Will Jackman

Although most baseball fans today don’t know his name, Will “Cannonball” Jackman used to be one of the most widely respected Black players in semipro baseball. He was also one of the hardest workers: by his own account, he pitched in about 1,200 games, in a career that spanned three decades.1 Because he was both a good pitcher and a good hitter, Jackman was sometimes compared to Babe Ruth,2 and many of his contemporaries believed he was as good as Satchel Paige.3

William Jackman was the son of Charles Jackman, a farmer and a preacher, and his wife Betty (Barnett). While his 1942 U.S. draft card says he was born in Kyle, Texas, he once told reporters he was born in Houston,4 and on his Hall of Fame questionnaire, he wrote that he was born in Carta.5 Information about his year of birth is also contradictory.6 When he died in 1972, his obituary said he was 75, but former teammates believed he was closer to 80.7   

Little is known about his childhood, but school was never Jackman’s priority. “Baseball was in my blood, and I never was happy unless I was playing it.”8 Eventually, that caused a rift between him and his dad. “I left home because my father, who was a minister, wouldn’t let me play ball on Sunday.”9 In 1921, the 6-foot-2½ righthander10 joined the semipro Houston Black Buffaloes of the Texas Colored League. He recalled pitching a no-hitter in his first game.11 While that can’t be verified, we know he won some big games, including a two-hit shutout against the Fort Worth Black Panthers.12

In 1922, Jackman joined the St. Louis Tigers,13 but information about his record is sparse; the same is true of 1923. During 1924, Jackman played briefly for the Richmond (Virginia) Colored Giants,14 the Boston Monarchs,15 and the Cleveland Colored Giants.16 In February 1925, the Lincoln Giants announced he had joined them for the upcoming season,17 but he pitched in only one game, as a reliever.18

In mid-1925, Jackman joined the Philadelphia Colored Giants, a popular barnstorming team. He became a valuable addition: by early August, newspapers said he had won 20 games.19 This may not be an exaggeration, since Jackman was a workhorse who often pitched three games a week.20 Early in his career, he relied on a blazing fastball, earning him the “Cannonball” nickname.21 But by mid-1925, sportswriters described him as a submariner. Evidently, when Jackman came north, having pitched only in warm climates, he developed a sore arm and needed a new pitch.22 But the old nickname stuck, and sportswriters continued using it throughout his career.23

The Colored Giants spent much of 1925 in Massachusetts, attracting “the largest crowds ever drawn by any colored club in the East.”24 Jackman was their star pitcher, with Burlin White his usual catcher. Jackman had little trouble with most of the teams he faced. He also did well against former major leaguers: when the Giants played the Malden club, he pitched against George “Chippy” Gaw, who was by then a dentist but in 1920 had been a member of the Chicago Cubs. Jackman came into the game in relief in the ninth inning, with the score tied 1-1. He struck out the side, and in the two innings he worked, he had five strikeouts. The game was called because of darkness after 10 innings, with the score still tied 1-1.25 When the Giants played the Dorchester Town Team in early August, Jackman’s opponent was “King” Bader, a former member of the Boston Red Sox. Bader was tough, winning 3-0, but several days later, Jackman defeated him, pitching a five-hitter, in an “invincible” 5-0 performance.26 And when the Giants played the Rockland All-Stars in late August, he bested Buck O’Brien, another former Red Sox pitcher, throwing a two-hitter in a 3-1 win.27

When he wasn’t pitching, Jackman sometimes coached on the baselines, entertaining the fans with his clowning skills. He displayed similar comedic talents on the mound. One fan recalled that before Jackman threw a crucial pitch, he would take a rabbit’s foot out of his pocket and rub it on the baseball for good luck.”28 Sportswriters said he was even funnier than the Washington Senators’ well-known clown Nick Altrock.29

Newspapers credited the Colored Giants with 98 wins and 20 losses in 1925;30 Jackman won at least 17 games.31 By 1926, he had developed a fan base that turned out wherever the Giants played. He had many impressive performances, including one in Lynn against the General Electric team on September 3: he won the game 2-1, striking out 14, and drove in the winning run himself with a homer to center field.32 The highlight of his season occurred on July 26, when “one of the largest crowds ever seen” at Quincy’s Fore River ballpark33 watched Jackman hurl a no-hitter against the Copeland Club, defeating them 7-0. He struck out 14 and did not allow a baserunner until an eighth-inning walk. It was his first no-hitter with Philadelphia, but not his last.

