1942 Negro World Series

Kansas City Monarchs	Four games to None	Washington-Homestead Grays
(27-8, NAL, 51-23 overall)		(39-16-2, NNL, 76-28-3 overall)

Introduction

The 1942 Negro World Series marked the resumption of the Negro World Series after more than a decade, and was the first of seven consecutive official postseason series to crown a champion of the two Negro Leagues. This series featured future Hall of Fame performers Ray Brown, Willard Brown, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, and Jud Wilson. Games were played in five different cities (including one game that was thrown out) and the series was notable for the appearance of Paige in every single venue.

The Kansas City Monarchs swept the Washington-Homestead Grays in four games, though the series included one exhibition game, and the results of one game were thrown out after a protest.

The Teams

The two teams that met in this series were two of the most storied teams in Negro Leagues history. The Kansas City Monarchs were NAL champs for the fourth consecutive year, having won all but one pennant since the league's inception in 1937, their skein having been interrupted only in 1938 by the Memphis Red Sox. The Homestead Grays had likewise won their fifth pennant in six seasons, 1942 being their third consecutive. The teams had split two pre-season games and had met three times in inter-league exhibitions during the regular season, the Grays beating the Monarchs in extra innings in each game, 1-0 in 11 innings, 5-4 in 12, and 3-2 in 10, Paige taking one no-decision and two losses in the games, with Roy Partlow claiming two of the Gray's wins. Most media discussion before the series concentrated on whether Paige would be seeking revenge on the Grays or whether the Grays now held a "jinx" over Paige and the Monarchs, and most prominent black sportswriters installed Homestead as a slight favorite.

Kansas City Monarchs

The Monarchs had had the best record in the NAL every year since its founding in 1937 (having lost the championship in 1938 by finishing second in both halves of that season), and were returning champs this year for the fourth consecutive season. The previous season had seen the death of their long-time manager "Lefty" Cooper. With Cooper's illness and death, Newt Allen had been assigned to manage the team in 1941 and had led them to their third straight league title, but decided during the off-season to retire from managing, returning to being a reserve infielder. Former pitcher Dizzy Dismukes managed the Monarchs during the pre-season, but turned over the reins to veteran catcher Frank Duncan while assuming the duties of business manager and club secretary.

They again took the Negro American League crown this year, holding off an early challenge from the Cincinnati-Cleveland Buckeyes. Willard Brown (.310) led the league in home runs; rookie second baseman Bonnie Serrell hit .406 to lead the loop, while third baseman Newt Allen (.318), catcher Joe Greene (.366), outfielder Ted Strong (.322), and shortstop Bill Williams (.315) all topped .300. First baseman Buck O'Neil hit .269, being more prized for his running and defensive games.

Pitching aces of the staff were Jack Matchett (5-1 in official NAL games, 10-1 overall), Connie Johnson (8-0 NAL, 11-2 overall, much of it in relief), Booker McDaniel (5-2 NAL, 6-3 overall), and Hall of Famer Hilton Smith (4-3 NAL, 8-6 overall). Veteran Satchel Paige (2-2 NAL, 7-6 overall) was by appearance a second-tier pitcher, though one of the league leaders in ERA, appeared as a gate attaction for marquee games, rarely throwing more then five innings in his starts. Rookie Jim LaMarque (2-0 NAL, 4-1 overall), Frank Bradley (0-0 NAL, 1-2 overall) and Norris "Playboy" Phillips (1-0 NAL, 2-1 overall) filled out the reminder of the staff. Rookie LaMarque was used sparingly this year, Bradley had been released before mid-season, and Phillips by the end of August. Johnson and McDaniel had both been called up by their draft boards and were then unavailable for the Series, and the pitching burden rested upon the arms of Matchett, Paige, and Smith.

Homestead Grays

Guided by player-manager Vic Harris, Homestead edged the Baltimore Elite Giants and Newark Eagles for the Negro National League title. The team's stars were catcher Josh Gibson (.328/.609/.473) with a league-leading 14 homers), and pitchers Ray Brown (12-3 in league play, 18-6 overall), Roy Partlow (5-2 NNL, 10-2 overall, with a 7-inning no-hitter to his credit this season), Roy Welmaker (5-2 NNL, 10-2 overall), and Johnny Wright (5-2 and 7-4). While the team had many big names, many of its key players were past their prime. Leonard, battling a broken finger most of the season, hit .217/.275/.333 with little power, while Harris hit .252/.321/.331 and Wilson .245/.381/.360. Outfielder Dave ("Speed") Whatley (.302/.371/.373) led the team in batting average through the first half, but was reduced to part-time play in the second half due to injuries. Sammy Bankhead (.270/.349/.367) was one of the few players other than Gibson to hit well, while Howard Easterling (.228/.355/.315) hit with power but not consistency, meaning the team was entering the Series relying heavily on two bats and two arms.

