1947 Negro World Series

Last updated
1947 Negro World Series
Team (Wins) Manager(s)
New York Cubans (4) José María Fernández
Cleveland Buckeyes (1) Quincy Trouppe
DatesSeptember 19–27
Venue
  1946 Negro World Series 1948  

The 1947 Negro World Series was the championship tournament for the 1947 season of the Negro leagues. It was the sixth edition of the second incarnation of the Series and the tenth overall played. It was a best-of-seven playoff played between the Negro National League New York Cubans and the Negro American League Cleveland Buckeyes.

Contents

The Cubans won the Series in six games, winning four while having one game called a tie due to rain after six innings. [1]

Background

The Cleveland Buckeyes were making their second appearance in the World Series after winning the NAL pennant (they subsequently beat Washington in four games for the title). In a time where both leagues had teams play an uneven amount of games, Cleveland had a winning percentage of .778 with their 42-12 record, which exceeded the Kansas City Monarchs (52-32, .619) for the pennant. [2]

As for the Cubans, they had started play in the NNL in 1935 but had disbanded for two years before returning in 1939. They were part of a distinct history that had employed many international players that ranged beyond just Cuba, such as Puerto Rico. With a record and percentage of 43-19-1 (.694), they outmatched the Newark Eagles (50-38-1, .568). [3]

This would ultimately prove to be the penultimate Series ever played by the two Negro leagues. Integration of black players into Major League Baseball in 1947 had shifted attention in the newspapers and crowds away from the Negro Leagues as defectors like Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby took center stage for the National League and American League. [4] [5]

Buckeyes Al Smith, Sam Jethroe, Quincy Trouppe, Webbo Clarke, and Sam Jones would join the major leagues in the following years while Cubans Minnie Minoso, Ray Noble, Pat Scantlebury, and Lino Donoso made it to the majors.

Summary

New York won the series, 4–1 (one tie).

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1September 19Cleveland Buckeyes – 5, New York Cubans – 5 (6 innings) Polo Grounds 2:005,500 
2September 21Cleveland Buckeyes – 10, New York Cubans – 7 Yankee Stadium 2:589,000 
3September 23New York Cubans – 6, Cleveland Buckeyes – 0 Cleveland Stadium 6,000 
4September 24Cleveland Buckeyes – 4, New York Cubans – 9 Shibe Park 1:571,739 
5September 26New York Cubans – 9, Cleveland Buckeyes – 2 Comiskey Park 2,048 
6September 27New York Cubans – 6, Cleveland Buckeyes – 5 League Park 4,500

Matchups

Game 1

Friday, September 19, 1947 N/A at Polo Grounds in New York, New York
Team123456789 R H E
Cleveland230000XXX571
New York010130XXX583
Home runs:
CLE: Johnnie Cowan (1)
NYC: None
Attendance: 5,500
Boxscore

The first game of the series would end up proving very little, despite the potential for it. The Buckeyes chased the Cubans' starting pitcher in Dave Barnhill out after one inning on three runs in five hits, and they rocked Pat Scantlebury for two more runs for a total of five in two innings. However, Scantlebury settled down and allowed no further runner to score for the next four innings, and New York gradually chipped at the lead over the next few innings, which included three runs in the fifth off starter Chet Brewer. Both teams relied on chance hitting, since each had two extra base hits (Cleveland had five singles and New York had six). The best hitter of the day proved to be shortstop Silvio Garcia of the Cubans, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. However, growing rain meant that the game was called a tie after six innings.