In 1927, press reports said Jackman won an astounding 48 games and lost only four.34 (The late SABR member Dick Thompson’s research credits Jackman with a 21-7 record.)35 He frequently shut out the region’s top semipro teams. In his June 4 victory against the New Bedford Eagles, he struck out 13 and walked only one in a 3-0 win; he also went 2-for-4 at the plate. Similarly, in a September 2 game against Dorchester, he pitched a one-hitter, striking out nine, on the way to a 1-0 win; he also drove in what turned out to be the winning run with a double in the fifth inning.36

Jackman was such a productive hitter that when he wasn’t pitching, manager Danny McClellan sometimes played him in the outfield, just to keep his bat in the lineup. McClellan also used him as a pinch-hitter: on August 6, in a game against the Worcester Town Talk Club, he hit a grand slam in the ninth to give the Colored Giants a 6-4 victory.37 Jackman’s accomplishments were so well-known that when the team traveled to Montréal in September for several exhibition games, newspapers described him as “the famous pitcher and homerun hitter.”38

After the 1927 baseball season ended, Jackman and some of his teammates joined a semipro basketball team.39 “I guess I’ve done everything over the years to make money,” he told a reporter years later. “I’ve worked in oil fields, driven trucks, dug ditches, and cleaned people’s houses. I’ve always had to work to make a dollar, because we made peanuts as athletes [back then].”40

The Colored Giants won their 1928 home opener over New Bedford’s Frates Dairy, 6-2; Jackman scattered six hits, struck out 12, and hit a ground-rule double that was nearly a home run.41 Among the Giants’ strongest opponents was Osterville of the Cape Cod League. On August 19, Jackman defeated them, 11-3. On August 24, he defeated them again, 9-1, pitching a four-hitter and going 3-for-3 at bat, including a double.42 But there was one game he probably wanted to forget. On July 23, before one of the largest crowds ever to see Osterville play, he pitched a one-hitter, struck out 12, and even got a base hit. Yet he lost the game 3-1, thanks to two errors that allowed all three runs to score in the eighth inning—he committed one, and his catcher Burlin White committed the other.43 

For most of the season, Jackman had little trouble beating his opponents, but there was one exception: the Lincoln Giants. On August 31, Jackman outdueled Lincoln’s “Bullet” Campbell. Jackman was uncharacteristically wild, walking five, but he gave up just three hits and struck out nine in a 2-0 shutout win.44 On September 1, however, he was surprisingly ineffective, losing 12-3. On September 23, he pitched well, but tired in the 11th inning and lost to Lincoln 3-2, giving up a two-run single to John “Pop” Lloyd in the bottom of the 11th, which scored the winning runs. And on September 30, Lincoln once again defeated him, 7-6. But he still had a good year, winning as many as 17 games.45

The Colored Giants played their 1929 home opener on May 15 in New Bedford, and Jackman easily defeated Town Talk, allowing six hits in a 9-1 victory. But sportswriters who covered him soon noticed something had changed.46 Even when he won, he was giving up more hits and runs than in previous seasons.47 The problem may have been a tired arm. In many cities, owners insisted that he pitch, because fans expected to see him, and he hated to disappoint them.48 Tired or not, Jackman still got some big wins. On July 8, he shut out Osterville 6-0, pitching a three-hitter and striking out 15.49 He defeated the J.B Martin Club of Norwich, Connecticut 9-1 on September 8, scattering five hits and striking out 13. But his most impressive achievement occurred on August 10, when he pitched his first perfect game, a 5-0 shutout of the Pennsylvania Red Caps.  

In mid-September, Jackman was signed by the East Douglas Millionaires of the Blackstone Valley League. Owner Walter Schuster had seen him pitch earlier in the season and wanted him for the stretch drive. He offered a $10 bonus for each strikeout, and Jackman came through: on September 14, he won a crucial playoff game, defeating Milford 6-1 for the league championship while striking out 14, thus earning $140.50 (One of Jackman’s teammates was an up-and-coming first baseman named Hank Greenberg.)          

