June 1, 1920
Valley City, ND
"Valley City Fans See Real Base Ball - The ball game Tuesday afternoon between the Valley City team and the Winnipeg Colored Giants, gave the local fans one of the finest exhibitions of real base ball seen on the local diamond in some years. During the past week Valley City has been strengthening its team until they have gathered together nine men that will make a real ball team. This was the first game with the new lineup and the first showing was most satisfactory to about a thousand fans. The Giants are composed of colored ball players, consisting of some of the overflow from the new colored league now in operation in the east. The eastern coclored league is composed of two teams in Chicago, one in Detroit, one in Kansas City, one in St. Louis, one in Dayton, one in Cleveland and the Cuban Stars a traveling organization. The Colored Giants are made up of young players that are not quite old enough and well enough seasoned to make these teams so are farmed out to this traveling organization where they will finish their base ball education. They are taught base ball every day and what they learn was thoroughly demonstrated in the last half of the ninth inning in Tuesday's game when with three on and none out Valley City was not allowed to score - two men being caught at the plate in two hair raising plays. Valley City now has a team that with a little working together and getting together on their inside work, will develop into all that the local fans can ask for. Adams, the new pitcher for the locals, made his first start, and pitched one of the finest games witnessed this season. In short, Adams knows how to pitch base ball and the management is to be congratulated on securing a man of his calibre to head the pitching staff. Among the others local players who have strengthened the local team are Gessner at short, Goheen behind the bat, and Mc Govern in the center garden. They work Wingfield at first, Becker at third, Thurston at second and O'Hare and Johnson filling the other out gardens, and a very pleasing lineup for the local fans. The summary and box score of the game follows: First Inning - Giants - Boyd to Adams to Wingfield; King fanned; Reed out Gessner to Wing. Valley City - Gassner fanned; Becker out short to first; Goheen got a pass; Wingfield hit for two, but Goheen was caught at the plate trying to score from first. One hit, no runs. - Second Inning - Giants - Singer singled; Pate doubled scoring Singer; Scottie tripled scoring Pate, Gordon singled scoring Scottie; Ewing forded Gordon at second on a fielders choice; Knight got a pass; Boyd fanned; King out short to first - three runs; four hits. Valley City - McGovern was safe on error at third; O'Hare struck out; Thurston out at first unassisted; Johnson singled scoring McGovern; Adams fanned. One hit; one run. - Third Inning - Giants - Reed flied to pitcher; Singer out Adams to Wingfield; Pate singled and stole second; Scottie out Adams to Wingfield. One hit, no runs. Valley City - Gessner singled; Becker hit for three scoring Gessner; Goheen was safe on King's error, Becker scoring on the hobble; Wingfield sacrificed Goheen to second; McGovern hit a sacrifice fly putting Goheen on third; O'Hare out third to first. Two hits, two runs. - Fourth Inning - Giants - Gordan out Thurston to Wingfield; Ewing got a pass; King fanned; Boyd flied to Becker: No hits, no runs. Valley City - Thurston out second to first; Johnson was an easy out Knight to Gordon; Adams fanned. No hits, no runs. - Fifth inning - King singled and stole second; Reed was out at first unassisted; Singer was thrown out at first by Adams; Pate made his third hit scoring King; Scottie singled; Gordon singled scoring Pate; Gordon singled scoring Scottie; Ewing singled and stole second, but was the third out when Adams caught him off the bag by a close margin. Five hits, three runs. Valley City - Gessner flied out to third; Becker hit to the pitcher and was an easy out at first; Goheen hit a line drive to Knight who froze onto it. No hits, no runs. - Sixth Inning - Giants - Knight fled to Thurston; Boyd safe on Goheen's erro; but was caught at second; King was safe at first, stole second and went to third on a passed ball by Goheen; Reed got a life on four wide ones; Singer out second to first. No hits, no runs. Valley city - Wingfield singled; McGovern got a pass; O'Hare sacrificed; Thurston hit for an extra base scoring Wingfield and McGovern; Johnson flied to center; Adams out second to first. Two hits, two runs. - Seventh Inning - Giants - Pate and Scottie were both out Thuston to Wingfield and Gordon flied to short. No hits, no runs. Valley City - Gessner flied to short; Becker flied to center; Goheen singled; Wingfield flied to third. One hit, no runs. - Eighth Inning - Giants - Ewing out short to first; Knight fanned; Boyd popped out to catcher. No hits, no runs. - Valley City - McGovern fanned; O'Hare out short to first; Thurston got a gift; Johnson safe on Reed's error; Adams fanned. No hits; no runs. - Ninth Inning - Giants - King out third to first; Reed out pitcher to first; Singer hit one to Adams that was too hot to handle and gave him a life on first, he stole second and was caught off the bag a second later, making the third out. No hits, no runs. Valley City - Gessner safe on Boyd's fumble; Becker hit a crooked one to third but was given a life on a fielder's choice; Gessner stole third on the first ball pitched, Becker taking second on the next one; Gessner was caught at the plate attempting to come home on the play. Wingfield was safe on a fielders choice, Becker taking third on the play. Goheen laid down a swell bunt, making first but Becker was caught at the plate. Wingfield beat out a bunt, but McGovern fanned. No hits, no runs."