The Games

Game One

Tuesday, September 8 at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC

The Series' opening game was a scoreless tie for the first five innings, but the Monarchs capitalized on the Grays' shoddy fielding and pummeled them over the last four, routing them 8-0. The Grays committed six errors, five of which contributed directly to Monarchs scoring.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	2	2		8	14	0
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	2	6
KCM: Satchel Paige (5), Jack Matchett (4) W (1-0)
HOM: Roy Welmaker (9) L (0-1)
HR: none
Umpires: John Craig,Ducky Kemp, and Hosley "Scrip" Lee
Attendance: 22,129

Satchel Paige and Roy Welmaker matched each other zero for zero for the first five innings, Paige allowing three baserunners to Welmaker's seven. Paige retired the first 10 men he faced until Sam Bankhead lined a single to center and Howard Easterling grounded a sharp single through second, placing runners on first and second. Josh Gibson hit Paige's second pitch to him 420 feet to deep left-center for a long fly out, moving both runners up 90 feet. Paige then retired Buck Leonard, ending the Grays' only threat. The Grays were hitless for the remaining 5 1/3 innings, and a walk to Vic Harris in the fifth would prove to be the last base runner the Grays would manage.

A light drizzle began to fall as the top of the sixth inning began. It lasted the remainder of the game, though it did not delay or interfere with play.

The Monarchs scored an unearned run in the sixth. Newt Allen singled to center with one out and took second on Ted Strong's single. Welmaker had escaped two earlier jams with double plays, and it seemed he would do so again when Willard Brown chopped a made-to-order grounder to second baseman Matthew "Lick" Carlisle. However, all hands were safe when shortstop Bankhead fumbled Carlisle's toss. Allen rounded third and scored when Gibson fumbled Bankhead's throw to the plate, letting the ball roll to the backstop and allowing both Strong and Brown to advance. Strong also attempted to score as the ball rolled away from Gibson, but was tagged out at the plate by Leonard, who was backing up Gibson on the play. The entire sequence was scored 4-E6 / 6-E2 / 2-3, marking one putout, two errors, three assists, and one run.

Jack Matchett relieved Paige to begin the bottom of the sixth, and retired the Grays in order.

The roof fell in on the Grays in the seventh inning. After the first two men went out, Bill Williams got a squib single. Matchett singled to left and Williams took third when Vic Harris was unable to pick the ball up cleanly. Williams then scored on a textbook double steal, Matchett stealing second on the play. Third baseman Jud Wilson let Simm's roller get past him for an error, allowing Matchett to score. Allen doubled to center to plate Simms, making the score 4-0.

Another error allowed Willard Brown to reach leading off the eighth. A double by Joe Greene tallied Brown with the Monarchs' fifth unearned run, while Buck O'Neil's triple scored Greene with their first earned run. Welmaker toughened a bit at that point, striking out Serrell and Williams, and then retiring Matchett to leave O'Neil stranded on third.

Allen made his third single of the day with one out in the ninth. Strong forced him at second, but then scored on Brown's triple to deep center, reported in the Baltimore Afro-American at 435 feet. Greene completed the scoring when he singled Brown home.

Matchett, having replaced Paige after the fifth, retired all twelve men he faced, and received credit for the victory in relief. Paige would have received credit for the victory under current scoring rules, but all contemporaneous reports listed Matchett as the winner.

Radio station WWDC provided a play-by-play account of the game, with their announcer Ray Carson.

The Monarchs-Grays match followed a regular season game between the Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox. The AL teams vacated the stadium about three hours before the Monarchs-Grays game was to begin, giving little time to clean up the stadium and playing field before starting the Negro World Series.

Game Two

Thursday, September 10 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh

The Monarchs went up two games to none with a victory in the second game. The game was close and low-scoring most of the way until the two teams combined for 10 runs in the last two innings.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	3		8	13	1
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0		4	12	2
KCM: Hilton Smith (5) W (1-0), Satchel Paige (4) S
HOM: Roy Partlow (7 2/3) L (0-1), Johnny Wright (1/3), Roy Welmaker (1/3), Spoon Carter (2/3)
HR: none
Umpires: John Craig, Raymond "Mo" Harris, and Win Harris
Attendance: 5,219

Rain had fallen in Pittsburgh most of the day, and bad weather threatened throughout the game, and attendance was held down as a result. Satchel Paige was slated to start the game, but sore-armed Hilton Smith started instead and delivered five scoreless innings before tiring. Paige entered the game in relief in the sixth. According to some biographers, Paige had insisted that Smith start the game, as he deserved some more notice and glory.

The Monarchs scored in the first when Ted Strong singled with two out, moved to second on Willard Brown's walk, and scored on Joe Greene's single. They added another in the fourth on a double steal when Bill Williams stole second and Greene beat the throw back to the plate. Grays catcher Josh Gibson protested strongly that he had tagged Greene out, but to no avail.

The Grays loaded the bases in the seventh on three singles with two outs, but Paige preserved the lead by striking out Josh Gibson on three pitches, running the Grays' streak of scoring futility in this series to 16 innings.

