Preseason Setup
This replay uses the games 1920 Negro League season with a National League consisting of eight clubs: Chicago American Giants, Detroit Stars, Kansas City Monarchs, Indianapolis ABCs, Cuban Stars West, St. Louis Giants, Dayton Marcos and Chicago Giants. There are also 7 Independent clubs in the Eastern League: Brooklyn Royal Giants, Atlantic City Bacharach Giants, Hilldale Club, Baltimore Black Sox, Pennsylvania Keystones, New York Lincoln Giants and Cuban Stars East. The National League schedule will consist of some 70 games and the Eastern League will very. I have created ballpark data for all the clubs based on internet searches and similar ballparks already installed in the Dave Koch game. I then also created a Historic Era Data file for the Negro League season by replay over 20 seasons to get the numbers correct.
Real Season Outcomes
On the season the the Chicago American Giants won the National League by 8.5 games over the Detroit Stars, and the Kansas City Monarchs. The American Giants starting pitching played a big part in the victorious season with three pitchers winning over 10 games with Dave Brown and Tom Williams leading the way with 1.82 and 1.83 era over some 20 games. Cuban sensation Cristobal Torriente led the club in most batting categories finishing the season with a .350/.409/510 batting line. Other standouts were second baseman Bingo DeMoss and fist baseman Leroy Grant and fellow infielder Dave Malarcher.
The Detroit Stars were led by pitchers Bill Holland and Gill Gatewood who started 52 of the teams 69 games, they won 11 and 15 games respectively. At the plate it was center fielder Jimmie Lyons, batting .379 and Edgar Wesley at first who belted 11 homers.
The Kansas City Monarchs were led by starting pitchers Rube Curry, Sam Crawford and two way stars Joe “Bullet” Rogan and John Donaldson. The club also boasts 4 batters in the starting lineup who hit over .300; Bartolo Portuondo, Hurley McNair, George Carr and Dobbie Moore. Rogan and Donaldson batted .295 and .296 respectively. 1920 Negro Leagues Season on Seamheads website.
The Cuban Influence
The Early Negro Leagues were heavily influenced by, and deeply intertwined with, Cuban baseball, creating a mutually beneficial, year-round, and integrated, talent exchange. Top Negro League stars like , Josh Gibson, and Oscar Charleston honed their skills in the competitive Cuban winter leagues, while legendary Cuban players such as José Méndez and Bartolo Portuondo starred in the U.S.. This cross-cultural exchange allowed players to bypass U.S. racial barriers, providing, high-level competition that, for, decades, sustained, the financial and, athletic, viability of baseball. In 1920 not only were there two fully Cuban clubs there was also seven other Cubans on non Cuban clubs. Follow this link on the SABR site to the first all Cuban club. Watch this video produced by the Negro League Hall of Fame.
MLB Giants Travel To Cuba In Off-Season
Not only did Negro League players travel south in the off-season so did the New York Giants of the major leagues. The Giants managed by John McGraw fielded most of their regular starters; George Kelly, Larry Doyle, Frankie Frisch, Dave Bancroft, George Burns, Ross Young and pitchers Rosy Ryan , Pol Perritt and Jesse Barnes. They brought along Yankee star Babe Ruth to play center field. In all the Giants played 17 contest against three Cuban clubs; the All Cubans, Almendares and the Habana team. Cuban and MLB hall of famer Adolfo Luque was the manager for the Almendares club. Note Bartolo Portundo and Cristobal Torriente of the Negro League also played for the Almendares. The Giants did win 9 of the 17 contests led by Babe Ruth, .345 with 2 dingers and Ross Youngs 3 dingers. Shortstop Dave Bancroft led the club with a .362 batting average. Top Cuban stars were; Bernardo Baro, Almendares right fielder who batted .424, Torriente hit .379 and team mate Pelayo Chacon batted .364. SABR article, Giants travel to Cuba in 1920 off season.
