1920 Atlanta Black Crackers

A Calendar, Including Newspaper Clippings, of the 1920 Atlanta Black Crackers

1920 Atlanta Black Crackers

Stories are placed in order of the date they appeared.

January 17,1920

Pensacola, FL
"Would Like to Hear From All Managers. - Pensacola, Florida, December 29. - Mr. Sporting Editor of The Freeman: We would like to hear from all Southern baseball managers, we are trying to form a colored circuit. The 1920 baseball season is approaching, so let us get together at once and push the Southern baseball cities over the top. All baseball managers answer this letter at once. Don't be a slacker. Give us assistance, and we will go over the top. Hoping to get a bunch of replies at once, I remain, Dan Brown, Manager of the Pensacola Baseball Association. Address, 427 West Belmont Street, Pensacola, Florida.

January 31, 1920

Indianapolis, IN
"After A.B.C. Players Now - Big Demand for Taylor's Star Pitcher and Catcher. - The sporting editor of The Freeman is in receipt of a letter from Mr. John Chandler, 818 Old Wheat Street, Atlanta, Georgia, who accounts anxious to purchase some of the A.B.C. baseball club. Mr. Chandler has been informed that this club busted for good and so he wants the star players of the club especially the pitcher and catcher that was the battery in the thirteen-inning game played against Rube Foster's club in which the A.B.C.'s won out last season. Will anyone tell him how near to the equator he must go to find these two great men of last season. Mr. Chandler informs us that his association is going to have two teams in Atlanta next season, one to play independent and the other league ball. He says both clubs will have strong financial backing and that the best players are desired."

April 12, 1920

Montgomery, AL
"Southern League Formed - Montgomery, Alabama, April 12. - Final plans for the completion of the proposed Negro Southern Baseball League resulted in the formation of an eight club circuit, with a bright prospect of 10 cities composing the final arrangement of the organization. A bird's eye view of the league reveals excellent grounds for the success of the venture; the cities selected appeal to be about evenly balanced in population, have good transportation facilities and are not too long a distance removed from each other for a heavy mileage to cut serious inroads and thus weigh heavily against the proper financial progress of the promoters. C.I. Taylor who was cited for Conspicuous service through putting into being a like organization in the northwest, was a deeply interested participant in the final arrangements, and his words of wisdom went a long ways towards encouraging options on franchises. The following cities qualified for franchises in the new league: Birmingham, Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta, Pensacola, Montgomery, New Orleans, Jacksonville. A committee on the arrangement of a schedule hopes by the end of the week to have their dates alloted, as the opening day is set for April 29."

May 15, 1920

Atlanta, GA
"Caulfields Win Two Games at Atlanta - Atlanta, Georgia, May 15. - The Caulfield Ads, New Orleans Negro Team, put it on the Atlanta Black Crackers in both games of a double-header here Saturday, winning the first game 9 to 0 and the second 2 to 0. Owens pitched the first for the Caulfields and Johnson the second. The visitors outplayed the local team throughout."

June 24, 1920

New Orleans, LA
"Caulfields Meet Black Crackers - After winning nine out of 14 games on the road the Caulfield Ads have returned to open another series at Heinemann Park. Beginning today at 3:30 they will play the Atlanta All Stars four games. On the road the Caulfields won the large end of every series played excepte that the Knoxville, the team that is leading the league. New Orleans has won more games than any other team in the last three weeks and is now in third place."

New Orleans, LA
"Thursday's game was called off on account of wet grounds."

June 25, 1920

New Orleans, LA
"Black Crackers Here for Series with Ads - The Caulfields and Atlanta Black Crackers begin their series at Heinemann Park Friday at 3:30. Thursday's game was called off on account of wet grounds, and a double header will be played Sunday. Moffett, the Gulfport negro, or Seguki will pitch the first game for the local negroes."

"Errors of Vet Catcher Loses Game - Had 'Chief' Lewis, the 45-year-old catcher of the Caulfields, been able to untrack himself and play his usual steady game in the first inning of Friday's game with the Atlanta Black Crackers, the New Orleans negroes would have won. Lewis's errors decided the game in the Atlantans' favor. The Caulfields drove Cummings out of the box but could do little with Hampton until the ninth inning. Atlanta's team is not quite as strong as that which played here last year, but it is noted for its freaks. If the place of 'One Wing' Maddox in center field is 'Cutie' Cunningham, a monkey-shiner, and on first base is Gillan, who is a match for Percy Wilson in fancy fielding. Southpaw Robertson pitches against Atlanta Saturday, and in the double-header Sunday the New Orleans team will use Seguia and Graves. The latter is a new pitcher signed by the Caulfields. He formerly played with a Philadelphia team."

