1933 Negro Leagues Teams
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1933 NEGRO LEAGUES for HISTORYMAKER BASEBALL 1933 was a very important year in Negro League Baseball history. After years with no real organized league, Gus Greenlee undertook to create the Negro National League. It was not without some problems. The Indianapolis A.B.C.s moved to Detroit due to low attendance. Cole’s American Giants could not secure a home field in Chicago, and then moved to Indianapolis. The Homestead Grays were expelled at midseason, charged with raiding other teams for players. The Columbus Blue Birds, in trouble from the outset, tried to move to Cleveland and Akron, both with no success, and did not finish the league. The Cuban Stars were admitted for the second half of the season, but did not play a single game. In the end, the American Giants finished with the best record of the clubs that completed the campaign, but the Pittsburgh Crawfords (owned by NNL President Greenlee) were declared champions. Some well-organized Negro “major league” teams did not attempt to play in the league, preferring to stay independent; they are included in the set. In addition – perhaps for the first time in any baseball board game – the House of David is included. Known for their full beards, organized by a religious sect based in Benton Harbor, Mich., teams from the House of David spent the summer barnstorming, playing nearly 200 games each year, some against white Major League teams as well as Negro League teams. ROSTERS: Negro National League rules limited teams to 14 players. As a result, many pitchers were known for playing in the field, and vice versa. There is no record as to how roster sizes were administered. A number of players spent the season playing for two or three teams. Additional cards indicating their later teams are included; the set is created as of the start of the 1933 season. All statistics are based on the 1933 season. BUNT SINGLES: Bunting for base hits was an important facet of Negro League Baseball. Some players are given special ratings – if indicated, for all results including double-1 (1-1-x), and also in some cases double-2 (2- 2-x), if the final play result is a single (to the outfield), it is instead a bunt single, all runners advance one base. FIELDING: Negro League fielders were charged with considerably more errors than the Major League average. To increase the number of errors, you can change the following play readings in the FIELDER column: 1-3-3 Outfield DRAMA! 2-3-5 Infield DRAMA! 2-4-4 GO to pull field (2B/SS) 2-6-6 FO to pull field (LF/RF) If you believe, as some research suggests, that Negro League fielders were as accomplished as their Major League counterparts, and that the increased errors were due more to low-quality fields and official scoring standards of the day, ignore those changes. You can also maintain the same fielding ratings if playing Negro League vs. Major League teams – the results should be satisfactory. NIGHT GAMES: Major League Baseball was still two years away from night baseball, but the Negro Leagues had discovered it. With their portable lighting system, the Kansas City Monarchs (and the House of David) brought night games across North America. In addition, Greenlee Field in Pittsburgh had lights added for 1933. However, the lights were certainly rudimentary at best – especially with the generator-run portable system. To simulate those effects, for all night games: ALL pitchers are FLASH (FLASH pitchers can be DB FLASH) Any roll including double-1 or double-2 (so, 1-1-x, 2-2-x); where the final result is a POP OUT or FLY OUT, roll DECIDER die o if BULLET, ball lost above lights, single for batter, all runners advance 1 base (2 bases if 2 out). UMPIRING: Umpires in the Negro Leagues were notorious, according to the newspaper accounts of the day. Often, the umpires were hired by the home team – and their calls went accordingly. No individual umpires are included given lack of information, but before each game, roll on the following chart for each umpire (one behind the plate, one on the bases): 1-2 All calls in HOME TEAM “favor”, umpire is ●RESPECTED, ●LENIENT. All calls in VISITING TEAM “favor”, umpire is ●QUESTIONABLE, ●STRICT 3 Umpire is QUESTIONABLE 4 Umpire is ●QUESTIONABLE 5 Umpire is ●QUESTIONABLE, ●STRICT 6 Umpire is ●QUESTIONABLE, ●LENIENT PRIMARY LINEUPS Pittsburgh Crawfords Cole’s American Giants Detroit Stars Nashville Elite Giants Cool Papa Bell, mf Turkey Stearnes, mf Jerry Benjamin, lf Bill Wright, rf John Henry Russell, 2b Alec Radcliffe, 3b (3) Granville Lyons, 1b Felton Stratton, ss Oscar Charleston, 1b Steel Arm Davis, lf (7) Wade Johnston, mf Sam Bankhead, mf Josh Gibson, c Nat