June 4, 1920
Valley City, ND
"Valley City Wins Game From Giants - What promised to be one of the finest exhibitions of base ball seen on the local diamond this season ended in a farce last Friday afternoon, when the Winnipeg Giants went down to defeat before the local team. Things looked rosy for some real sport in the first two innings, when Umpire Thayer pulled a questionable decision at second that started a protest from Captain Bogel, of the Giants. After this was finally settled without bloodshed, the game progressed nicely until the third inning when Becker stole second and the umps decision declared him safe on what appeared to be an out by a wide margin. Here the balloon went up and stayed up the rest of the game, the Giants losing all their pep and the crowd their interest, and all seemed well pleased when the game was over. The fans seem about equally divided as to who got the worst of it, so it may be just as well to let it go at that. But speaking of base ball it can be truthfully said that Valley City now has a real ball team. It is our opinion that they could have beaten the Giants very handily without any assistance from the ump. With the lineup uncorked in Friday's game, there are few teams in the state that have anything on Valley City. Shirley who did the pitching for the locals has got everything on the ball that any pitcher needs, besides a good head. He fields his position well and gave the fans a fine sample of what makes it hard to win ball games with a real pitcher. There was a slight shift in positions in Friday's game. Old Man Grangaard doing the receiving and Goheen going to second and Thurston to right field. The shift proved to be an excellent combination which resulted in air-tight ball in all corner. One of the happy surprises was the way O'Hare took to the offerings of Deacon Owens, and he hit him all over the lot. The game in detail was something like this: - First Inning - Giants - Reed bunted and was safe on a bobble by Gessner; Boyd laid down a perfect bunt and was safe at first when the play to second to catch Reed, who was also safe; Singer bunted down the first base line but Grangaard speared the ball in time to get him at first, but it was a pretty sacrifice; Pate singled, scoring Reed and Boyd, but was caught at second trying to stretch it into a double; Scottie was safe on Shirley's error; Gordon out at first unassisted. One hit, two runs. Valley City - Grangaard hit to pitcher and was an easy out at first, Gessner fanned; Goheen safe on Reed's error and stole second on the first ball; Winfield fanned. No hits, no runs. - Second Inning - Giants - Ewing out Shirley to Wingfield; King out Becker to Wingfield; Ourns fanned. No hits, no runs. Valley City - Becker fanned; McGovern hit safe, but was forced at second by Shirley; O'Hare singled; Thurston out short to first. Two hits, no runs. - Third Inning - Reed flied out to short; Boyd whiffed; Singer hit for two; Pate fanned. One hit, no runs. Grangaard hit for an extra base and went to third on a passed ball; Gessner out short to first; Goheen got a pass; and stole second; Wingfield hit safely scoring Granny and Goheen; Becker hit safe, Wing going to third; Becker helped himself to second; McGovern fanned; Shirley passed; O'Hare took his second wallop at the ball scoring Wingfield and Becker, Thurston hit to pitcher and was an easy out at first. Four hits, four runs. - Fourth Inning - Scottie hit for two; Gordon out Shirley to Wingfield; Scottie went to third on a passed ball by Granny; Ewing went the same was as Gordon; King took his third strike at a low ball which Granny failed to hold and Scottie scored; Owens fanned. One hit; one run. Grangaard hit safe and went to second when King fumbled Gessner's easy grounder; Goheen was safe on Owen's error, Granny taking third and Bessner second on the bobble; Wingfield hit to right scoring Grangaard and Gessner, Becker was out at first; McGovern hit to center scoring Goheen and Wingfield; Shirley hit into a double play which retired the side. Three hits four runs. It was here that the balloon went up and interest in the game ceased so let it suffice to say that by adding one run in the sixth and one in the eighth Valley City won, 10 to 3."
