year and folded in June of that year. It was the first Negro league to include teams from both the Eastern
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
and Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
Although the league lasted less than one season, it featured one of the strongest teams in the history of Negro league baseball, the Detroit Wolves
Detroit Wolves
The Detroit Wolves were a Negro Leagues baseball club that played for just one year . In 1931 the Negro National League collapsed. It reformed in 1933, but in the interim Detroit was left without a Negro Leagues team, as the Detroit Stars had been members of the NNL. In 1932, the city placed the...
. The league provided a foundation for the development of the second Negro National League, which would become the premier league for African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
baseball players.
League history
By early 1932, facing the severe financial problems associated with the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the nation no longer had any functioning major Negro leagues. The first Negro National League, which operated primarily in the American Midwest, limped through the 1931 season following the death of its founder, Rube Foster, but formally disbanded in March 1932. In the Eastern states, 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 :...
folded in 1928, and its successor, the American Negro League
American Negro League
The American Negro League was one of several Negro leagues which were established during the period in the United States in which organized baseball was segregated...
, folded after the 1929 season.
In this environment, Cum Posey, the owner of the Homestead Grays
Homestead Grays
The Homestead Grays were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, and would remain in continuous operation for 38 seasons. The team was based in Homestead, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Pittsburgh.-Franchise...
, undertook an ambitious plan to create a single league that encompassed teams in the East and Midwest. Posey was facing a strong local competitor, Gus Greenlee
Gus Greenlee
William Augustus "Gus" Greenlee was a Negro League baseball owner and an African American businessman....
's Pittsburgh Crawfords
Pittsburgh Crawfords
The Pittsburgh Crawfords, popularly known as the Craws, were a professional Negro league baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Named after the Crawford Grill, a club in the Hill District of Pittsburgh owned by Gus Greenlee, the Crawfords were originally a youth semipro team sponsored by...
, and hoped that a new league would bolster the Grays and isolate the Crawfords. In January 1932, Posey organized the East-West League. The team featured eight teams located in the East and Midwest, at least two of which (Homestead and Detroit) were owned by Posey. The plans for the new league were ambitious relative to the previous Negro leagues. The Al Munro Elias Bureau
Elias Sports Bureau
The Elias Sports Bureau is an American company that provides historical research and statistical services in the field of professional sports.In 1913, Al Munro Elias and his brother Walter established the Al Munro Elias Bureau in New York City...
was hired to compile statistics, and the league would hire salaried, traveling umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
s.
The league began play in May, but attendance was poor because of the severe financial conditions of the Depression. Teams soon abandoned the planned schedule and turned to better paying bookings with white semipro teams. Within a month, it was clear that the league couldn't continue. In June the Detroit Wolves folded, and by early July the league had ceased operations.
The poor financial performance of the league weakened Posey's Grays in their competition against Greenlee's Crawfords. Greenlee recruited a number of Grays star players, including Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Joshua Gibson was an American catcher in baseball's Negro leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946...
, Cool Papa Bell, and Oscar Charleston
Oscar Charleston
Oscar McKinley Charleston was an American center fielder and manager in baseball's Negro leagues from to ....
, who joined a Crawfords team anchored by the great pitcher Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
. In the face of dismal league attendance, by late May Posey invited the Crawfords to join the league and allowed the Grays and other East-West League teams to schedule games with the Crawfords. By the end of the year, Posey's new league was defunct and his Grays were severely weakened.
In the following year, 1933, Greenlee organized a second Negro National League (1933–1948). The Homestead Grays and Baltimore Black Sox
Baltimore Black Sox
The 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...
of the old East-West League were franchises of the new league, though Homestead was expelled part-way through the season after a dispute. Because initially the new Negro National League operated in in both the Eastern and Midwestern regions in many of the same cities as the East-West League, it was sometimes also referred to as the "East-West League." Beginning in 1937, the Negro American League
Negro American League
The Negro American League was one of the several Negro leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated. The league was established in 1937, and continued to exist until 1960...
was organized in the Midwest, and the Negro National League was concentrated in the East.