Jackman began 1930 by defeating Town Talk 2-0, pitching a three-hitter and driving in one of the Giants’ runs. Several days later, he shut out the Quincy Club 7-0, pitching another three-hitter and driving in two of the runs.51 By mid-July, some newspapers said he’d already won 22 games.52 As the Depression took hold, attendance at ballparks was declining,53 but Jackman continued attracting large crowds wherever the Giants played. Sportswriters called his submarine pitch “one of the wonders of independent baseball,”54 and even New York Giants manager John McGraw acknowledged that if Jackman were White, he would surely be a major leaguer.55

In August 1931, Jackman got into a controversy with the Cape Cod League. Newspaper articles said Eddie McGrath, manager of Orleans, had signed him for the rest of the season.56 Orleans was in a tight pennant race, but there were league rules about when outside players could be signed. And there were conflicting stories about whether Jackman really was signed: he showed up, claiming he was ready to pitch, but then claimed he was just there exploring opportunities for booking a game with Orleans (even though he was not the Giants’ booker).57 In the end, he never pitched for Orleans, and the story remained a mystery.

Throughout 1931, the Colored Giants often played in Maine, where Jackman had great success58 and the Giants made many friends, thanks to their “superb ability and gentlemanly conduct.”59 The Giants played two exhibition games in Togus in October, against a team that included major and minor league players, many of whom had vacation homes in Maine or grew up there. The Togus All-Stars included Del Bissonette of the Brooklyn Dodgers; Milt Gaston, Jack Russell, and Danny McFayden of the Red Sox; and minor leaguers Don Brennan of Newark and Bucky Gaudette of Montréal. With more than 8,000 fans watching, the Giants defeated the All-Stars, 6-5. Jackman was not at his best, giving up nine hits and all five runs; but he struck out 10 and was tough when he needed to be, shutting down a ninth-inning rally to preserve the win. A week later, however, the All-Stars got their revenge, hitting Jackman hard on their way to a 5-4 victory; he allowed 10 hits and let the winning run score in the ninth on a hit by Bissonette.60 In October 1932, the rivalry continued, and Jackman showed he could still be overpowering: he beat the All-Stars 1-0, pitching a three-hitter.61      

During part of the 1932 season, Jackman had a sore arm,62 perhaps a result of pitching so many innings. But even when he coached, fans were always eager to see him. In 1933, he not only pitched for the Colored Giants but also pitched a few games for the Waltham Town Team. Several newspapers claimed in August that he had already won 22 games.63 In September, he pitched for Guilford, Maine, in a series against the Togus All-Stars. He lost the first 4-2, despite striking out 16 and hitting a game-tying homer; Clyde Sukeforth’s 10th inning double scored the winning runs.64 A few days later, however, it was all Jackman, as he pitched a four-hitter, shutting out Togus 6-0.

Throughout 1934, he sometimes pitched for the Colored Giants and sometimes joined former teammate Burlin White’s newly formed Boston Royal Giants.65 He also occasionally pitched for Waltham and even pitched for Guilford. One sportswriter described him as “aged but very effective,”66 and he showed no sign of slowing down.

In mid-May 1935, Jackman was signed by the Brooklyn Eagles of the Negro National League, where his versatility quickly made him a fan favorite. On May 20, he beat the Homestead Grays, 4-3, pitching a complete game five-hitter while driving in two runs.67 On May 26, he pitched in relief in both games of a doubleheader against the Chicago American Giants. In the first game, he pitched a scoreless top of the 10th in a tie game. The Eagles won it in the bottom of the 10th, 6-5, and he was the winning pitcher. He came in again in the second game, but this time in the first inning. He allowed just three hits in a 14-4 victory; he also hit a triple.68 His most impressive game occurred on August 25, when a large crowd saw him dominate the New York Cubans, throwing a six-hit shutout and striking out eight in a 5-0 win. And while he had only a 5-6 overall record with the Eagles, many fans believed those numbers didn’t tell the entire story.

The following year, the Brooklyn team had become the Newark Eagles. Owner Abe Manley brought Jackman back, but he got into only five games, going 0-2, before returning to Massachusetts, where he pitched for both the Colored Giants and the Royal Giants.

In 1937, Jackman was still with the Colored Giants when he pitched a marathon 20-inning game in Hartford on May 9 against the Savitt Gems. He gave up a homer in the 20th and lost 6-5 to Gems ace Johnny Taylor, who struck out 22. The loss infuriated Jackman,69 and made him determined to beat Taylor. But the young pitcher seemed to have his number: Jackman lost the rematch a week later, 2-1, and lost to Taylor a third time on June 6, 4-1.   