June 5, 1920
Grand Forks, ND
"Colored Giants Here June 5-7 - Fadden Secures Famous Colored Professionals to Play Here. - John Fadden, general manager of the Grand Forks City Baseball Club, has arranged with the National Association of the Colored Professionals to have the American Giants, formerly announced as the Winnipeg Giants, to play here on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, June 5, 6 and 7. - This club is better known as Rube Foster's Colored Giants and has played with big league teams such as Kansas City, St. Louis, etc. They remain undefeated so far this season. The only reason these players are not used in big league teams is because of their color. Much credit is due to Mr. Fadden for his work in securing the American Giants to play here. The game on Saturday will be played at 6:30 o'clock in the evening and the Sunday game is set for 3 o'clock in the afternoon."
Grand Forks, ND
"Feature Games of the Season Here June 5-6 - Winnipeg Giants Booked to Play Here Saturday and Sunday. - One of the most high-powered ball teams in the northwest, the Winnipeg giants, has been booked to play here against the local team Saturday and Sunday. This team has been secured through the National Association of the Colored Professional Baseball Clubs by John Fadden, manager of the Grand Forks Club, and is composed entiresly of black men whose color prohibits them from playing in the big league clubs. The Winnipeg Giants are under the direction of Rube Foster of Chicago and know baseball from A to Z. The Grand Forks club is planning on showing them the best game they will play in their tour through the northwest. Saturday's game is set for 6:30 p.m. and Sunday's game will be played at 3:00 in the afternoon. These are to be the feature games of the month and there is some doubt as to whether or not the grounds will accommodate the crowds that are expected to attend. Fairchil will start the game for the locals Saturday evening."
Grand Forks, ND
"Opening Game With Colored Giants Won by Grand Forks Men - Grand Forks won the first game with the Winnipeg Colored Giants Saturday night at the Dacotah Park by a score of 9 to 6. The game was a slugfest from beginning to end, both teams hitting the ball to all parts of the field."
June 6, 1920
Grand Forks, ND
"Grand Forks Defeated the Winnipeg Colored Giants in the Second Game of Series - Locals Win Fast Game By Score of 6 to 1; Bird Pitched Great Game for Fadden's Gang; Last Game With Giants Tonight at 6:30 at Dacotah Park. - Grand Forks won the second game of the series from the Winnipeg Colored Giants Sunday afternoon by a score of 6 to 1. The playing field was too heavy to allow any sensational plays because of the heavy rains early Sunday morning. The local ball tossers played error-less ball throughout the game, each man covering his territory in big league style. The work of Willis Pierce, who was behind the bat for Grand Forks, was exceptionally good and is worthy of honorable mention. Bird did the heaving for Fadden's gang and had the colored boys at his mercy throughout the entire game. He was particularly good in pinches, striking out the opposing batsmen whenever in danger. Bird struck out eleven men, allowed six scattered hits and no bases on balls. Knight, the dusky heaver, was hit hard, ten hits being gathered off him in the eight frames the locals were at bat. He struck out two men and allowed one base on balls. The visitors' lone run came in the first frame when Boyd, the lead-off man, singled and stole second. Sacrifice hits by Reed and Singer scored him. The clouds nearly scored again in the third when Boyd was up again with two men out. He singled and stole second and third. Two strikes were called on the batter and when Bird started to deliver the ball again Boyd made a pretty steal to home but the umpire called the pitched ball a strike, retiring the side and the run did not count. The home club was held scoreless until the fifth inning. Fulton was the first man up and was hit by a pitched ball. Bach laid down a bunt and was safe on a wild throw to first by Ewing, Fulton taking second. The visitors then went to pieces and the dusky shortstop, booted Bird's grounder, allowing him to make first and advancing Fulton and Bach. Knight then hit Doyle by the first pitched ball, forcing in a run. Reed then smashed out a two base hit that scored Bach and Bird. Doyle scored on Sublosky's single, Reed taking third. Reed was thrown out on an attempt to steal home. Flemming flew out to left field and Pierce was thrown out at first, retiring the side. In the sixth the Grand Forks outfit annexed two more runs when two singles, a double and a sacrifice did the dirty work, giving them their only earned runs of the game. With the exception of the fifth inning when the visitors blew up both teams played airtight ball. Game Tonight. - The last game of the series with the Giants will be played tonight at 6:30 on the Dacotah field. The colored warriors are peeved about having their perfect record broken and have been saying terrible things during the day about what they are going to do to the locals tonight. When Fadden was asked if his team could come through the rye tonight he said there was no doubt about it and added that there would be dead chocolate drops lying around the field tonight after the game."
June 7, 1920
Valley City, ND
"The Winnipeg Giants, a colored team, will cross bats with the local team Monday afternoon. The game will be called at five o'clock, in order not to conflict with the excercises to be held that afternoon. The local team has several new players coming, and a fast game is expected. Several of the Giants are fast enough for league teams, but are kept out on account of their color.