The Monarchs then loaded the bases on three singles in their half of the eighth, and then expanded their lead to 5-0 with Bonnie Serrell's triple to deep center scoring Strong, Browne, and Greene. Serrell made a valiant effort to stretch his hit into an inside the park grand slam home run, but was thrown out at the plate.

The Grays finally broke into the scoring column in the bottom of the eighth, pushing four runs across. Buck Leonard led off the inning with a single. Sam Bankhead singled, with Leonard taking second. Left fielder Bill Simms then dropped Ray Brown's fly ball, scoring Leonard and sending Bankhead to second. Jud Wilson doubled to right-center, scoring both Bankhead and Brown. Advancing to third on Whatley's ground ball out, Wilson cam in on Jerry Benjamin's grounder to short, making the score 5-4 Monarchs.

The Monarchs were not yet done, however. Simms singled to lead off the ninth, partially atoning for his error in the eighth, and moved to second on Herb Cyrus' bunt. Brown walked and Greene singled to load the bases, and then Buck O'Neil singled to left, scoring Simms and Brown. Vic Harris gave the Monarchs one last run when he fumbled O'Neil's hit, with Greene coming in to score. Paige retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth, earning the save while Smith got the win, with a final score 8-4.

It is one of the great legends of Negro League play that Satchel Paige deliberately walked the bases loaded in the late innings of this game in order to face and strike out Josh Gibson, taunting him as he did. As frequently told in one form, Paige came into the game in the seventh inning with a 2-0 lead. With two out in the inning, the Grays' leadoff man Jerry Benjamin tripled. With two out and a man on third, Paige, after some discussion with his manager, intentionally walked the next two batters so he could face Gibson, the most feared hitter in all of black baseball, with the bases loaded. Paige then taunted Gibson while throwing fastballs ("this one's gonna be a pea at your knee"), getting two called strikes on Gibson and then striking him out swinging. The story has also occasionally been told as having happened in the ninth inning with the winning runs on base, and sometimes Gibson was said to have watched all three strikes sail by without ever taking his bat off his shoulder.

According to contemporaneous newspaper reports of the game, Paige retired Chet Williams, the inning's first batter, gave up a single to pitcher Roy Partlow, retired Benjamin on a force play, then surrendered two-out singles to Vic Harris and Howard Easterling, loading the bases in front of Gibson. Paige did strike out Gibson on three pitches to end the inning and preserve the lead, but there is no record of him taunting Gibson. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Josh fouled off the first two tosses weakly, then fanned on the third." The box score of the game shows that Paige did not walk a man during that game.

The only other game in 1942 in which the Grays hosted the Monarchs at Forbes Field was on July 21, in which Paige pitched an 11-inning complete game, losing 5-4, and holding Gibson hitless in five at bats. He did intentionally walk Howard Easterlng with a runner already on second to face Gibson with two out in the ninth inning, but according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Paige then induced Gibson to hit a weak fly ball to left to end the inning.

The first account of this mythical version first appeared in the 1948 book, Pitchin' Man, nearly two years after Gibson's death, and was told in its more familiar form by Paige in his 1962 autobiography, Maybe I'll Pitch Forever, 20 years after the fact, and would be repeated and embellished by many others (particularly by Buck O'Neil) in the years following.

Game Three

Sunday, September 13 at Yankee Stadium, New York

The Monarchs took a three games to none lead with a convincing offensive display in a 9-3 victory in Yankee Stadium. The Monarchs also won a seven-inning exhibition game that same night.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	0	0	4	2	3	0	0	0	0		9	16	3
Washington-Homestead Grays	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		3	7	4
KCM: Satchel Paige (2), Jack Matchett (7) W (2-0)
HOM: Ray Brown (9) L (0-1)
HR: WAS-HOM: Howard Easterling (1); KC: Ted Strong (1); Willard Brown (1)
Umpires: Fred McCreary, Bert Gholston, and John Craig
Attendance: 25,290

Willard Brown greeted by Joe Greene at home after a homer in game three of the 1942 Negro World Series; Josh Gibson and Fred McCreary look on

New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia threw out the first pitch as more than 25,000 fans looked on. Former Negro leagues great Dick Redding was in the crowd to enjoy the game.

With two out in Homestead's first inning, Howard Easterling homered into the right field stands. Paige then walked Josh Gibson, who stole second and scored on Buck Leonard's single, putting the Grays ahead 2-0, and providing them with their first lead in the Series. It would prove to be a short-lived lead.

The Monarchs returned fire in the third inning. Paige reached first when his third strike eluded Gibson for a passed ball. Bill Simms singled and Cyrus forced Paige at third. Ted Strong then hit a home run into the right field stands to push the Monarchs into the lead, and Willard Brown followed with a shot to almost exactly the same spot, giving Kansas City a 4-2 lead and effectively all the runs it would need.

Paige, after facing only nine batters in the first two innings, retired from the game, yielding to Jack Matchett to start the bottom of the third. The Monarchs loaded the bases in the fourth on an error and two singles, and scored on Bill Simms' single and Herb Cyrus' run-scoring fly ball to make the score 6-2.

