Real Golden Era – June

Bullet Rogan came rolling into today's game against the Brooklyn 42 Dodgers with a 22-game hitting string, but he left it on the field at Ebbets Field.

The 30-year-old Kansas City 24 Monarchs starting pitcher went 0-for-5 against the Dodgers as the Monarchs fell, 6-5.

"I swung at a couple pitches I probably shouldn't have and I didn't swing at a couple I probably should have," he said, grimacing. "But that's what makes a hit streak so impressive in the first place -- it only takes a couple mistakes to end it all."

So far this year, Rogan has 3 wins and 3 losses and a 4.01 ERA. He also has a .360/.385/.540 batting line.

Here are the current team power rankings for Major League Baseball:

Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Boston 1914 Braves (141.3, ++)
2) New York 39 Yankees (134.1, ++)
3) St. Louis 31 Cardinals (132.4, ++)
4) New York 32 Yankees (129.3, ++)
5) Pittsburgh 25 Pirates (126.3, -)
6) Cleveland 20 Indians (124.3, --)
7) St. Louis 22 Browns (122.3, -)
8) St. Louis 42 Cardinals (122.3, --)
9) Philadelphia 31 Athletics (121.6, ++)
10) Brooklyn 53 Dodgers (121.4, ++)
11) Chicago 35 Cubs (114.4, --)
12) Washington 33 Senators (114.4, --)
13) Brooklyn 42 Dodgers (106.7, --)
14) New York 27 Yankees (103.7, o)
15) Chicago 17 White Sox (101.0, ++)
16) Chicago 26 American Giants (99.0, ++)
17) Detroit 35 Tigers (95.0, --)
18) Philadelphia 50 Phillies (93.0, ++)
19) New York 22 Giants (89.0, --)
20) Kansas City 42 Monarchs (85.0, o)
21) Kansas City 24 Monarchs (83.3, ++)
22) Homestead 43 Grays (81.3, -)
23) Cincinnati 19 Reds (80.0, --)
24) St. Louis 31 Stars (78.3, --)
25) Homestead 37 Grays (77.3, +)
26) Boston 49 Red Sox (73.3, +)
27) New York 30 Lincoln Giants (71.3, --)
28) Baltimore 29 Black Sox (62.6, ++)
29) Chicago 20 American Giants (62.6, o)
30) Detroit 32 Wolves (59.4, --)
31) Hilldale 25 Club (57.6, o)
32) New York 47 Cubans (56.7, +)
33) Newark 46 Eagles (48.7, -)
34) Birmingham 44 Black Barons (41.7, --)
35) Baltimore 41 Elite Giants (16.1, o)
36) Cleveland 45 Buckeyes (13.4, o)

It is obvious the Negro League teams are having a hard time keeping up with the MLB clubs after 2 months of play. Only one Negro League club is playing at a .500 level the '26 Chicago American Giants.

Homestead 43's Josh Gibson accomplished what few others have done -- he hit for the cycle, collecting a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.

For the day, Gibson finished 4-for-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored and helped the Grays knock off the New York 30 Lincoln Giants, 9-0, at Tarpons Park.

"I didn't even know I was about to hit for the cycle until after," Gibson told reporters following the game. "One of the guys mentioned it when I got back to the dugout."

Josh Gibson struck out in the 1st, tripled in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot off Bill Holland in the 6th, doubled in the 7th and hit an RBI single in the 8th.

To date, Gibson has collected 49 hits for a .340 average. He has posted 5 home runs, scored 30 runs and driven in 24 runs.

Kansas City 42 second baseman Bonnie Serrell came into today's game against the Chicago 26 American Giants on a hot streak. He left on a cold one.

The American Giants did their jobs well, beating the Kansas City 42 Monarchs, 6-5, and holding Serrell hitless to snap his 29-game hitting streak. The 22-year-old second baseman had a few words to say after finishing 0-for-5, telling reporters only that he "came up short."

"What Bonnie did was exciting and quite an achievement," said Monarchs manager Frank Duncan. "It's tough enough to get one hit in this league, much less go 29 games in a row. I'm even more proud of the way he handled the press coverage. He never let the frenzy get to him or affect his play."

Thus far this year, Serrell is batting .373 with 4 home runs, 30 RBIs and 36 runs scored.

It doesn't happen very often, but it did for Earle Combs -- a 5-hit effort. He went on a rampage at Yankee Stadium and paced the 11-4 Yankees win over the Baltimore 29 Black Sox.

After his dynamite batting performance, the New York 27 center fielder told reporters that he "just tried to get in a good count and have a good at-bat. That's all I can control."

His philosophy paid dividends today. He slammed 5 hits in 5 tries and put his name in the record book. Earle Combs hit an RBI single in the 1st, hit a two-run single in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 6th and hit an RBI single in the 8th.

This year, Combs has 2 home runs and a .299 batting average.

Here are the current team power rankings for Major League Baseball:

Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) St. Louis 42 Cardinals (136.2, o)
2) New York 39 Yankees (135.2, o)
3) Cleveland 20 Indians (131.7, o)
4) Cincinnati 19 Reds (129.9, ++)
5) Boston 1914 Braves (122.6, -)
6) St. Louis 22 Browns (116.1, o)
7) Brooklyn 42 Dodgers (112.1, +)
8) Brooklyn 53 Dodgers (110.1, ++)
9) Chicago 35 Cubs (110.1, +)
10) Philadelphia 31 Athletics (107.9, ++)
11) St. Louis 31 Cardinals (107.6, +)
12) Washington 33 Senators (106.1, -)
13) Pittsburgh 25 Pirates (106.1, --)
14) New York 32 Yankees (102.1, --)
15) Chicago 17 White Sox (101.8, +)
16) St. Louis 31 Stars (101.8, -)
17) New York 27 Yankees (99.3, ++)
18) Philadelphia 50 Phillies (99.3, -)
19) Boston 49 Red Sox (99.2, ++)
20) New York 22 Giants (91.3, +)
21) Chicago 26 American Giants (90.3, -)
22) Homestead 37 Grays (88.7, ++)
23) New York 30 Lincoln Giants (87.2, --)
24) Homestead 43 Grays (82.2, -)
25) Detroit 32 Wolves (79.4, ++)
26) Detroit 35 Tigers (76.2, --)
27) Chicago 20 American Giants (75.4, o)
28) Kansas City 24 Monarchs (72.7, --)
29) New York 47 Cubans (72.4, +)
30) Birmingham 44 Black Barons (58.9, -)
31) Kansas City 42 Monarchs (55.4, -)
32) Hilldale 25 Club (38.3, o)
33) Baltimore 41 Elite Giants (35.5, +)
34) Baltimore 29 Black Sox (34.8, -)
35) Newark 46 Eagles (31.3, -)
36) Cleveland 45 Buckeyes (24.9, o)