1933 East-West Game (Negro League)

The 1933 East-West Game was the first of the Negro Leagues version of the All-Star Game, taking place the same year as the first Major League Baseball All-Star game. Played on September 10 in Chicago, IL's Comiskey Park, the main inspiration for the game came from writers Roy Sparrow and Bill Nunn. Negro National League president Gus Greenlee and Chicago American Giants head Robert Cole also played integral roles.

Balloting was conducted in the major black newspapers of the day. The most popular vote-getter was 1B Oscar Charleston of the Pittsburgh Crawfords; the veteran got 43,793 votes, followed by P Willie Foster of the Chicago American Giants, with 40,637. Younger up-and-coming stars did not do quite as well - Satchel Paige was 4th among pitchers, while Josh Gibson trailed veteran Biz Mackey at catcher for the East.

The game opened with Cool Papa Bell flying out to Steel Arm Davis in an at-bat against Foster. Jud Wilson got the first hit in East-West history with one out in the second. In the third, the West got the first run. Sammy Bankhead beat out an infield hit, advanced on a grounder, then scored on a two-out single by Turkey Stearnes. The East got to Foster for three runs in the top of the fourth, but the West came back with three of their own, including a 2-run homer by Mule Suttles. In the 5th, the East re-took the lead on a hit by Rap Dixon, a hit batsmen (Charleston), a single by Biz Mackey and a two-run single by Wilson. In the bottom of the sixth, Willie Wells singled, scored on an Alex Radcliffe double. Bertrum Hunter provided little relief, as Suttles doubled in another run to take the 6-5 lead, then scored on a single by Leroy Morney. The West continued to tack on runs and led 11-5 entering the 9th. Foster was tiring, but was left in with Sug Cornelius and Percy Bailey in the bullpen. After a leadoff single and an error by Morney (his third), the East got sacrifice flies from Dixon and Charleston, then Josh Gibson lined out to end the game. Foster became the only pitcher in East-West history to throw a complete game. Overall, the star performer was Suttles, who went 2 for 4 with 2 runs, a double, homer and 3 RBI.