Buck O'Neil led off the fifth inning with a single to right. Serrell followed with a shot past Buck Leonard down the right field line, but was held to a single by Easterling's throw. Williams hit a line drive that Ray Brown was able to knock down, and all hands were safe when Brown could not recover the ball in time. Matchett struck out, but Simms hit what was described as a "low line drive" to right center. Jerry Benjamin made an effort for the ball, but was only able to trap it. All three runners scored when Simms drew a throw but managed to dive back safely into first, making the score 9-2

Matchett allowed the Grays an unearned run in the sixth, Ray Brown's ground rule double into the left field stands scoring Chet Williams, who had reached on an error, for the final tally. Matchett cruised to his second victory of the Series, and the Monarchs moved to a commanding 3-0 series lead. Ray Brown pitched the entire game for the Grays, giving the rest of its pitching staff a break.

Grays shortstop Sam Bankhead was injured during pre-game practice when he ran into a wall. He was sent to the hospital for x-rays, which revealed a broken arm. He did not return to play in the series.

Exhibition games

Sunday, September 13 at Yankee Stadium, New York (second game)

The teams scheduled a second game immediately following Game Three. It was standard practice of the Negro Leagues to make the second game of any double-header a seven-inning game, and both teams agreed that it would be treated as an exhibition game and not counted in the statistics or standings of the CWS. The Monarchs won the game easily.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	2	1	1	0	0	1	0		5	6	2
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	3	1
KCM: Gread McKinnis (7) W
HOM: Roy Welmaker (7) L
HR: KC: Joe Greene
Umpires: Fred McCreary, Bert Gholston, and John Craig

Gread McKinnis, who had pitched during the regular season for the Birmingham Black Barons and in early September for the Cincinnati Clowns, was recruited by the Monarchs to pitch this game, and threw a three-hit, seven-inning shutout. Joe Greene hit a double and an inside-the-park home run to pace the Monarchs to a 5-0 victory.

There was a one-week hiatus between the games in New York and the game in Kansas City. The Monarchs were the second tenant in Ruppert Stadium (after the Kansas City Blues), and were forced to wait for an open date, as the Blues, having finished first in the American Association race, were preparing to engage in their league's Shaughnessy Playoffs, and the two teams scheduled a few exhibitions with other opponents in the interim.

Monday, September 14 at Bulkeley Stadium, Hartford, CT

The Grays played an exhibition double-header against the Newark Eagles, losing both games by 5-1 and 2-1 scores.

1st Game

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	4	2
Newark Eagles	0	0	2	3	0	0	x		5	10	1
HOM: Spoon Carter (6) L
NWK: Willie Burns (7) W
HR: HOM: Josh Gibson
Umpires: Fred McCreary and -- Forbes

2nd Game

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	7	2
Newark Eagles	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	x		2	7	1
HOM: Garnett Blair (8) L
NWK: Charles Ruffin (9) W
HR: none
Umpires: -- Forbes and Fred McCreary

Tuesday, September 15 at 44th & Parkside (Penmar Park), Philadelphia

The Grays played a 12-inning 5-5 tie against the Philadelphia Stars. Josh Gibson sat out the game, though Roy Partlow went the distance against the Stars' Barney Brown.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12		R	H	E
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0		5	11	4
Philadelphia Stars	0	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5	9	1
HOM: Roy Partlow (12)
PHI: Barney Brown (12)
HR: HOM: Allen Spearman
Umpires: unknown

Wednesday, September 16 at Bugle Field, Baltimore

The Grays also scheduled an exhibition game against the Baltimore Elite Giants before heading west, losing 2-1 in 10 innings. The Grays signed Bus Clarkson and Edsall Walker of the Philadelphia Stars, and Lenny Pearson, Ed Stone, and Leon Day of the Newark Eagles to their roster, and used most of them in this game. The roster move would come back to haunt them later.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E
Washington-Homestead Grays	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	6	3
Baltimore Elite Giants	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1		2	6	1
HOM: Edsall Walker (9 2/3) L, Johnny Wright (0)
BEG: Bill Barnes (10) W
HR: HOM: Jud Wilson
Umpires: Fred McCreary Crush Holloway

Thursday, September 17 at Victory Field, Indianapolis

On their way back west, the Monarchs scheduled a game against the Cincinnati Clowns in Indianapolis, using batteries that were not pitching in the Series, and rallying to win 9-4 after trailing 3-1.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	5	3		9	9	3
Cincinnati Clowns	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	1	0		4	7	3
KCM: Frank Phillips (3), Gread McKinnis (3), Booker McDaniels W
CEC: -- Macon (7+) L, Alfred Saylor (2) /small>
HR: none
Umpires: unknown

Friday, September 18, Parkway Field, Louisville

The Monarchs continued their short series with the Cincinnati Clowns, beating them 2-1 in a 13-inning exhibition game. Monarchs rookie Jim LaMarque (with batterymate "Slow" Robinson) pitched a complete game for the victory against Clowns pitcher Al "Greyhound" Saylor and his catcher Lloyd "Pepper" Bassett, who were identified in the report as "Kankol" and "Tarzan".

