1946 East-West Game - Second Game (Negro League)

The second 1946 East-West Game was held at Comiskey Park on August 18, 1946. The West avenged their loss from three days earlier, beating the East, 4-1, behind a three-man pitching show. 45,474 fans turned out to watch the contest. It was the last East-West Game to feature Josh Gibson. While Gibson would be the all-time East-West leader in walks and hits (tied in the latter category), he put up an unimpressive showing offensively in his last East-West affair (0 for 3, BB, 3 steals allowed in 6 tries).

Felix Evans (West) and Barney Brown (East) matched each other with goose eggs through the first three innings. The West challenged in the bottom of the third when Bubba Hyde doubled and Quincy Trouppe walked. Surprisingly, they let pitcher Evans bat, even though he had worked his three innings - the West would not use a single pinch-hitter all game, a rarity for any All-Star contest. Evans twice bunted foul then popped up and the rally was deflated.

In the 4th, Bill Byrd relieved Brown but the East-West Game veteran did not have his best stuff on this occasion. With one out, Piper Davis walked and Willie Grace singled him in, aided by poor defense in right by Gene Benson. After a bunt by Alec Radcliffe, Hyde singled in Grace for a 2-0 lead.

Byrd ran into more trouble in the 5th. Artie Wilson singled and was bunted over by Archie Ware. Sam Jethroe hit into an error by Silvio Garcia. Wilson and Jethroe pulled off a double steal, scoring a third run for the West. Davis singled home Jethroe to knock Byrd from the hill. He would be the only hurler to have a bad day for either side.

After being blanked for seven innings, the East finally got a run in the 8th, against Johnny Williams. Pinch-hitter Murray Watkins was plunked, then Pat Scantlebury got a pinch-hit single. Henry Kimbro hit into a froce at second, then Larry Doby hit a sacrifice fly.

For the East, no one had a particularly good day at the plate, as the team was a combined 4-for-29. Only Scantlebury (1 for 1), Doby (1 for 3, RBI, BB), Buck Leonard (1 for 4) and Monte Irvin (1 for 4) connectedx safely. The pitchers were better with Brown (3 shutout innings, 3 whiffs), Jonas Gaines (2 1/3 perfect innings) and Leon Day (1 shutout inning) all doing well. The worst players for the East were Henry Kimbro and Howard Easterling (both 0 for 4), Benson (0 for 3, E), Garcia (0 for 1, 2 E) and Byrd (4 R, 4 H in 1 1/3 IP).

For the West, Grace (3 for 4, R) and Hyde (2 for 3, 2B, SB,m E) were the offensive stars while East-West veteran Alec Radcliffe (0 for 3) had their worst day at the plate. Evans (1 H, 2 K, 0 BB in 3) and Dan Bankhead (1 H, 1 BB, 2 K in 3) each tossed shutout ball while Williams (2 H, 1 BB, 0 K, HB) allowed one run in three as the "worst" of their three hurlers.