Negro Leagues Game of the Day on This Date in 1928 (May 26th)

Saturday, May 26th – The New York Lincoln Giants continue their series versus The Hilldale Club at Hilldale Park. Hilldale won the first game 5-1. New York has now withdrawn from the ECL, along with the Cuban Stars (East). The league is scrambling to add the Havana Red Sox and 2 more teams, but within a week the ECL will be dead. With the Lincoln Giants no longer in the league, they bring back Fats Jenkins to the team.

Here are the starting lineups:

New York Lincoln Giants (5-5)
1. Fats Jenkins, LF
2. Willie Gray, CF
3. George Carr, 1B
4. Charlie Mason, RF
5. Bill Riggins, 3B
6. George Scales, SS
7. Julio Rojo, C
8. John Henry Lloyd, 2B
9. Nip Winters, P

Hilldale Club (4-2)
1. Frank Warfield, 2B
2. Joe Strong, SS
3. Oscar Charleston, CF
4. Biz Mackey, C
5. Walter Cannady, 1B
6. Clint Thomas, LF
7. Judy Johnson, 3B
8. Otto Briggs, RF
9. Porter Charleston

Nip Winters, who thru the 1927 season has been the greatest pitcher in the ECL, opposes his former team and Porter Charleston, in his second year with Hilldale.

Both pitchers hold their opponents scoreless until the bottom of the 4th, when Biz Mackey triples and Walter Cannady grounds out to SS George Scales.   Hilldale leads 1-0.

The pitchers continued to dominate until the 8th, when Charlie Spearman, pinch-hitting for Julio Rojo, singles to right field. Spearman then steals second on a broken hit-and-run attempt. John Henry Lloyd is out swinging, but argues that C Mackey did not scooped the third strike. Lloyd is ejected from the game for ‘undesirable language.’ Nip Winters then also strikes out. Fats Jenkins doubles to left, scoring Spearman. Willie Gray then rolls back to the pitcher to end the top of the inning, with the score tied 1-1.

On to the bottom of the eighth, where Oscar Charleston triples to left. Biz Mackey is intentionally walked. New York elects to pitch to Walter Cannady, who doubles to right field, scoring Charleston and Mackey. Clint Thomas reaches on an infield single, but Cannady tries to score all the way from second and is tagged out at home.

In the top of the ninth, George Carr fans, Charlie Mason fouls out to C Mackey, and Bill Riggins rolls out to 1B Cannady. Final score is 3-1 Hilldale.

NOTES: Porter Charleston is the pitching hero, with the complete game win, allowing 1 run, 5 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 5. Walter Cannady is the hitting star, going 2-4 with a double and 3 RBI.

NNL Scores:
Detroit Stars-12, Memphis Red Sox-4 (Lewis Park)
St. Louis Stars-15, Cleveland Tigers-7 (Luna Park)

Walter Cannady