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		2	6	2
Cincinnati Clowns	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	8	0
KCM: Jim LaMarque (13) W
CIN: Alfred Saylor (13) L
HR: none
Umpires: unknown

Game Four (disallowed)

Sunday, September 20 at Ruppert Stadium, Kansas City

The Monarchs took their only loss in a controversial game that was disallowed following a protest due to the Grays' use of ineligible players.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	1		4	9	0
Kansas City Monarchs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		1	5	1
HOM: Leon Day (9) W
KCM: Satchel Paige (9) L
HR: none
Umpires: Billy Donaldson, Wilber "Bullet" Rogan, and Hurley McNair
Attendance: 8,542

This game was the most widely reported of all of the Series, receiving coverage from The Sporting News, which rarely covered Negro League baseball, and Christian Science Monitor, which rarely covered baseball in any form, as well as more mainstream white dailies and several Negro press weeklies.

In the only game in their home park, Kansas City took their lone loss to the Grays, 4-1. Leon Day struck out 12 in shutting down Kansas City while Paige was roughed up by the Grays' augmented lineup; this time he got neither offensive support nor defensive relief in the defeat. This game ended an embarrassing 8-game losing streak for the Grays, dating back to the last game of the regular season.

The Grays scored first. Harris walked with one out in the fifth. After Day had struck out, Benjamin tripled off the right field wall, scoring Harris, and scored a moment later on Stone's two-base hit. Homestead scored once in the seventh with two out when Pearson doubled and scored when Harris reached on O'Neil's error.

The Monarchs wasted a number of chances, but finally got on the board in the eighth. O'Neil singled leading off, went to third on Serrell's single and scored on Williams force out, making the score 3-1. The Grays added their final tally in the ninth when Pearson doubled, went to third on Harris' infield out, and scored on Day's fly ball out (sac flies were not credited at this time).

According to the Kansas City Call, "the game was interrupted several times and no less than a dozen baseballs thrown out because someone was using emery on the ball." Most of the protests were coming from Monarch batters accusing the Grays of scuffing the ball.

Grays owner Cum Posey, faced with several injuries (including Sam Bankhead's broken arm and Roy Partlow developing a painful boil under his pitching arm), signed shortstop Bus Clarkson from the Philadelphia Stars and pitcher Leon Day, outfielder Ed Stone and second baseman Lenny Pearson from the Newark Eagles for the remainder of the series. Posey claimed that he had lost two other players, Carlisle and Whatley, to the military draft. The Monarchs vocally objected to the use of "ringers" before the start of the game, but played the game under official protest for the fans who showed up.

After the game, Posey claimed that he had received verbal permission to sign the players from Monarchs co-owner Tom Baird in a meeting in New York, but the details of that meeting were never publicized and the Monarchs other owner, J.L. Wilkinson, denied knowledge of any such agreement. Monarchs secretary and business manager William "Dizzy" Dismukes stated "We didn't play the Homestead Grays. We lost to the National League All-Stars." There was considerable truth to Dismukes' statement, as Pearson and Clarkson were statistically the two best hitters in the 1942 NNL, ranking first and third, respectively in batting average (.347 and .339) and first and second, respectively OPS (1.015 and 1.011), among qualifying batters, while Day led the league in ERA and strikeouts. Day also batted .341 as a part-time outfielder.

The Kansas City Kansan reported the next day that the Monarchs had threatened to cancel the remainder of the series. However, a committee composed of officers from both leagues and both teams met that afternoon and upheld the Monarchs' protest, and the game was disallowed, leaving the Monarchs still ahead in the series, 3-0. The Grays also agreed to not use the extra players for the remainder of the series as well.

The umpiring crew for this game stood as reminders of the early days of the organized Negro Leagues. Home plate umpire Billy Donaldson was one of the longest-tenured Negro League umpires and was the first Negro umpire hired by the old NNL in 1923. First base ump Bullet Rogan spent his playing and managing careers with the Monarchs, winning two games in the first Colored World Series in 1924, and now served as a regular NAL ump. Third base ump Hurley McNair had also played for the Monarchs in that first Colored World Series.

No makeup game was scheduled in Kansas City. The Kansas City Blues had already been eliminated in the AA's playoffs, but the ballpark was already contractually reserved for them during that week. The Grays played an exhibition game on September 22 in Belleville, IL against an Army team that included a few major and minor leaguers, winning 16-2. The Kansas City Call announced an exhibition game for the Monarchs against a semi-pro team in Jefferson City, MO on September 24, though no details of such a game are known.

Game of September 22

Tuesday, September 22 at City Stadium, St. Joseph, MO

The Monarchs agreed to make an exhibition appearance in St. Joseph, MO, about 50 miles north of Kansas City, where they would play the winner of the first game that day. The Birmingham Black Barons defeated the Cincinnati Ethiopian Clowns in the first game, and then beat the Monarchs 5-0 in a seven-inning contest.

