1920 Knoxville Giants
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.
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."
April 26, 1920
Chattanooga, TN
"A.B.C.s Grab Twin Bill From Knoxville Giants. - Chattanooga, Tennessee, April 26. - The A.B.C.'s of Indianapolis took a double header from the Knoxville Giants here today, 7 to 0 and 2 to 0. In the first tilt the Hoosiers had everything their way as the Southern Leaguers were completely helpless before the blinding speed of Ed Rile, the big 200-pound recruit of the A's. Both clubs played snappy ball although a part of both games was played in drizzling rain. The second contest was called at the end of the sixth frame by previous agreement. The A.B.C.'s made two earned runs in the last session. The game was featured by fast fielding on both sides."
May 26, 1920
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Home as Second in League - Fast Negro Baseball Team Will Meet Knoxville Here for Three Game Series - The Montgomery Grey Sox are back at home after two weeks on the road and will play the Knoxville Giants today, Saturday and Sunday. The one armed pitcher Mattox will pitch the game Saturday and all who have seen him play say that he is a wonder and he is the only one armed twirler that has ever appeared in this city. On Sunday, Steel Arm Smith will pitch and will be opposed by Montgomery's south paw. Streeter Smith has not lost a game this year and Streeter is by far the strongest pitcher on the Grey Sox staff, so this game should prove very interesting to the fans."
August 1, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Saunders Tries to Pitch Two Games - Knoxville, Tennessee, Sunday - The cubans took one from the Knoxville Giants Sunday when Saunders tried to pitch the second game after winning the first."
August 2, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Hold Cubans to 1 Hit - Knoxville, Tennessee, Monday, August 2. - Steel Arm Dickey twirled a one-hit game against the Cubans this afternoon."
August 13, 1920
Winston-Salem, NC
"Knoxville Plays Here Friday and Saturday - The Knoxville team will play the Timlic Giants at Prince Albert Park Friday and Saturday. the game Friday will be called at 5:30 and the game Saturday at 3:30. The Giants have just returned from Knoxville where they took three straight games."
August 15, 1920
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Return to Play Knoxville - After a successful road trip, in which they won three straight games from the Birmingham All-Stars, the Grey Sox returned home yesterday for the hardest battle of the season when they will meet the fast Knoxville Giants in a series of games to determine the pennant winners of the Southern League for negroes. The Grey Sox are still leading the lead by a safe margin and the only obstacle in their path to the pennant is the strong Knoxville team who have played such sensational ball all of the season."
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Defeated Knoxville Sunday - Local Negro Team Wins First Game of Big Series From Near-Champs, 2 to 1 - In a game that was featured by sensational plays and jam up pitching, the Grey Sox won the first game of the series from Knoxville, 2 to 1 at South Side Park, yesterday. Despite the cloudy weather before the game there were approximately fifteen hundred fans present and it was acclaimed by all present to be the best game that has been seen on the local diamond this season. Things looked pretty bad for the locals in the first inning when the visitors had two men on bases and one out and the batter hit a long fly to left field scoring the man on third, but McGavock made a perfect peg, to the plate, from deep left and cut the second runner out at home. The pitchers then settled down to a grueling duel, and both pitched jam up ball until the eighth inning but in this inning, Williams connected with one of Posts's fast curves for a single, McGavock stepped in to one for a double and Meyers hit for a single, scoring Williams, McCavock scored on a wild throw to the plate by Post and the locals took the lead, which the visitors were unable to overcome. The honors of the day go to McGavock, the local left fielder. It was his perfect peg to the plate in the first that held the visitors down and then in the ninth inning he pegged in a long fly from deep center that cut the runner off at the plate and saved the game for the locals. In the eighth his two bagger was largely responsible for the locals first score and later he scored the run that gave his team the lead. Both teams played good errorless ball and had it not been for one bad inning, the first, the locals would have made a better showing. The teams will play again this afternoon at South Side Park at 4 o'clock."
August 16, 1920
Montgomery, AL
"Grey Sox Win Second From Knoxville Team - Locals Take Advantage of Visitors' Errors and Win Monday's Game - Taking advantage of errors made by their opponents, the Montgomery Grey Sox team defeated the Knoxville Giants Monday afternoon by the score of 5 to 1. Dickey and Mason pitched good ball, but the former received poor support at critical stages of the game, while the local twirler was given jam up support whenever the visiting team threatened to score."