Game 2

Sunday, September 21, 1947 2:58 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York
Team123456789 R H E
Cleveland30040000310174
New York2014000007103
WP: Doc Bracken (1–0)   LP: Lino Donoso (0–1)
Attendance: 9,000
Boxscore

Game 3

Tuesday, September 23, 1947 N/A at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio
Team123456789 R H E
New York0000000066120
Cleveland000000000050
WP: Barney Morris (1–0)   LP: Sam Jones (0–1)
Attendance: 6,000
Boxscore

Game 4

Wednesday, September 24, 1947 1:57 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Team123456789 R H E
Cleveland000000040474
New York00106011X9120
WP: Dave Barnhill (1–0)   LP: Gene Bremer (0–1)
Home runs:
CLE: Ray Noble (1)
NYC: None
Attendance: 1,739
Boxscore

Catcher Ray Noble would help lead the Cubans to victory with a grand slam in the fifth inning as the Cubans went from a one-run lead to being up 7-0 as Cleveland did themselves no favors by committing four errors.

Game 5

Friday, September 26, 1947 N/A at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois
Team123456789 R H E
New York0131040009141
Cleveland000001001274
WP: Lino Donoso (1–1)   LP: Chet Brewer (0–1)
Attendance: N/A
Boxscore

Game 6

Saturday, September 27, 1947 N/A at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio
Team123456789 R H E
New York000003120681
Cleveland211010000594
WP: Pat Scantlebury (1–0)   LP: Gene Smith (0–1)
Attendance: 4,500
Boxscore

In the Series, Cleveland had a lead in the first two games, yet managed to win just once. Games 3-5 saw them lead in exactly zero innings, but Cleveland finally broke some ground to start Game 6 at home. They rocked Luis Tiant Sr. for three runs as he faced just eight batters in two innings before being relieved for Scantlebury. He held the ship mostly afoot despite the fact that Cleveland would lead 5-0 at one point, but he went the distance of seven innings, and New York soon came alive in the sixth inning, doing so on the strength of two hits, a hit-by-pitch, and two straight errors to make it 5-3. [6] Ultimately, they would make the best of two doubles and six singles to go with seven walks and four errors committed by Smith to score six runs in three innings as Cleveland (mustering three doubles on nine hits with only three walks) could only watch as the Cubans clinched the title. Three players in the game had three-hit games, which included Scantlebury (3-for-5), Willie Grace (3-for-4 while driving four runs in), and Leon Kellman (3-for-5).

New York was buoyed by two .400 hitters in the Series in Minnie Minoso (.423) and Claro Duany (.421), while only Leon Kellman hit exceptionally for Cleveland, leading the way with a .450 average.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satchel Paige</span> American baseball player and coach (1906–1982)

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnie Miñoso</span> Cuban-American baseball player (1923–2015)

Orestes "Minnie" Miñoso, nicknamed "The Cuban Comet" and "Mr. White Sox", was a Cuban professional baseball player. He began his baseball career in the Negro leagues in 1946 and became an All-Star third baseman with the New York Cubans. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB) after the 1948 season as baseball's color line fell. Miñoso went on to become an All-Star left fielder with the Indians and Chicago White Sox. The first Afro-Latino in the major leagues and the first black player in White Sox history, as a 1951 rookie he was one of the first Latin Americans to play in an MLB All-Star Game.

The following are the baseball events of the year 2002 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 in baseball</span> Overview of the events of 1960 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1960 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Smith (outfielder)</span> American baseball player (1928-2002)

Alphonse Eugene Smith was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and third baseman. He played for twelve seasons on the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox (1958–62), Baltimore Orioles (1963) and Boston Red Sox (1964). In 2003, he was selected as one of the "100 Greatest Indians".

The New York Cubans were a Negro league baseball team that played during the 1930s and from 1939 to 1950. Despite playing in the Negro leagues, the team occasionally employed white-skinned Hispanic baseball players as well, because Hispanics in general were largely ignored by the major league baseball teams before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

The 1942 Negro 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 the standings. The Monarchs actually won the 1942 series 5-1, but a second game played in Yankee Stadium on September 13 was not counted by prior agreement, and the only game played in Kansas City was thrown out on appeal when the Grays used unauthorized players from other NNL teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Scantlebury</span> Panamanian baseball player

Patricio Athelstan Scantlebury was a Panamanian professional baseball pitcher whose 16-season career included six games pitched for the 1956 Cincinnati Redlegs of Major League Baseball. Born in Gatun Lake, Panama, Scantlebury threw and batted left-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).

