Whirty: A title season in the Negro Leagues, 90 years ago
From SABR member Ryan Whirty at Philly.com on July 15, 2015:
You know you’re a quality baseball team when the legendary sports columnist from another city showers you with accolades.
That’s what happened in the Oct. 17, 1925 issue of the Pittsburgh Courier, when W. Rollo Wilson congratulated the Darby-based Hilldale Club for throttling the vaunted Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League in the second Colored World Series.
“Hail to the kings!” Wilson blared in his column. “The Column salutes Clan Darbie [sic], champion of Negro baseball. Well do the boys who have fought under the Hilldale banners deserve their honors and right modestly do they bear them.”
Thus, 90 years ago, the Philadelphia area had a national champion in the Hilldales, a club guided by owner/manager Ed Bolden, who steered the team to the Eastern Colored League pennant, then the World Series. The ’25 squad also included future Hall of Famers Judy Johnson, Biz Mackey and Louis Santop.
Read the full article here: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/other_sports/A_title_season_90_years_ago.html
- Related link: Register now to join us at the 2015 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, August 6-8 in Pittsburgh; all baseball fans are welcome to attend
Originally published: July 17, 2015. Last Updated: July 17, 2015.