June 26, 1920

New Orleans, LA
"Caulfields Defeat Black Crackers, 7-4 - The Caulfield Ads evened up the series with the Atlanta Black Crackers Saturday when they defeated the Ethiopian visitors from the Georgia town by the score of 7 to 4. It was a well played game and only for the wildness of Pitcher Lockhart of the Atlanta Black Crackers in the second innning the Caulfields might have had a little more trouble chalking up the victory. Collins and Wilson featured for the local negroes while Wingfield's fielding for the Black Crackers stood out. They play a doubleheader Sunday."

June 27, 1920

New Orleans, LA
"Caulfields are Near Top After Defeating Atlanta's Team 3 - If the Caulfields are not on top in the Negro Southern League, they are very near it after winning Sunday's double-header from the Atlanta Black Crackers. This league is not so well organized that the standing is available from day to day. The last one issued showed Knoxville leading with New Orleans third. New Orleans has now won 23 games and lost 19, and is (illegible) a good second and close (illegible) for first place. The local negroes made it three out of four from Atlanta by taking both ends of a double-header before a crowd of about 3000 at Heinemann Park Sunday. Segula pitched shut-out ball the first game, and in the second the Caulfields bunched their hits and scored six runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The second was an exciting affair in which the Atlanta negroes twice tried to withdraw their team and then finally got into a fight among themselves. No game was scheduled at Heinemann Park for Monday, but Pensacola opens up here Tuesday for four games."

July 4, 1920

Montgomery, AL
"Montgomery Greys Home for a Series - Strong Colored Team Opens Here Today Against the Atlanta Black Crackers - The Montgomery Grey Sox of the Negro Southern League returned last night from Knoxville, where they won one game and first two out of the series of three games. The local aggregation will meet the Atlanta Black Crackers this afternoon at South Side Park at 4 o'clock. Tomorrow afternoon the two teams will play a double header, the first game to start at 2:45 o'clock. There will be a brass band on hand at the games Monday and they will furnish music for the entertainment of the spectators and it is expected that a large crowd will be on hand as this is the first appearance of the Black Crackers in this city. The manager of the Grey Sox has secured the services of two new outfielders and one new pitcher. The pitcher was secured from the Nashville team and has made good record all the season."

Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Win Opener From Atlanta Team - Mason Lets Visitors Down With Three Widely Scattered Hits Sunday - In a slow long drawn out game, the Montgomery Grey Sox yesterday captured the opening game of a series with the Atlanta Crackers, at Southette Park. Mason pitching for the Grey Sox was practically unhitable, holding the Atlanta team to three widely-scattered hits and shutting them out. The two teams play a double header today. Besides the pitching of Mason, the other features of the game were the timely hitting of Shortstop Cunningham and Catcher Williams of the Grey Sox and the fielding of the First Baseman Cunningham of the same team. The Grey Sox team is composed of the best negro base ball players in the South, and put up a splendid article of base ball. An overflowing crowd witnessed the game."

July 6, 1920

Montgomery, AL
"Montgomery Wins Fourth Straight - Atlanta Proves Easy for Local Colored Team; Birmingham Comes Next - The Montgomery Grey Sox of the Southern Colored League won their fourth straight victory over Atlanta yesterday, 6 to 5. The features of the game was the hitting and the pitching of Myles for the locals. The visitors scored on him in the second, but after this inning he held them in check until the ninth when the visitors staged a rally and scored three runs, but the locals scored in their half of the ninth and won the game. The Grey Sox are still tied with the Knoxville Giants for first place in the league standing and if Knoxville lost yesterday the locals will take first position. The Knoxville team is rated as the fastest team in the league but they are having a hard time in keeping the lead. The Giants went down to defeat before the Birmingham Black Barons Saturday, but won a double header from them yesterday. The Grey Sox will have two days off and then they will meet the Birmingham Black Barons for games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all of these games to start at 4 o'clock. The Birmingham aggregation is composed of Cubans, eleven of whom do not speak the English language, and the general report is that they are a fast, hard hitting bunch of players."

July 31, 1920

Montgomery, AL
"Montgomery's Grey Sox Leading League - Negro Ball Team Has Average of 746 Per Cent; Knoxville Giants Trailing With 694 Per Cent - The Montgomery Grey Sox are leading the Negro Southern League by a safe margin and with the considerable strengthening of the team in the past week they should have little or no trouble in holding the lead until the end of the season."

August 1, 1920

Montgomery, AL
"Montgomery Grey Sox -vs.- Atlanta Black Crackers - Game Called 3:30"

Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Walloped Atlanta's Crackers - Local Negro Team Wins Pretty Ball Game Sunday 2 to 1; Mason Hurls Good Ball - With the best balanced team that the Grey Sox have ever had on the local diamond, and playing a good jam up game behind Mason, the local aggregation won the game from Atlanta yesterday afternoon at South Side park by the small score of two to one. The pitchers engaged in a pretty battle and both teams played excellent ball. It was one of the best games that the fans have been treated to this season and quite a large number were present. The locals scored the first run in the third inning when Carpenter hit safe and was advanced to third on McGavock's single and scored on a balk by Hamilton. The second score came in the seventh frame, when McCormick stepped into one for three bases and scored on a wild throw to third by Hamilton. The Black Crackers threatened to score in the fourth but Mason buckled down to the task before him and with three men on bases and no outs he retired the side scoreless. Their only run came in the eighth and was made wholly on account of errors. Two of the Grey Sox players who have been absent from the line-up for some time were back in the game yesterday. Wesley, better known to the fans as "Two-Sides" was at his old position at second base and Bob McCormick was holding down third. Both played the game as though they had never been absent and it was McCormick's three bagger that gave his team the run that won the game. The two teams left early this morning for Atlanta, where they will play three games."