Satchel Paige made an on-field appearance during warmups and engaged in a pepper game, playing second and then third bases. When the game began in earnest, manager Frank Duncan pitched Hilton Smith and Jack Matchett for three innings each, then inserted Connie Johnson, on temporary furlough from the Army, to pitch the seventh. The Monarchs treated the game as strictly exhibition.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Birmingham Black Barons	1	0	0	0	1	0	3		5	9	1
Kansas City Monarchs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	6	2
BBB: Robert Keyes (7) W
KCM: Hilton Smith (3) L, Jack Matchett (3), Connie Johnson (1)
HR: none
Umpires: unknown
Attendance: unknown

Scheduled Game rained out

Another World Series game was scheduled for Sunday, September 27 in Chicago's Wrigley Field, but that game was canceled due to rain. According to reports, the game at Chicago was scheduled to be played even if the Monarchs had won the originally scheduled Game 4, but this game could not be played due to what was described as "football-season weather", and so the series returned east. It was announced in some African-American weekly newspapers that all remaining games would be played in Philadelphia.

Game Four (official)

Tuesday, September 29 at Shibe Park, Philadelphia

After a 16-day gap between officially sanctioned games, the World Series resumed. The Monarchs fell behind early, but behind Satchel Paige's hitless long relief won 9 to 5, sweeping the Negro World Series in four straight games.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	1	0	1	2	0	0	2	3	0		9	14	2
Washington-Homestead Grays	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		5	7	1
KCM: Jack Matchett (3 2/3), Satchel Paige (5 1/3) W (1-0)
HOM: Roy Partlow (1 1/3), Johnny Wright (6 2/3) L (0-1), Roy Welmaker (1)
HR: KC: Joe Green (1)
Umpires: Fred McCreary, Franklin Forbes, and Phil Cockrell
Attendance: 14,029

Bill Simms led off the game with a triple to the left field bullpen and scored on Newt Allen's single. With one out, Willard Brown hit two consecutive pitches into the right field stands, both of them just foul, before striking out on the third pitch. Two walks loaded the bases before Serrell ended the inning with a fly to center.

Satchel Paige had been the scheduled starter in this game but was not present at starting time, and so Jack Matchett, who had pitched dependably throughout, was called upon to start. The Grays responded in their half of the first with three runs. With two outs and none on, Howard Easterling walked, and Josh Gibson reached first when Joe Greene missed his high pop fly, Easterling taking third. Easterling scored on Buck Leonard's hard smash that Buck O'Neil could only knock down, Leonard taking first and Gibson second. A passed ball moved both men up, and both scored on Ray Brown's double to left.

In the top of the second, Ray Partlow, who reportedly still suffered from a boil under his pitching arm, walked his third and fourth men and was replaced by Johnny Wright, who retired the Monarchs without a score.

The Monarchs counted again in the third, loading the bases with one out on an error, Greene's single, and O'Neil's bunt single. Serrell's single scored Brown from third, but Wright retired the next three without further damage. The Grays again responded, Easterling and Leonard each scoring on Chet Williams' bases-loaded, two-out single. The three-run lead represented their biggest advantage in the series.

Josh Gibson made an early exit from the game and was replaced defensively by Robert Gaston at the start of the fourth inning. Ted Strong was hit by a pitch, and Joe Greene hit a home run into the left field stands, narrowing the score to 4-3 Grays.

It appeared that the Grays would again return fire when Jerry Benjamin and Vic Harris hit back-to-back singles with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but Easterling was unable to advance the runners. Paige arrived at that point in dramatic fashion (claiming to have been delayed by a traffic ticket in Lancaster, PA), entered the game in relief of Matchett, and struck out Gaston, ending the threat and leaving the Grays wanting. Paige pitched the remainder of the game.

Kansas City took the lead in the seventh. Brown doubled to right, and scored the tying run on O'Neil's one-out single. Serrell singled O'Neil to third, and Bill Williams scored him with a squeeze bunt, reaching safely himself.

The Monarchs cinched the game and the series in the eighth with three more runs. Strong singled with one out and stole second. Greene walked with two out, and both scored on O'Neil's triple. O'Neil then tallied on Serrell's double, hiking the score to a 9-5 Monarchs advantage.

Paige pitched 5 1/3 hitless innings, allowing only one walk and one baserunner on an error, retiring the last seven in a row, and finally collecting a victory against the Grays.

Tidewater exhibition tour

Satchel Paige shakes hands with Josh Gibson before Norfolk Game

After the close of the Series, the Monarchs and Grays continued to schedule exhibition games, and engaged in a short barnstorming tour in the Tidewater region of Virginia, scheduling games in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Newport News.