Rogers, rf Bill Gill, 3b Tommie Dukes, c Judy Johnson, 3b Mule Suttles, 1b George Mitchell, rf Felton Snow, 3b Ted Page, rf Willie Wells, ss (2) Ray Dandridge, ss Jim West, 1b Jimmie Crutchfield, lf Jack Marshall, 2b Rainey Bibbs, ss (7) Goose Curry, lf Clarence Lewis, ss Larry Brown, c Spoony Palm, c Sammy T. Hughes, 2b Obie Lackey, ss Anderson Pryor, 2b Baltimore Black Sox Columbus Blue Birds Homestead Grays Cuban Stars Dick Seay, 2b Leroy Morney, ss Vic Harris, lf (3b) Lazaro Salazar, lf Crush Holloway, mf Dewey Creacy, 3b Happy Evans, 2b (cf) Cando Lopez, cf Harry Williams, 3b Frog Redus, rf Joe Strong, rf Cho-Cho Correa, ss Jake Dunn, ss Joe Scott, 1b Jap Washington, 3b (1b) Pedro Arango, 1b Bert Johnston, rf Jabo Andrews, mf Ches Williams, ss Miguel Solis, 3b David Simpson, 1b Dennis Gilchrest, c Ray Brown, cf Alejandro Oms, rf Jesse Hubbard, lf Kermit Dial, 2b Ameal Brooks,c Jose Maria Fernandez, c Tex Burnett, c C.B. Griffin, lf Joe Scott, 1b Jose Perez, 2b Mack Eggleston, c Chippy Britt, 2b Philadelphia Stars New York Black Yankees Newark Dodgers Bacharach Giants Jake Stephens, 2b Fats Jenkins, lf Charlie Justice, lf Buddy Burbage, cf Chaney White, lf George Scales, rf Foots Lewis, ss Joe Wiggins, 3b Tom Finley, 3b Rev Cannady, 2b Showboat Ware, cf George Carr, 1b Jud Wilson, 1b Clint Thomas, mf Bud Mitchell, 1b Blue Perez, 2b Rap Dixon, rf Showboat Thomas, 1b Lou Dials, rf Ed Stone, lf Biz Mackey, c Bill Yancey, ss Harry Jeffries, 3b James Johnson, ss Dick Lundy, ss Joe Wiggins, 3b Charlie Looney, 2b Joe Lewis, c Pete Washington, mf Eggie Clarke, c John Burch, c Otto Briggs, rf Kansas City Monarchs House of David Eddie Dwight, cf Lefty Tolles, rf George Giles, 1b Sid Smith, 2b Newt Allen, ss Egg Harrison, 3b Tom Young, c Bill Heckman, 1b Frank Duncan, rf Tom Dewhirst, lf Bullet Rogan, lf (p) Shim Berndt, lf/p Newt Joseph, 3b Eddie Deal, c Dink Mothell, 2b Dutch Faust, 2b Leslie Starks, rf Bob Dewhirst, rf Grover Cleveland Alexander and Jackie Mitchell would pitch no more than 2 innings. Follow regular reliever rules – even if starting – except no ACE vs. first batter. BALLPARKS LF CF RF RH Batters LH Batters GREENLEE FIELD, Pittsburgh, Pa. 338 410 342 NORMAL NORMAL FORBES FIELD, Pittsburgh, Pa. 360 442 376 NORMAL NORMAL SCHORLING PARK, Chicago, Ill. BIG BIG On all FENCE! results, use SCRAPPER column (regardless of batter rating) PERRY STADIUM, Indianapolis, Ind. 350 500 350 ●BIG BIG HAMTRAMCK FIELD, Detroit, Mich. 315 515 407 NORMAL ●BIG NEIL PARK, Columbus, Ohio NORMAL NORMAL All GLOVE results in LF are HOME RUNS, due to height of wall BUGLE FIELD, Baltimore, Md. 340 400 NORMAL ●BIG GRIFFITH STADIUM, Washington, D.C. 388 421 320 BIG BIG SULPHUR DELL, Nashville, Tenn. 334 421 262 NORMAL SMALL All GLOVE results in RF are HOME RUNS, due to height of wall All foul outs, roll decider die: on bullet, ball carries into seats for foul ball LH batters on 2-6-6: roll decider die; on ● RF falls going up hill, batter doubles DEXTER PARK, Queens, N.Y. 418 (LCF) ●BIG NORMAL HINCHLIFFE STADIUM, Paterson, N.J. ~460 ~250 BIG SMALL All LH batters roll decider die on 2-6-6: ● home run; blank, fly out (SCRAPPER fly out on either) HILLDALE PARK, Darby, Pa. 315 400 370 NORMAL BIG On all 6-6-6 results: roll on FENCE! chart, OTHER column (no GLOVE), due to tree in play in CF PASSON FIELD, Philadelphia, Pa. ●SMALL ●SMALL MUEHLEBACH FIELD, Kansas City, Mo. 350 400 350 NORMAL NORMAL MEADOWBROOK OVAL, Newark, N.J. 300 380 300 NORMAL NORMAL RUPPERT STADIUM, Newark, N.J. 305 410 305 ●SMALL ●SMALL BACHARACH PARK, Atlantic City, N.J. NORMAL NORMAL 1933 EAST-WEST ALL-STAR GAME 1933 saw the first East-West All-Star Game, Negro League baseball’s showcase, played where the first white major league all- star game just two months earlier. Held at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the teams were chosen through voting in the two leading black newspapers, the Pittsburgh Courier and Chicago Defender. As a result, the teams were heavily dominated by players from the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Chicago American Giants. Played in a steady drizzle, the West stars defeated the East 11-7, thanks in part to a home run by Mule Suttles. Willie Foster pitched a complete-game victory for the West. EAST ALL-STARS WEST ALL-STARS . Cool Papa Bell, cf (Pittsburgh Crawfords) Turkey Stearnes, cf (Chicago American Giants) Rap Dixon, rf (Philadelphia Stars) Willie Wells, ss (Chicago American Giants) Oscar Charleston, 1b (Pittsburgh Crawfords) Steel Arm Davis, lf (Chicago American Giants) Biz Mackey, c (Philadelphia Stars) Alec Radcliffe, 3b (Chicago American Giants) Jud Wilson, 3b (Philadelphia Stars) Mule Suttles, 1b (Chicago American Giants) Dick Lundy.