"We have heard big fish and baseball stories but this one outshines them all. One of the dusky sons of Africa, who plays with the Winnipeg giants, was bragging about their pitcher and said that he killed one man last year and seriously injured another. 'That's nothing,' replied one of the local fans. 'We had a man get up to bat in one of the games recently and he knocked the ball two feet into the ground.' Exit, Rastus."
Grand Forks, ND
"Today 6:30 p.m. Grand Forks vs Winnipeg Giants - You'll get action every minute when the Winnipeg Giants cross bats with the local team - Today at 6:30 - Dacotah Park - Grand Forks"
Grand Forks, ND
"Locals Win Final Game of Series with Colored Men - The Winnipeg giants were badly defeated by the local team Monday evening at Dacotah park by a score of 11 to 1. O'Riley pitched for Grand Forks and Owens for the visitors. In the seventh inning, Fadden's boys scored five runs as a result of six clean hits and one error."
June 9, 1920
Cooperstown, ND
"The Winnipeg Giants trimmed up the fast Cooperstown bunch yesterday in an interesting game. The score was 5 to 3. These same swatters of the festive base ball will appear here again tomorrow afternoon at 5:30. Valley City expects to have another new pitcher for this game so there will be oodles of sport to the fans."
June 10, 1920
Valley City, ND
"The game between the Winnipeg Giants and the Valley City base ball teams will be played as scheduled at 5:30 this afternoon, the management of the association announced this morning. A good game is assured as both sides have got a strong array of swatters. If we would have had Babe Ruth for a pinch hitter last Tuesday the final score would have probably shown up about three or four points bigger for Valley. Ruth plays with the New York team and has a total of fifteen home runs to his credit so far this year."
June 11, 1920
Valley City, ND
"The Winnipeg Giants play a return game at Valley City next Friday at 5:30 in the afternoon. This club furnished a real game yesterday and will give us another thriller Friday. On Sunday the locals will play the Moorhead team on the local grounds at 3:30 and on Tuesday next Page will come over here and try conclusions with the local team."
Valley City, ND
"If you want to see a real ball game - one worth while - come in tomorrow afternoon and see the Winnipeg Giants get trimmed by the Valley City bunch. It is our time to make a killing and Manager Sampson is now in communication with one of the fastest pitchers in the national league. He says to sustain his reputation as to veracity wherein he says we have a real ball team he must get this pitcher. Rogers will send a big bunch of rooters to the game tomorrow."
June 12, 1920
Minot, ND
"Manager Twiford has booked the Winnipeg Colored Giants for three games, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. The Giants are considered one of the fastest teams on the road. Minot will have several new men in their lineup and the games no doubt will be very close. Shirley will likely pitch the opening game."
June 13, 1920
Minot, ND
"Manager Twiford has booked the Winnipeg Colored Giants for three games, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. The Giants are considered one of the fastest teams on the road. Minot will have several new men in their lineup and the games no doubt will be very close. Shirley will likely pitch the opening game."
June 14, 1920
Minot, ND
"Manager Twiford has booked the Winnipeg Colored Giants for three games, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. The Giants are considered one of the fastest teams on the road. Minot will have several new men in their lineup and the games no doubt will be very close. Shirley will likely pitch the opening game."
June 22, 1920
Finley, ND
"Several local base ball fans autoed to Finley to attend the game between Finley and the Winnipeg Colored Giants, played there Tuesday evening. The score was five to three in favor of the colored team."
June 23, 1920
Valley City, ND
"That game of ball last night - the best we have had on the local diamond - has only whetted the appetite of the local fans for the game tonight, which will be called at 6:15 sharp."