East-West League franchises and notable players
| East-West League | |
| Team | Notable players |
| Baltimore Black Sox Baltimore Black Sox The 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... |
Dick Lundy (MGR Manager (baseball) In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized... /SS Shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the... ) |
| Cleveland Stars | |
| Cuban Stars (West) Cuban Stars (West) The Cuban Stars were a team of Cuban professional baseball players that competed in the United States Negro leagues from 1907 to 1932. The team was also sometimes known as the Stars of Cuba, the Cuban All-Stars, the Havana Reds, the Almendares Blues, or simply as the Cubans. For one season, 1921,... |
|
| Detroit Wolves Detroit Wolves The Detroit Wolves were a Negro Leagues baseball club that played for just one year . In 1931 the Negro National League collapsed. It reformed in 1933, but in the interim Detroit was left without a Negro Leagues team, as the Detroit Stars had been members of the NNL. In 1932, the city placed the... |
Cool Papa Bell (CF Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field... ) William Bell (P Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the... ) Ray Brown (P) Vic Harris (LF Left fielder In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... ) Mule Suttles Mule Suttles George "Mule" Suttles was an American first baseman and outfielder in Negro league baseball, most prominently with the Birmingham Black Barons, St. Louis Stars and Newark Eagles... (1B First baseman First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team... ) Quincy Trouppe Quincy Trouppe Quincy Thomas Trouppe was an American professional baseball player and an amateur boxing champion. He was a catcher in the Negro Leagues from 1930 to 1949. He was a native of Dublin, Georgia.... (RF Right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound... /C Catcher Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to... /P) Willie Wells Willie Wells Willie James Wells was an American shortstop who played from -48 for various teams in the Negro Leagues.Wells was born in Austin, Texas... (SS) Cyclone Joe Williams Cyclone Joe Williams Joseph Williams , nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" or "Smokey Joe", was an American right-handed pitcher in the Negro leagues. He is widely recognized as one of the game's greatest pitchers, even though he never played a game in the major leagues... (P) |
| Hilldale Club Hilldale Club The Hilldale Athletic Club was an African American professional baseball team based in Darby, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia.... |
|
| Homestead Grays Homestead Grays The Homestead Grays were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, and would remain in continuous operation for 38 seasons. The team was based in Homestead, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Pittsburgh.-Franchise... |
Newt Allen Newt Allen Newton Henry "Newt" Allen was an American second baseman and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues.Born in Austin, Texas, he began his Negro League career late in 1922 with the Kansas City Monarchs and, except for brief stints with other teams in 1931 and 1932, stayed with the Monarchs until his... (2B Second baseman Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base... ) Cool Papa Bell (CF) Ray Brown (P) Vic Harris (LF) Willie Wells Willie Wells Willie James Wells was an American shortstop who played from -48 for various teams in the Negro Leagues.Wells was born in Austin, Texas... (SS) Cyclone Joe Williams Cyclone Joe Williams Joseph Williams , nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" or "Smokey Joe", was an American right-handed pitcher in the Negro leagues. He is widely recognized as one of the game's greatest pitchers, even though he never played a game in the major leagues... (P) Jud Wilson Jud Wilson Ernest Judson Wilson , nicknamed "Boojum," was an American third baseman, first baseman, and manager in Negro league baseball. Born in Remington, Virginia, he served in World War I, and during his career played primarily for the Baltimore Black Sox , Homestead Grays , and Philadelphia Stars... (3B Third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run... ) |
| Newark Browns | |
| Washington Pilots | Chet Brewer Chet Brewer Chester Arthur "Chet" Brewer was an American right-handed pitcher in baseball's Negro Leagues. Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, he played for the Kansas City Monarchs, and from 1957 to 1974 he scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates.... (P) Rap Dixon Rap Dixon Herbert Allen "Rap" Dixon was an American outfielder in Negro League baseball for a number of teams. He was born in Kingston, Georgia.... (RF) Mule Suttles Mule Suttles George "Mule" Suttles was an American first baseman and outfielder in Negro league baseball, most prominently with the Birmingham Black Barons, St. Louis Stars and Newark Eagles... (1B) |
Team and individual performances
Because the league folded before the end of the season, no team was declared a champion. Statistics compiled by John B. Holway, which include some non-league games, show the Detroit Wolves with the best record in the league.The Wolves, owned by Posey who also owned the Homestead Grays, drew many of their players from the 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 St. Louis Stars
St. Louis Stars (baseball)
The St. Louis Stars were a Negro League baseball team that competed in the Negro National League from 1922 to 1931. Founded when Dick Kent and Dr. Sam Sheppard took over the St...
. Their roster included Cool Papa Bell, Ray Brown, Mule Suttles
Mule Suttles
George "Mule" Suttles was an American first baseman and outfielder in Negro league baseball, most prominently with the Birmingham Black Barons, St. Louis Stars and Newark Eagles...
, Willie Wells
Willie Wells
Willie James Wells was an American shortstop who played from -48 for various teams in the Negro Leagues.Wells was born in Austin, Texas...
, and Cyclone Joe Williams
Cyclone Joe Williams
Joseph Williams , nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" or "Smokey Joe", was an American right-handed pitcher in the Negro leagues. He is widely recognized as one of the game's greatest pitchers, even though he never played a game in the major leagues...
, and their pitcher/manager was William ("Dizzy") Dismukes. Despite a strong winning record, the Wolves were disbanded due to poor attendance and many of the players were reassigned to the Homestead Grays.
According to Holway, the batting champion was catcher Bill Perkins, who hit .449 for Homestead and .408 overall, including his games played for the non-league Pittsburgh. Mule Suttles led the league teams with 9 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, though three players with non-league Pittsburgh hit more (Rap Dixon
Rap Dixon
Herbert Allen "Rap" Dixon was an American outfielder in Negro League baseball for a number of teams. He was born in Kingston, Georgia....
with 11 HR and Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Joshua Gibson was an American catcher in baseball's Negro leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946...
and Oscar Charleston
Oscar Charleston
Oscar McKinley Charleston was an American center fielder and manager in baseball's Negro leagues from to ....
each with 10). Suttles led in home run rate with 31 HR per 550 AB
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
. The top league pitchers were Harry Salmon (14–6 with Homestead) and Bertrum Hunter (12–4 with Detroit), with Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
of non-league Pittsburgh holding the overall lead in wins with a 21–9 record.