1939 East-West Game - First Game (Negro League)

1939 marked the first year that there were two editions of the East-West Game. The first took place on August 6 at the usual location, Comiskey Park. The top vote-getters were 1B Ted Strong (508,327) and C Pepper Bassett (502,394). As usual, voting was done on a lower scale in the east. The top eastern vote-getter apparently was SS Willie Wells (226,514).

The scoring started in the second against Theolic Smith. With one out, Buck Leonard reached when Strong (playing short) bobbled the ball. Pat Patterson singled and stole second, Leonard holding at third. Sammy T. Hughes then singled in the only two runs the East would score. Bill Byrd and Leon Day threw the first six scoreless for the East to make that 2-0 lead hold up, but in the 7th Roy Partlow ran into trouble. The West had just two hits before Neal Robinson led off the bottom of that frame with a long ball. In the 8th, pitcher Double Duty Radcliffe hit a single, then was bunted over by Parnell Woods. Dan Wilson then smacked one into the left-field grandstand for a 3-2 lead. The West tacked on one more and Radcliffe finished it up for the win.