By then, Jackman was in his early 40s, but he still wasn’t slowing down. In 1938, he had great success pitching in New Hampshire for the Portsmouth Merchants. He won at least 17 games,70 got some big hits, and entertained the fans with his clowning. He was so popular that when he broke his ankle on August 6 while sliding into second base, the Merchants held a benefit game and donated the proceeds to pay his hospital bill.71

Fully recovered, Jackman returned to Portsmouth, where he won some key games in 1939, including a 2-1 win over Plymouth Cordage; he pitched all 10 innings, striking out 14. He also defeated the Boston Park League champion Dick Casey Club 10-1: he pitched a four-hitter and went 3-4 at bat, including a double and a triple.72 He continued to pitch in Portsmouth in 1940: During one six-game stretch, he had 54 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.16.73   

In 1940, Jackman had become the full-time chauffeur for Dr. Arthur Kimpton, a Boston surgeon. But the doctor still allowed him some time for baseball.74 Jackman pitched for the New England Nighthawks in 1941, the Royal Giants in 1942, and the Watertown Arsenal Club and later, the Boston Black Sox in 1943. Sportswriters referred to him admiringly as “the man with the iron arm.”75 Jackman didn’t always win, but he could still bewilder hitters, especially with his newly developed knuckleball.76 In 1944, pitching for the Boston Colored Giants, he beat Lynn’s Fraser All-Stars 4-1, scattering six hits, striking out nine, and hitting a triple.77 In 1945, among his best games for the Giants were a 1-0 win over Malden in June, when he struck out 18 and pitched a one-hitter;78 and a game played at Yankee Stadium in August in front of 11,500 fans, when he threw a three-hitter against the Miami Giants in a 10-0 win, striking out 10, and going 4-for-5 at bat. Reporters described him as the “white-haired submarine ball specialist” and called his delivery “baffling.”79

Jackman was still pitching for the Giants in 1946 when on several occasions, he defeated former major leaguer Sam Nahem, then pitching in Newport, Rhode Island for the Sunset Stars. One of Jackman’s wins was a three-hitter, in a 7-0 shutout. Reporters were amused that between him and catcher Burlin White, they were a combined 100 years of age.80 By the late 1940s, Jackman often pitched in relief or started but pitched only several innings. He still got batters out: in a five-inning exhibition under the lights at Braves Field on July 24, 1947, he held the Casey Club to two runs and five hits, beating them 3-2; reporters noted that the young Casey hitters were totally overmatched by Jackman’s pitches.81 In a game on June 27, 1948, he pitched a complete game but lost a pitching duel 2-0 to Lynn’s Vrees All-Stars; the fans gave him a huge ovation the first time he came to bat.82 In May 1949, he pitched another complete game, but lost to the New England Hobos 3-1, when his team made three errors. Reporters asked if pitching nine innings at his age took a toll on his body, but Jackman insisted he was ready to go another nine if he had to.83

By the early 1950s, most of his time was spent chauffeuring for businessman William Converse Chick.84 Later in the decade, he participated in Old Timers games and continued to do so into the late 1960s.85 Then, in April 1971, Jackman lost his beloved wife Louise86 and his friend Burlin White. To cheer him up, former teammates and fans organized a celebration of his long career. On July 15, 1971, a large crowd gathered at Carter Field for Will Jackman Night; he received gifts, money, and a lifetime pass to Fenway Park.87

On September 9, 1972, Jackman died unexpectedly while visiting friends. He was buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Roslindale, Massachusetts, next to his wife. Despite having been denied an opportunity to play in the major leagues, Jackman never became bitter. “I have no regrets,” he once said, “and God has been good to me.”88 And in the opinion of the fans and sportswriters who saw him play, his remarkable career does not deserve to be forgotten.89

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the many librarians who answered questions about what life was like in their city when Jackman and the Philadelphia Colored Giants played there. She is especially grateful to reference librarians in Massachusetts cities that included Boston, Brockton, Douglas, Fall River, Florence, Gardner, New Bedford, Norwell, Quincy, Reading, Rockland, Roslindale, Taunton, and Westfield; as well as reference librarians in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Providence, Rhode Island, all of whom went above and beyond. So did several historical researchers in Kyle, Texas—most notably, Linda Coker and J. Marie Bassett. And the author was also inspired by the outstanding research that the late Dick Thompson did on Jackman: https://sabr.org/journal/article/cannonball-bill-jackman/

This biography was reviewed by Thomas Kern and Rory Costello and fact-checked by Terry Bohn.

