1959 East-West Game (Negro League)

The 1959 East-West Game was the thirty-third East-West Game, in its twenty-seventh consecutive year. Played on Sunday August 9, 1959, it was held in its traditional venue, Comiskey Park in Chicago. Reported attendance was approximately 9,000.

The West squad, comprising players from the Birmingham Black Barons, Memphis Red Sox, and Kansas City Monarchs, beat the East, made up of players from the Detroit Stars and Raleigh Tigers, 8-7, in 11 innings, the first since 1935 that an East-West game had gone extra innings, and only the second time overall.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11		R	H	E
East	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	0	0		7	8	1
West	0	5	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	1		8	10	2

Pitchers

• East: Bill Matthews (DET), Alvin Roane (RAL), Willie Harris (DET), Eugene Holmes (RAL), James Gilmore [L]
• West: Willie Smith (BIR), Ace Robinson (MEM), Tony Taylor (KC), Pete Mumford (BIR) [W]

Home Runs

• East: none
• West: Ernest Harris (BIR), Willie Smith (BIR)

Reported Starting Lineups

• East
  • Larry LaGrande CF (DET)
  • Jesse Bass 2B (RAL)
  • Kenny Free 3B (RAL)
  • Herman Green 1B (DET)
  • James McNeil RF (RAL)
  • Art Hamilton C (DET)
  • Don Bonner LF (DET)
  • Marvin Chalmers 1B (DET)
  • Willie Harris P (DET)
• West
  • Ernest Harris CF (BIR)
  • Rufus Gipson 2B (MEM)
  • Frank Williams RF (MEM)
  • Jesse Mitchell LF (KC)
  • Paul Gilbert 1B (KC)
  • Willie Washington 3B (KC)
  • Bobby Sanders SS (BIR)
  • Isaac Barnes C (MEM)
  • Willie Smith P (BIR)

Reserves

• East
  • Bo Busch infield (RAL)
  • Earl Cunningham infield (DET)
  • Bob Warren infield (DET)
  • Earl Floyd infield (DET)
  • Bobby Carter OF (RAL)
  • Jake Sanders OF (DET)
  • John Walker P (RAL)
  • Sam Thompson P (RAL)
  • Bill Matthews P (DET)
  • Ralph Fortson P (RAL)
  • Marion Cain P (DET)
  • Alvin Roane P (RAL)
  • Eugene Holms P (RAL)
  • Calvin Grant P (DET)
  • Ben Adams P (DET)
• West
  • Ebert Fowles infield (MEM)
  • James Ivory infield (BIR)
  • Nat Dancy infield (KC)
  • Palmer Herbert OF (KC)
  • Bill White OF (MEM)
  • Ace Robinson P (MEM)
  • John Winston P (KC)
  • Pete Mumford P (BIR)
  • Eugene Williams P (MEM)
  • Tony Taylor P (KC)

Managers

• East
  • Herman Green (DET)
• West
  • Piper Davis (BIR)

Sources

• Chicago Daily Tribune
• Chicago Daily Defender