August 20, 1920
Norfolk, VA?
"The Norfolk All Stars defeated the Knoxville Giants, the only team to gain a series decision over the Knoxville aggregation. It is said that the Norfolk bunch has the greatest array of pitching talent of any team in existence outside the National or American League."
August 30, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Knoxville, Tennessee, September 10. - Knoxville has such a lead on all the clubs there is no possible chance for her to be overtaken when she is playing air-tight ball all the time. Monday, August 30, Knoxville Giants crossed bats with Montgomery Gray Sox. It was one of those games that makes you forget your troubles. Safe hitting of the Giants took the game from Montgomery."
August 31, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Tuesday, August 31. - Montgomery tried to overcome her bad luck on Monday. They got Steel-Arm for four clean hits, which only merited them two runs."
September 1, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"'Steel Arm' Dickey Wins Another Game - Knoxville, Tennessee, September 1 - "Steel Arm" Dickey, the phenominal pitcher of the Knoxville Giants of the Negro Southern League, added another shut out vicotry to his long string of victories here this afternoon when the Giants won from the Montgomery Grey Sox 3 to 0. Mason, who opposed Dickey this afternoon pitched a steady game for the Grey Sox but his team mates were never able to connect with the dazzling offerings of Dickey. Preston did the receiving for the Grey Sox and Smith for the Giants."
Knoxville, TN
"Wednesday, September 1. - The feature of this game was the heavy slugging of Smith with four two-baggers and one home run. Hair throwing of PeeWee Hamilton, the little shortstop, saved the day several times."
September 2, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Thursday - Force begged to come back because Dickey got two."
September 6, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Labor Day the game was witnessed by a crowded park. Asheville Royal Giants were the guests for both morning and afternoon games. - Afternoon game they couldn't see Sting Bean Moore, who has been on the sick list."
September 11, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Manager Brooks or his partner, Young, will wait on Mr. Foster at his office in Chicago this week to talk over plans for a world's championship game between the fastest teams in Dixie and the American Giants of the Western, as both have the pennant of the two leagues, Knoxville has played in all 109 games, only losing 21. She will next be heard from in Winston Salem, North Carolina, Norfolk, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland."
October 2, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"American Giants 2, Knoxville 1 - Knoxville, Tennessee, October 2. - The American Giants won their fourteenth straight today."
Knoxville, TN
* Same article, from the Chicago Daily Tribune
November 13, 1920
New York, NY
"New York. - Archie Thomas, representing the Knoxville Giants baseball club, champions of the Negro Southern Leagu, and who is endeavoring to obtain a franchise for the Giants in the Eastern Negro League, has been a member of the Alpha P. C. C. over 15 years and served in all the important offices of that organization. John Connors told the sporting editor Saturday that he would start activities immediately to perfect a baseball league for the East next season."
June 17, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"In yesterday's game the Knoxville team defeated Montgomery 5 to 3, Dickey working for the visitors, while Moss hurled for the local club."
June 18, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Grey Sox Win and Lose to Knoxville - Knoxville, Tennessee, June 18. - In two games thus far played between the Montgomery Grey Sox and the Knoxville team of the Negro Southern League of baseball clubs, each has one game to its credit. Today's game was won by the visitors, 5 to 2, with Maddox in the box. Streeter hurled for the locals and was hit at opportune times by the Alabamians. In yesterday's game the Knoxville team defeated Montgomery 5 to 3, Dickey working for the visitors, while Moss hurled for the local club."