Photo credit: Will “Cannonball” Jackman, Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 Jerry Nason, “Cannonball Jackman Hurling 1200th Game Tomorrow at Braves,” Boston Globe, May 24, 1949: 38.

2 “University Club to Meet Philly Giants,” Boston Traveler, July 16, 1929: 18.

3 Art Ballou, “Will Jackman Night Stirs Memories,” Boston Globe, June 8, 1971: 32.

4 Ted Ashby, “Cannonball Jackman Even in 2 Meetings with Satchel,” Boston Globe, March 5, 1967: 65.

5 Dick Thompson, “Cannonball Bill Jackman: Baseball’s Great Unknown,” The National Pastime (Volume 27, 2007): https://sabr.org/journal/article/cannonball-bill-jackman/  Jackman may have written “Carta” accidentally; there is a community called Carta Valley about six hours from Houston, but no evidence exists that he or his family ever lived there.

6 Looking at various sources, we find that his Hall of the Fame questionnaire said 1897, the 1900 U.S. census said 1894, his 1918 U.S. draft card said 1896, and his 1942 draft card said 1895.

7 “Cannonball Jackman, Negro Baseball Great,” Boston Herald Traveler and Record American, September 11, 1972: 13.

8 John Drohan, “Jackman Just Keeps on Pitching,” Boston Traveler, January 24, 1947: 22.

9 Ted Ashby, “Cannonball Jackman Even in 2 Meetings with Satchel,” Boston Globe, March 5, 1967: 65.

10 Jerry Nason, “Cannonball Jackman Hurling 1200th Game Tomorrow at Braves,” Boston Globe, May 24, 1949: 38.

11 John Drohan, “Jackman Just Keeps on Pitching,” Boston Traveler, January 24, 1947: 22.

12 “Black Buffs Take Second Game From Black Panthers,” Houston Post, June 20, 1921: 8.

13 “Tigers Open Season This Sunday Against Strong Ben Millers,” St. Louis Argus, April 14, 1922: 10.

14 “Springwoods 4, Colored Giants 1.” Norwalk, Connecticut Hour, May 5, 1924: 13.

15 Robert Cvornyek, “The Color Of Baseball: Race And Boston’s Sporting Community.” Black Ball (volume 6, # 1, 2013), footnote 72: 105.

16 “Town Talk Wins Slugging Contest,” Worcester, Massachusetts Telegram, September 29, 1924: 11.

17 Lloyd P. Thompson, “Purveyors of Baseball in the East Are Shaping Up for Opening of 1925 Season,” New York Age, March 7, 1925: 6.

18 “Lincoln Giants Drop Both Ends of Double-Header,” New York Evening Journal, April 6, 1925: 4.

19 “Saxony Mills to Meet Colored Giants Tonight,” Boston Globe, August 5, 1925: 18.

20 Jerry Nason, “Cannonball Jackman Hurling 1200th Game Tomorrow at Braves,” Boston Globe, May 24, 1949: 38.

21 There are few records from Jackman’s early years that we have, but the Boston-area newspapers were referring to him as Cannonball as early as 1926. For example, “South Boston Tackles Philly Giants Tomorrow,” Boston Globe, May 18, 1926: 23. And in Jerry Nason’s article, cited in note 10, he explains that as far back as Jackman’s early years with the Houston Black Buffaloes, he was known as Cannonball.

22 Jerry Nason, “You Sat in a Tree to See Jackman,” Boston Globe, July 6, 1971: 29.

23 For example, “Philly Giants Win,” Boston Herald, September 18, 1927: 28; and “Philly Giants May Play Bleachery Here Thursday,” Lewiston, Maine Daily Sun, June 24, 1930: 13.

24 “Phila. Giants Are Here on Thursday,” Portland, Maine Evening Express, August 5, 1925: 19. The Giants’ long winning streak in July 1925 was reported by most newspapers as 18 games, but several said 17, and one said 19. Due to a lack of box scores or game reports, it is difficult to verify the exact number of games.

25 “Malden Ties Colored Giants in Ten Innings,” Boston Globe, July 24, 1925: 15.

26 “Philadelphia Giants Defeat Dorchester,” Boston Globe, August 4, 1925: 19.

27 “Philadelphia Colored Club Easily Whips Rockland 3-1,” Boston Globe, August 29, 1925: 8.

28 Sterling Hicks, quoted by Blackie Sherrod, “A Glance Back Into Your Past,” Bryan-College Station, Texas Eagle, February 24, 1986: 1B.

