Negro Leagues Game of the Day on This Date in 1928 (May 7th)

Monday, May 7th – The Kansas City Monarchs are off to a slow start in 1928, with a 3-4 record, including having just dropped the first two games of a series at St. Louis. The St. Louis Stars are a perfect 7-0 on their season opening homestand at Stars Park.

Here are the starting lineups:

Kansas City Monarchs
1. LeRoy Taylor, RF
2. Dink Mothell, LF
3. Newt Allen, SS
4. George Giles, 1B
5. Bullet Rogan, 2B
6. Newt Joseph, 3B
7. Eddie Dwight, CF
8. Frank Duncan, C
9. William Bell, P

St. Louis Stars
1. Cool Papa Bell, CF
2. Branch Russell, RF
3. Willie Wells, SS
4. Mule Suttles, 1B
5. Wilson Redus, LF
6. Dewey Creacy, 2B
7. Mitchell Murray, C
8. John Henry Russell, 3B
9. Logan Hensley, P

30-year-old ground ball/control pitcher William Bell has been one of the winningest pitchers in the history of the NNL. P Logan Hensley is coming off an injury plagued 1927.


In the bottom of the first, after Cool Papa Bell was put out, Branch Russell beat out an infield single to Bullet Rogan at 2B, and Willie Wells reached on an error by SS Newt Allen. Mule Suttles hit into a double play to end the threat.

Bullet Rogan led off the 2nd inning by reaching on a hit by pitch and scored on a double by Frank Duncan.

In the top of the fourth, Eddie Dwight tripled and then scored as William Bell reached on an error by 3B John Henry Russell. 2-0 Kansas City lead.  In the bottom of the fourth, Branch Russell and Willie Wells both singled to start the inning, but Mule Suttles, Wilson Redus and Dewey Creacy went out easily.

On to the bottom of the fifth, where Dewey Creacy reached on an error by 2B Bullet Rogan to start the inning, but once again St. Louis could not mount a rally.,

In the top of the 6th inning, Frank Duncan hit a ‘car barn special’ home run to left field, increasing the Kansas City lead to 3-0. In the bottom of the inning, Cool Papa Bell singled to center, and Branch Russell followed with a triple to right field, scoring Bell. Wells brought Russell in with a sacrifice fly, and the score was now Kansas City-3, St. Louis-2.

Allen singled in the top of the seventh, and Giles tripled him home. Kansas City-4, St. Louis-2.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, Newt Joseph lifted a fly ball onto the Car Barn to increase the Monarch lead to 5-2. In the Stars’ ninth Suttles reached on a dropped fly ball error by RF Leroy Taylor, but he was erased on a Wilson Redus double play, and the Stars had their first loss of the season by a 5-2 score.

NOTES: William Bell pitched the complete game victory, allowing only 6 balls (2 fly outs to CF, one dropped fly by Taylor, and 3 hits) to the outfield. The other 3 hits he allowed were all infield singles. He only walked one but did hit 3 batters. Newt Allen went 3-5 while Frank Duncan was 2 for 3 with a double, home run, walk, and 2 RBI.

Other NNL Scores:
Memphis Red Sox-6, Cuban Stars (West)-5 (Lewis Park)
Cleveland Tigers-13, Detroit Stars-9 (Game 1, Mack Park)
Detroit Stars-4, Cleveland Tigers-1 (Game 2, Mack Park)
Birmingham Black Barons-8, Chicago American Giants-5 (Schorling Park)

ECL Scores:
Atlantic City Bacharach Giants-3, Baltimore Black Sox-2 (Tate Field, Richmond, VA)

Newt Allen