Friday, October 2 at High Rock Park, Norfolk, VA

The first exhibition game after the Series was in Norfolk, VA with the Grays winning 8-5. Paige pitched the first three innings, giving up a single run, but the Grays, utilizing some of the substitute players who were disallowed during the Series, scored six off of Connie Johnson in his three innings of work. Monarchs catcher Joe Green hit the only home run of the tour. No box score was listed.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	0		5	7	0
Washington-Homestead Grays	1	0	0	4	2	0	0	1	0		8	13	1
KCM: Satchel Paige (3), Connie Johnson (3) L, Jim LaMarque (3)
HOM: Ray Brown (9) W
HR: KC: Joe Green

Sunday, October 4 at City Stadium, Portsmouth, VA

The second game was in Portsmouth, where the Monarchs prevailed 12-2 before approximately 2,000 spectators. Paige started for the Monarchs but left after four innings, with a 2-1 lead. Hilton Smith relieved him, and received credit for the victory. Roy Partlow took the loss for the Grays, being driven from the mound in the eighth inning.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	5	4		12	17	-
Washington-Homestead Grays	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		2	5	-
KCM: Satchel Paige (4), Hilton Smith (5) W
HOM: Roy Partlow (7 1/3) L, Spoon Carter (1 2/3)
HR: none

A final game was planned for Monday, October 5, in Newport News, but the game was rained out.

Summary

Kansas City hit .345/.392/.503 vs. Homestead's .206/.276/.250, outscoring them 34-12. The Monarchs' hitting stars were many, including Bonnie Serrell (.556/.579/.722), Bill Williams (.471/.526/.588), Joe Greene (.444/.500/.667) and Willard Brown (.412/.500/.765) in the rout. Buck O'Neil's .353 series batting average was barely better than the team standard. Hilton Smith (1-0, 0.00), Satchel Paige (1-0, 2.20) and Jack Matchett (2-0, 1.23) shut down the vaunted Homestead hitters, with a team ERA of 1.50.

For Homestead, all the pitchers - Partlow (0-1, 6.00), Brown (0-1, 9.00), Welmaker (0-1, 6.10) and Wright (0-1, 10.29) - were ineffective, giving the team an aggregate 7.50 ERA. Among the hitters, Howard Easterling (.313/.421/.500) was the only effective starer, while Buck Leonard (.250/.250/.250), Vic Harris (.125/.222/.125), and Josh Gibson (.077/.200/.077) were almost completely shut down. Gibson was committed to a sanitarium the following January, and the Grays reported that he had been "ailing" since August.

With the game in Kansas City thrown out, the Grays were the home team in each of the four official games. Even counting the two non-official games, the visiting team was the winner in each of the six games.

In the four games that counted, Monarch second baseman Bonnie Serrell made ten hits and shortstop Bill Williams stole five bases. If records of the Negro World Series were considered part of Major League canon, Serrell's mark would have tied the record for a four-game World Series set by Babe Ruth in 1928, while Williams' would have established a new and as of yet unbroken four-game World Series mark.

Hitting

Kansas City Monarchs

Name	Age	Bats	Pos	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SB	BA	OBP	SLG
Bill Simms	33	L	LF	4	21	4	6	0	1	0	4	1	0	.286	.318	.381
Newt Allen	41	R	3B	3	14	1	4	1	0	0	2	1	0	.286	.333	.357
Ted Strong	28	B	RF	4	19	6	6	1	0	1	3	1	1	.316	.381	.526
Willard Brown	27	R	CF	4	17	7	7	1	1	1	2	3	1	.412	.500	.765
Joe Greene	30	R	C	4	18	6	8	1	0	1	5	2	1	.444	.500	.667
Buck O'Neil	30	R	1B	4	17	3	6	0	2	0	6	2	1	.353	.421	.588
Bonnie Serrell	22	L	2B	4	18	2	10	1	1	0	5	1	0	.556	.579	.722
Bill Williams	29	R	SS	4	17	3	8	2	0	0	1	2	5	.471	.526	.588
Satchel Paige	36	R	P	4	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Jack Matchett	36	R	P	3	8	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.250	.250	.250
Hilton Smith	35	R	P	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Herb Cyrus	29	L	3B	2	5	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Frank Duncan	41	R	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
"Slow" Robinson	32	R	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
Norris Phillips	25	L	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
Booker McDaniels	29	R	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
Jim LaMarque	21	L	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
Connie Johnson	19	R	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
Totals				4	165	34	57	7	5	3	29	13	10	.345	.392	.503

Washington-Homestead Grays

Name	Age	Bats	Pos	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SB	BA	OBP	SLG
Jerry Benjamin	32	B	CF	4	19	0	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	.211	.211	.211
Sam Bankhead	37	R	SS	2	7	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.286	.375	.286
Howard Easterling	30	B	RF-3B-2B-SS	4	16	3	5	0	0	1	1	2	0	.313	.421	.500
Josh Gibson	30	R	C	4	13	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	1	.077	.200	.077
Buck Leonard	35	L	1B	4	16	3	4	0	0	0	2	0	0	.250	.250	.250
Jud Wilson	45	L	3B	4	7	1	2	1	0	0	2	3	0	.286	.500	.429
Vic Harris	37	L	LF	4	16	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	.125	.222	.125
Lick Carlisle	32	R	2B	3	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Roy Welmaker	28	B	P	3	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Chet Williams	34	R	2B-SS	3	10	1	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	.200	.200	.200
Roy Partlow	31	L	P-RF	3	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	.500	.500
Ray Brown	34	B	RF-P	3	9	1	4	2	0	0	3	3	0	.444	.583	.667
Johnny Wright	25	R	P	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Spoon Carter	39	L	P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	***	***	***
Dave Whatley	27	L	PH	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Robert Gaston	32	R	C	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
Wilmer Fields	19	R	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
J.C. Hamilton		L	did not play	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***	***
Totals				4	136	12	28	3	0	1	11	12	1	.206	.276	.250