29 Percy Lane, “Copeland and Phila Giants Promise Action and Thrills,” Quincy, Massachusetts Patriot Ledger, August 27, 1925: 3, 8.

30 “Colored Giants Coming Here to Battle Towntalk Nine,” Worcester Evening Gazette, June 9, 1926: 19.

31 Thompson, “Cannonball Bill Jackman: Baseball’s Great Unknown.”

32 “G.E. Sluggers Held to One Hit at Rockland,” Lynn, Massachusetts Daily Evening Item, September 4, 1926: 5.

33 “Copeland Club Fails to Get a Hit Off [Jackman,]” Boston Globe, July 27, 1926: 9.

34 “Colored Giants Play Here Tonight If It Don’t Rain,” Lewiston, Maine Evening Journal, July 29, 1930: 6.

35 Dick Thompson, “Cannonball Bill Jackman: Baseball’s Great Unknown.”

36 “Jackman Whole Show,” Boston Herald, September 3, 1927: 9.

37 “Sports,” Clinton Daily Item, August 8, 1927: 4.

38 “Une Véritable Aubaine pour les Amateurs de Baseball,” (Montréal) Le Devoir, September 20, 1927: 7.

39 “Phila. Colored Giants at Boys Club Tonight,” Fall River Herald News, January 25, 1928: 17.

40 Joe Fitzgerald, “Reunion Recalls Visit With Cannonball,” Boston Herald, June 26, 1980: C1. And Jackman wasn’t exaggerating about playing three games in the same uniform. On July 4, 1928, the Colored Giants played three games in the same day—against Fall River’s Cotton City team in the morning, the Cape Cod League’s Wareham team in the afternoon, and then a twilight game in New Bedford against Frates Dairy. Jackman was the winning pitcher in the Wareham game, defeating them 4-1.

41 H.H. Williamson, “Frates Beaten in Opening Tilt,” New Bedford Evening Standard, May 14, 1928: 12.

42 “Osterville Beaten,” Boston Herald, August 25, 1928: 9.

43 “Osterville Beats Colored Giants 3-1,” Boston Herald, July 24, 1928: 19.

44 “Philadelphia Giants Beat Lincoln Giants By 2-0,” Brockton Daily Enterprise, August 31, 1928: 14, 16.

45 It is difficult to obtain an accurate count of his wins and losses, given the fragmented state of record-keeping in semipro back then. In 2007, Thompson’s research credited him with at least 13 wins, but the criteria he used were unclear. My count of box scores that listed Jackman as the winning pitcher showed he won 17 games in 1928 and may have won more than that– games that weren’t covered in the press.  

46 Henry McKenna, “Semi-Pro Baseball,” Boston Traveler, July 6, 1929: 6.

47 For example, on May 26, he defeated Malden 11-7 but gave up all 7 runs in one inning; several days later, on May 29, he defeated the Brooklyn Cubans 6-4, in a game where he gave up 9 hits.

48 H.H. Williamson, “Commenting on Sports,” New Bedford Evening Standard, August 10, 1928: 12.

49 “Philly Giants Shut Out Osterville 6-0,” Boston Herald, July 8, 1929: 18.

50 “Jackman’s Work is Talk of Valley Loop Circles,” Worcester Telegram, September 16, 1929: 13.

51 “Philadelphia Giants, with Jackman in Box, Blank Quincy ‘Twi’ Team 7-0,” Quincy Patriot Ledger, May 8, 1930: 9.

52 “Philadelphia Giants at Walkover Park,” Scituate Herald, July 18, 1930: 2.

53 “Colored Giants Prove Attraction Everywhere,” Springfield Daily Republican, September 10, 1930: 7.

54 “Colored Giants Out to Take Locals Into Camp; Beat Lewiston Club 5-0,” Waterville, Maine Morning Sentinel, July 31, 1930: 2.

55 “M’Graw Praised Giants Pitcher,” Springfield, Massachusetts Daily Republican, August 6, 1930: 17.

56 “Giants Pitcher at Cape Cod,” Lowell Sun, August 17, 1931: 11.

57 Phil Dudgeon, “Sports Pointers,” New Bedford Evening Standard, August 14, 1931: 10.

58 For example, he defeated Togus 4-0 on July 12, scattering six hits and striking out 11; on July 29, he beat Castine in 10 innings, allowing just six hits and striking out 13. Then, on August 30, he defeated Togus again, this time 3-2, giving up six hits and striking out 14.