June 26, 1920
Montgomery, AL
"Knoxville Giants Forfeit Contest - After playing ten innings of the fastest baseball that has ever been played at South Side Park, the Knoxville Giants withdrew their team from the field and forfeited the game to the Grey Sox, 9 to 0. The game, as far as it was played was very exciting and the work of Young for the locals was the feature of the game, especially in the tenth inning, when he let the bases fill with no men out and then retired the side without a score. The locals staged a rally in the seventh and scored two runs and in the eighth they scored three and tied the score. In the last half of the tenth with two men on bases and a close decision by the umpire at first the Giants left the field and forfeited the game. The work of Mattox, the one armed wonder, who played center field, with the bat was amazing and he received much applause from the bleachers every time that he came to the bat. Jones started the game off fine for the visitors and up until the eighth inning he pitched air tight ball but in the first of the eighth he was relieved by Moore, a south paw and the locals then made the runs that tied the score. The winning of Saturday's game only leaves one game between the Grey Sox and the Giants who are leading the league. Today's game will be pitched by Steel Arm Smith of Knoxville, and Streeter for the locals. Both are southpaws. The game will start promptly at 4 o'clock."
July 8, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Steel Arm Dickey Puts Over 20th Winning Game - (By the Associated Press.) - Knoxville, Tennessee, July 8. - In a recent series here between the Knoxville and Birmingham teams of the Negro Southern League, "Steel Arm" Dickey, of the Knoxville team, pitched his twentieth consecutive winning game. The huge "Cicotte," as he is known, has not lost a league game this season."
July 9, 1920
Columbus, OH
"Columbus, Ohio, July 9. - The Knoxville Giants of the Southern League of Colored Clubs have been engaged to cross bats with a strong white semi-pro team, and the contest will take place at American Association Park: first game July 9 and a series for July 10-11."
Columbus, OH
"The day before (Thursday) the Knoxville team beat Columbus 5 to 0."
July 10, 1920
Columbus, OH
"Knoxville Giants vs. a 'strong white semi-pro team.'"
Columbus, OH
"The visitor's first string pitcher is a one-armed man! And this same single-finned flinger flung the Columbus colored team to a 3 to 0 defeat Friday."
July 11, 1920
Columbus, OH
"Knoxville Giants vs. a 'strong white semi-pro team.'"
July 12, 1920
Winston-Salem, NC
"Today Manager George Timlic will start a four game series with the crack aggregation, the first game this afternoon at 4:30 at Prince Albert Park. Another game will be played tomorrow and the last two Friday and Saturday. A section has been reserved for white patrons."
July 13, 1920
Winston-Salem, NC
"Another game will be played tomorrow (Tuesday)."
July 16, 1920
Winston-Salem, NC
"... and the last two Friday and Saturday."
July 17, 1920
Columbus, OH
"Columbus, Ohio. - The Knoxville Giants are proving pretty tough customers for the teams hereabouts, having a stiff pitching staff and hitting in a manner that is bringing many games to their already long list of conquests."
Winston-Salem, NC
"... and Saturday."
July 23, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Knoxville Giants, 15; Dry Cleaners, 0 - Knoxville, Tennessee, July 30. - The Knoxville Giants defeated the Dry Cleaners Friday, handing the white boys a terrible beating, 15 to 0. They have won 74 games this season, losing 9. Friday's victory made 25 straight wins for Pitcher 'Steel Arm' Dickey."
July 26, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Make it Three Straight - Knoxville, Tennessee, August 6. - The Knoxville giants of the Southern League made it three straight on July 28 from the hard hitting Royal Giants of Asheville, North Carolina, by the following scores on the home team's grounds, Booker Washington Park."
July 27, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Asheville 2, Knoxville 2."
July 28, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Asheville 2, Knoxville 5."
July 29, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Gray Sox Win One, Lose Two - Knoxville, Tennessee, August 6. - The Knoxville Giants lost their first game in a three game series, but managed to annex the following two from the Montgomery Grey Sox. There was plenty of pep in all three games. The Dixie Jazz Band furnished the busic. These victories placed Knoxville in first place and Montgomery in second. Steel Arm Dickey, with 25 straight victories to his credit, suffered his first defeat of the season. His failure to field a bunt, his wild throw to first and a dropped fly ball by Fielder Bosby, all in the first game, gave the Sox a 3-run lead. It looked as though the giants might win with the bases full, but Mason tightened. That was in the first game. July 31 Dickey came back and made good defeating the visitors."
July 30, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Montgomery Grey Sox 1, Knoxville Giants 3."
July 31, 1920
Knoxville, TN
"Montgomery Grey Sox 1, Knoxville Giants 3."