Hope, ND
"Hope Wins Two and Loses One - Tower City and Winnipeg Giants Conquered by Locals - Arthur Wins Again - Yesterday afternoon on the local diamond, Hope defeated the Winnipeg Colored Giants 11 to 7 in a game featured by the pitching of the Hope pitcher, Thomas, who after getting a bad start, settled down and pitched air-tight ball, striking out ten of the colored boys. Lee at short also got a bad start, but redeemed himself later on by stopping several hot ones. Getting off with a poor start in the first half of the first inning in which the visiting team scored five runs and gathered four hits, Hope came back strong and took the lead in the last half of the fourth. From then on, the game was Hope's. Thomas pitched air-tight ball after his bad start in the first inning, allowing the colored men but four scattered hits. The visitors went up in the air after Hope took the lead and booted the ball badly. The first colored man slammed out a three-base hit. The next man fanned. Singer got a double scoring Reed then scored on an error. Pate and King both got through Lee's Error. Dameron scored King on a single and then Karis slammed out circuit clout scoring King. Knoblauch got to first on the shortstop's bad throw to first. Milligan flied out and Miller reached first on an error. Moores scored Knoblauch and Miller but was caught trying to score at home. Durland fanned. In the next inning Lee singled, Brewster got a three-base hit and Thomas scored him with a single. Knoblauch fanned. Milligan singled but died at first when Miller fanned. Four hits, two runs. Lee started the fireworks in the fourth with a single. Brewster fanned. Thomas singled and Knoblauch followed suit. Milligan whalloped the bat to deep center for three bases scoring Thomas and Knoblauch. Miller flied out. Moores scored Milligan with a double. Furland fanned. Four runs, five hits, putting Hope in the lead. In the fifth Reed, for the Giants, secured a single, stole second, and scored by two fielders choices. One hit, one run. In the last of the fifth for Hope, Thomas walked, was sacrificed to second by Knoblauch, and scored on two errors. No hits, one run. In the eighth, Thomas was hit by pitcher, and advanced to second when Knoblauch walked. Knoblauch forced at second and Milligan safe at first, Thomas taking third. L. Miller out at first. Moores scored Milligan and Thomas with a single. Durland out, pitcher at first. Two hits, two runs."
Hope, ND
"Giving the Once Over to the 1920 Score Book - Hope Won Seven Games, Tied One, and Lost Eight During Year. - One of the outstanding wins for Hope was the game played with the Winnipeg Giants, when the colored boys were defeated 11 to 7. Thomas struck out ten men in this game."
June 24, 1920
Valley City, ND
"The Valley City ball team will have a busy week this week if the weather man does not interfere. Today they are playing at Page, Wednesday they meet the fast team from Oakes on the home grounds, Thursday and Friday they will meet the Winnipeg giants on the local grounds and Saturday and Sunday the local fans will have a real treat by seeing Jamestown get the trimming of their young lives. Reports have reached us from Jamestown way that they are coming down to win those two games and there will be no good base ball talent left between Chicago and the Pacific coast as Jamestown will have it all. So much the better - the bigger they are the harder they fall."
Valley City, ND
"That game of ball last night - the best we have had on the local diamond - has only whetted the appetite of the local fans for the game tonight, which will be called at 6:15 sharp. Manager Sampson tells us that he has secured for pitcher for this game Pitcher LaBoisneier, recently released by the Boston club. The Winnipeg giants also have a new pitcher that has some juice connected with his delivery and the game tonight promises to be a thriller. The local team is a crackerjack and we have a real team now, one that any town can get behind enthusiastically. Our fans appreciate good baseball and they are getting it right along."
June 25, 1920
Valley City, ND
"The Winnipeg Giants will meet the local boys again this evening at 6:30 o'clock. Get out and help the boys win this game too. Today's game promises to be as good as one as yesterday's."
July 3, 1920
Milbank, SD
"The local ball team in a game at Watertown against the Winnipeg Giants, a colored team, won out last Saturday in a 5 to 1 score."
July 11, 1920
Mahnomen, MN
"Mr. And Mrs. Erwin Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. Charles McDonald and Chester Burfield motored to Mahnomen on Sunday where they saw the Mahnomen ball team play against the Winnipeg Giants."
Mahnomen, MN
"The Mahnomen ball team defeated the Winnipeg Giants in the third game of a series at Mahnomen last Sunday. This game was the rubber, each team having one game to their credit. Mahnomen's victory last Sunday gave them two out of three games played with the Giants, a colored team. A crowd of more than 2000 people from all over the surrounding country attended the game. Score 8 to 4 in favor of Mahnomen."
July 25, 1920
Warren, MN
"No Streak of Yellow to be Found in the Radium Baseball Team. - In order to clear up the misunderstanding regarding the ball game advertised for July 25 at Warren, Radium vs. Forest River, some people have the opinion that there was a streak of yellow in the makeup of the Radium ball team, but this is not the case. The game was well advertised at Warren, Radium and various other neighboring villages but for financial or other reasons (probably crossed trolley wires), the management of the Warren ball park induced or tried to induce the Winnipeg colored Giants and Hallock to play there and booked them for the same date and as the understanding was that Sunday games must be played between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at that place, there was no prospect of playing the game after the Hallock-Giants game unless it was a short game which would not have been satisfactory to either the Forest River or Radium teams, nor to those that had paid their good hard cash to see a game. Later, after the Winnipeg Giants had notified the management at Warren that they could not fill the date as billed we were asked to play our game as was advertised, but this was impossible considering the short notice as the Forest River team had disbanded and could not get together for that date. - Nels Lund, Manager."