Pitching

Kansas City Monarchs

Name	Age	Throws	G	GS	CG	W	L	S	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
Satchel Paige	36	R	4	2	0	1	0	1	16.33	11	6	4	4	14	2.20	0.918
Jack Matchett	36	R	3	1	0	2	0	0	14.67	12	6	2	6	8	1.23	1.227
Hilton Smith	35	R	1	1	0	1	0	0	5.00	5	0	0	2	2	0.00	1.400
Booker McDaniels	29	R	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***
Jim LaMarque	21	L	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***
Connie Johnson	19	R	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***
Norris Phillips	25	L	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***
Totals			4	4	0	4	0	1	36.00	28	12	6	12	24	1.50	1.111

Washington-Homestead Grays

Name	Age	Throws	G	GS	CG	W	L	S	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA	WHIP
Roy Welmaker	28	L	3	1	1	0	1	0	10.33	17	11	7	5	8	6.10	2.129
Roy Partlow	31	L	2	2	0	0	1	0	9.00	11	6	6	5	5	6.00	1.778
Johnny Wright	25	R	2	0	0	0	1	0	7.00	12	8	8	1	7	10.29	1.857
Spoon Carter	39	R	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.67	1	0	0	0	0	0.00	1.500
Ray Brown	34	R	1	1	1	0	1	0	9.00	16	9	9	2	7	9.00	6.000
J.C. Hamilton		L	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	***	***
Totals			4	4	2	0	4	0	36.00	57	34	30	13	27	7.50	1.944

Composite Linescore

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City Monarchs	2	0	5	5	3	1	5	8	5		34	57	6
Homestead Grays	5	0	2	0	0	1	0	4	0		12	28	13

Sources

• Books
  • Pitchin' Man by LeRoy (Satchel) Paige and Hal Lebowitz, 1948
  • Maybe I'll Pitch Forever: A Great Baseball Player Tells the Hilarious Story Behind the Legend by Leroy Paige and David Lipman, 1962
  • Innings Ago by Jack Etkin, 1986
  • The Negro Leagues Book edited by Larry Lester and Dick Clark, 1994
  • The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway, 2001
  • "The Historical Satchel Paige: True Stories and Tales Truly Told", Satchel Paige and Company: Essays on the Kansas City Monarchs, Their Greatest Star and the Negro Leagues edited by Leslie A. Heaphy, 2007
• Newspaper coverage
  • mainstream (i.e., white) newspapers
    • Chicago Daily Tribune: September 21, 27, 28, and 30, 1942
    • The Christian Science Monitor: September 14 and 21, 1942
    • Hartford Courant: September 14 and 28, 1942
    • Kansas City Kansan: September 20, 21, and 22, 1942
    • Kansas City Times: September 21, 1942
    • New York Daily Worker: September 14, 1942
    • New York Times: September 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 30, 1942
    • Philadelphia Inquirer: September 30, 1942
    • Philadelphia Record: September 29 and 30, 1942
    • Pittsburgh Press-Gazette: September 10, 11, 14, and 21, 1942
    • Pittsburgh Post: September 10, 11, 14, and 21, 1942
    • Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph: September 9, 11, and 14, 1942
    • The Sporting News: September 10 and 24, 1942 and October 1 and 8, 1942
    • Washington Post: September 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, and 28, 1942
    • Washington Times-Herald: September 6, 7, 8, and 9, 1942
  • Negro dailies, weeklies, and semi-weeklies
    • Atlanta Daily World: September 17 and 26, 1942
    • Baltimore Afro-American: September 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, and 29, 1942 and October 3, 6, 10, and 17, 1942
    • Chicago Defender: September 5, 12, 19, and 26, 1942 and October 3, 10, and 24, 1942
    • Cleveland Call and Post: September 26, 1942
    • Indianapolis Recorder: September 26, 1942
    • Kansas City Call: September 11, 18, and 25, 1942 and October 2, 1942
    • New York Age: September 12 and 19, 1942
    • New York Amsterdam News: September 5, 12, 19, and 26, 1942 and October 3 and 10, 1942
    • Philadelphia Tribune: September 12, 19, and 26, 1942 and October 3, 1942
    • Pittsburgh Courier: September 12, 19, and 26, 1942, October 3 and 10, 1942, and January 9, 1943
    • St. Louis Argus: September 11, 18, and 25, 1942, and October 2, 1942