August 6, 1920

Montgomery, AL
"Atlanta Black Crackers vs Montgomery Grey Sox Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Game called at 4 p.m. Southside Park."

Montgomery, AL
"Errors Were Costly For the Grey Sox - Due to costly errors by the Grey Sox the Atlanta Black Crackers won the first game of the series yesterday afternoon at South Side park, 4 to 1. The Crackers had only one earned run, the other three being the result of errors. Hampton pitched a good game and was given jam-up support. The locals only score came in the third inning when Scales hit for three bases and was scored by Preston. They threatened to upset the dope in the ninth inning but were unable to ever get a run across. The honors of the game go to Scales, whose heavy hitting was a feature of the game, and to Red Cunningham, who made two sensational stops at first that held the score down. The teams will play a double-header this afternoon, the first game to begin at 3:30 o'clock."

August 7, 1920

Montgomery, AL
"Black Crackers of Atlanta Win Both - Montgomery Grey Sox Fall Before Hurling of Harris Who Pitched Doubleheader - The Atlanta Black Crackers won both games of a double header yesterday afternoon from the Grey Sox. The first game 4 to 2, and the second 2 to 1. Streeter started the first game for the locals and held the visitors scoreless until the seventh frame when the Crackers got on to his fast ones and scored four runs. Mason relieved Streeter in the eighth and held the Crackers scoreless for the rest of the game. The locals scored two runs in the first inning but were never able to cross the plate after this inning. Harris, who pitched both games for the Black Crackers, was in great form in the 18 innings he allowed only 3 runs. Mason pitched a good game for the locals in the second game and held the visitors scoreless up until the sixth inning. The locals scored one run in the seventh. These teams have played three games here this week. Atlanta winning all three of them by small scores. It will be remembered that the locals won five straight games from this team back in July and it seems that the Black Crackers are determined to even up with the Grey Sox. The last game of the series will be played at South Side Park this afternoon."

August 30, 1920

Macon, GA
"Black Crackers to Play Giants - Colored Team of Professionals From Atlanta to Play Games Here. - Visitors Have Strong Club - The Black Crackers, an Atlanta colored baseball team, will be in Macon tomorrow and Tuesday to play the Macon Giants, a local colored team. The Black Crackers are entered in a league composed of Montgomery, Knoxville and other cities and, according to the standings of teams in that organization published recently, are in second place, giving the leader a close race for the pennant. The local club, through Manager J.E. Denton, arranged with the president of the league to have the Atlanta team play the two games here. The contests were made possible by the absence of any scheduled games for the Atlanta outfit on these two days. The visitors have played in every part of this state, in Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and two or three other states. They have made a good record in all games played to date. They are said to have one of the greatest colored baseball nines ever gotten together in these parts. A portion of the grandstand at Central City has been reserved for the white fans who wish to attend and arrangements have been made for street cars to run to the park. The games will be called at 3:30 o'clock. Prior to the game tomorrow, a street parade will be given in which a brass band and the players of the rival teams will take part, the players wearing their uniforms for the sake of identification between Macon and Atlanta performers."

Macon, GA
"Macon Giants Play 2 to 2 Tie - Atlanta's Black Crackers and Locals Play Ten Inning Game. - The Atlanta Black Crackers, the only professional colored team to ever play in Macon, played a ten-inning, 3 to 2 tie game yesterday afternoon at Central City Park, with the Macon Giants. The contest was bitterly fought and well-played throughout, the opposing slabbers being in fine trim and holding the wielders of mighty bats at their mercy. Lefty, pitching for the Macon team was pitted against Gisentaner for the visitors, and both dealt out a bewitching brand of curves, hooks and fast ones, so much so, that only seven hits were recorded during the entire ten innings of play. Of these, the visitors secured three. The Macon team got away to a good start and appeared to be out to win in the first frame, two markers being chased across the platter before the visiting team could settle down. The first inning was the only time that the locals were able to locate the delivery of Gisentaner and their efforts for the day went no further than the registering of these two counters. The Black Crackers scored one counter in the fourth and dented the platter for the last time in the seventh. The second game of the series will be played today. Only one contest will be played. A large number of white fans as well as colored people witnessed yesterday's fray and an even larger number is expected to be on hand today."