The 1960 Major League Baseball season was played from April 12 to October 13, 1960. It was the final season contested by 16 clubs and the final season that a 154-game schedule was played in both the American League and the National League. The AL began using the 162-game schedule the following season, with the NL following suit in 1962.

The 1941 Amateur World Series was the fourth Amateur World Series (AWS), an international men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation. The tournament took place, for the third consecutive time, in Cuba. It was contested by nine national teams playing eight games each from September 27 through October 22 in Havana. Venezuela won its first AWS title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Bremer</span> American baseball player

Eugene Joseph Bremer (Bremmer) (July 18, 1916 – June 19, 1971) was an American pitcher in Negro league baseball. He played between 1932 and 1949.

In the 1945 Negro World Series, the Cleveland Buckeyes, champions of the Negro American League, swept the Washington Homestead Grays, champions of the Negro National League, four games to none.

The 1948 Negro World Series was the championship tournament for the 1948 season of Negro league baseball. It was the seventh edition of the second incarnation of the Negro World Series and the eleventh overall played. It was a best-of-seven playoff played between the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League and the Birmingham Black Barons, champions of the Negro American League. The Homestead Grays played home games in both Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh. It was the fifth appearance for the Grays in the Series, the most for any team; Birmingham made their third appearance in the Series, with each being against the Grays. The Grays won the series in five games. The Black Barons featured the 17-year-old Willie Mays in his first professional season.

The 1926 Colored World Series was the championship tournament for the 1926 season of Negro league baseball. It was the third overall Series played. It matched the Chicago American Giants, champions of the Negro National League (1920–1931), and the Bacharach Giants of Atlantic City, New Jersey, champions of the Eastern Colored League. Initially planned as a best-of-nine series, two ties meant that the series went eleven games. Chicago won just once in the first six games, but games 1 and 4 had ended in ties, meaning that they only trailed three games to one when the Series shifted to Chicago. They were down to their final game after losing the eighth game, but the Chicago American Giants proceeded to win the next three games to complete the comeback and win their first ever World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">León Kellman</span> Panamanian baseball player and manager

Edric León Kellman was a Panamanian professional baseball player and manager. Listed at 5' 11", 160 lb., Kellman batted and threw right handed. He was born in Gatún, Panama Canal Zone.

The following are the baseball events of the year 2016 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Three (Atlanta Braves)</span>

The Big Three was a trio of Major League Baseball starting pitchers for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2002 which consisted of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. The Big Three combined to win seven National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and helped lead the Atlanta Braves to a 1995 World Series win. Each member of the Big Three has had their jersey retired by the Atlanta Braves and were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

The 1947 New York Cubans were a baseball team that competed in Negro league baseball during the 1947 baseball season. The team compiled a 46–23–1 record and won the 1947 Negro World Series, defeating the Cleveland Buckeyes four games to one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 American League Wild Card Series</span> Professional baseball postseason series

The 2020 American League Wild Card Series were four best-of-three series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine participating teams in the 2020 American League Division Series. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLB expanded the postseason instead of holding the regular Wild Card Game for each league. All games for each series were played at the higher seeded team's home ballpark.

References

  1. Holway, John B. (2001), The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History, Fern Park, FL: Hastings House Publishers, pp. 449–450, ISBN   0803820070
  2. "1947 Negro American League Season Summary".
  3. "1947 Negro National League II Season Summary".
  4. "1947 Negro League World Series". Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  5. "September 26, 1947: Few notice as Negro League World Series visits Chicago – Society for American Baseball Research".
  6. "On this day in Latinx history: The New York Cubans celebrate their 1947 Negro World Series title". 4 October 2017.