59 “Togus Plans Big Game,” Waterville Morning Sentinel, October 8, 1931: 2.

60 “Colored Giants Lose to All-Stars at Togus,” Boston Globe, October 19, 1931: 17.

61 “Philly Giants in 1-0 Victory Over Team of All Stars,” Lewiston Daily Sun, October 17, 1932: 7.

62 “Colored Giants Pin Shut-Out on All-Stars,” Newburyport, Massachusetts Daily News, September 7, 1932: 6.

63 “Jackman is Star of Colored Giants,” Springfield Union, August 1, 1933: 19.

64 “Togus Triumphs in Extra Cantos, Taking Guilford,” Portland Sunday Telegram and Sunday Press Herald, September 3, 1933: B-4.

65 “Michaels to Play with Boston Nine,” New Bedford Evening Standard, May 5, 1934: 10.

66 “Will Jackman Easily Downs Titus Drug 7-1,” Portland Evening Express, September 10, 1934: 13.

67 More information, including play-by-play for the May 20, 1935 game, can be found on Retrosheet. https://www.retrosheet.org/NegroLeagues/boxesetc/1935/B05200BRN1935.htm

68 “Brooklyn Eagles Score Double Win,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 27, 1935:12.

69 “Jackman ‘Sore’ and Determined to Defeat Gems,” Hartford Courant, May 13, 1937: 19.

70 Thompson, “Cannonball Bill Jackman: Baseball’s Great Unknown.”

71 Fred Jones, “Cannonball Jackman, Tabbed as One of Greatest Pitchers Baseball Has Ever Known, Won 50 and Lost 2 in 1929,” Portsmouth, New Hampshire Herald, August 19, 1938: 8.

72 “Portsmouth Lays Formal Claim to New England Semi-Pro Title,” Portsmouth Herald, September 25, 1939: 5

73 “Jackman Record is a Honey,” Portsmouth Herald, July 24, 1940: 5

74 John Drohan, “Jackman Just Keeps on Pitching,” Boston Traveler, January 24, 1947: 22.

75 Harvey L. Southward, “Lynn Cards Watertown Arsenal for Sunday,” Lynn Daily Evening Item, August 7, 1943: 6.

76 “Cannonball Jackman Honored,” Newport, Rhode Island Daily News, July 14, 1971: 21:

77 Harvey L. Southward, “Cannonball Buffaloes Fraser Stars,” Lynn Daily Evening Item, August 11, 1944: 14.

78 Harvey L. Southward, “Itemizing the Sports,” Lynn Daily Evening Item, June 19, 1945: 10.

79 “Black Yankees Trim Phillies,” Chicago Defender, August 11, 1945: 7.

80 “Cannonball Jackman Honored,” Newport Daily News, July 14, 1971: 21:

81 Gene Mack Jr., “10,000 Watch Giants Win at Field Day,” Boston Globe, July 25, 1947: 5.

82 Rolly Charest, “Vrees All-Stars Win 2-0, On Bessom’s Three-Hitter,” Lynn Daily Evening Item, June 28, 1958: 8.

83 Herb Ralby, “Just Getting In Groove, Says Jackman After 8 Innings,” Boston Globe, May 26, 1949: 31.

84 Kevin Paul Dupont, “Looking Back on a Most Unusual Year, Boston Globe, December 27, 2020: C3

85 Art Ballou, “Jackman in Old-Timers Game,” Boston Globe, August 16, 1968: 23.

86 Little is known about where, or when, they married; but Joe Fitzgerald of the Boston Herald (June 26, 1980: C1) cited a meeting he had with Jackman in 1971. At that time, he said they had been husband and wife for 42 years.

87 Art Ballou, “3000 in Tribute to Will Jackman,” Boston Globe, July 15, 1971: 45.

88 “Air Your Views,” Boston Herald Traveler, July 25, 1971: S 14

89 Over the years, many New England sportswriters wrote tributes to his career, but this was especially true around the time of the Will Jackman Night tribute being planned for him. For example, Art Ballou, “Jackman Pitched Shutouts at Will,” Boston Globe, July 13, 1971: 27; Bob Finnigan, “Jackman’s Legacy Lives,” Quincy Patriot Ledger, July 2, 1971:16; and Roy Mumpton, “Will Jackman: Born Too Soon,” Worcester Evening Gazette, July 14, 1971: 28-29.