The Jacob Ruppert Memorial Cup

By David Marasco

New York Yankees owner Col. Jacob Ruppert first opened up The House That Ruth Built to the Negro Leagues in 1930 in order to show his support for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. In the years that followed, black baseball was allowed to play in Yankee Stadium from time to time, most often in the form of four- team double-headers. In the Winter previous to the start of the 1939 season, Col. Ruppert met his demise. In his memory, Yankee President Edward Barrow helped to organize a Negro League tournament that would be played in Yankee Stadium. The format would consist of five double-headers, with the best team to be awarded a $500 golden trophy, the Jacob Ruppert Memorial Cup. While cynics will cry out that the Yankees no doubt benefitted from the arrangement, it did allow black baseball to showcase some of its best talent in a very prominent manner.

The first double-header took place on the 4th of June. In the first game the Baltimore Elite Giants sent Sam Byrd to face Luis Tiant Sr. of the Cuban Stars. It was the Cubans who came fast out of the gates, scoring a run in the 2nd, and pushing across two more in the 3rd. However, this would be all of the Cubans scoring for the night. While the final outcome of the game is not in question, the details are very muddled. As an illustration of the difficulties faced by a Negro League researcher, three accounts will follow. The New York Times relegated this game to deep in its sports section. It was placed after the major league game reports, with minor league baseball, the French amateur golf title and a St. Louis Browns - Washington Senators double-header. While some press was given to the second game, only a line score was given for the Elites - Cubans match up. The information presented was that the Elites scored two in the 4th, three in the 6th, and 2 in the 8th to triumph by a score of 7-3. The Pittsburgh Courier claimed that three runs were scored in the 8th, followed by two in the 9th. However, the Courier then prints the same line score as did the New York Times. The Chicago Defender reported that the Elites had a three-run 7th followed by a two-run 8th. While the timing of the runs is questionable, the fact that they occurred is not. The three-run inning featured Snow doubling, followed by a Wright single (the Defender claims that it was Biz Mackey), a Hoskins double and a West single. The last two runs came on home runs by Henry Kimbro and Sam Byrd as he helped his own cause. Bill Hoskins, the Elite's right fielder, had four hits on the day including a pair of doubles and a 405 foot triple to left.

The New York Black Yankees edged the Philadelphia Stars 5- 4 in the second tilt of the day. The Yanks sent Terris McDuffie against Webster "Submarine" McDonald. Once again the line scores do not match the published game reports. In the third the Yankees scored three runs off of Goose Curry's bases-loaded double. In the fifth (or the second if you go with the line score) McDuffie drew a walk, and then came home to score when Philadelphia's right fielder muffed a fly ball. The Yankee's 4-0 lead was halved in the 6th when Gene Benson hit a two-run shot to right, and then the game was tied up in the 8th when McDonald hit a two-run homer of his own (the second pitcher of the night to reach the stands). The Yankees were able to tally a lone run in their half of the 8th. Curry reached on an error, and scored when Washington lined a base hit to right. Bill Holland then came in and retired the Stars in order to complete the victory.

The second of July saw the second Negro League double- header of 1939. The first game matched Effa Manley's Newark Eagles against the Philadelphia Stars. The Eagles entered the day leading the Negro National League and didn't do themselves any harm as they blew out the the Stars 8-1. Newark got two runs on the board in the bottom of the first with a home run by "Mule" Suttles. In the fourth Stone and Wilson both hit home runs in an inning that would see four runs score. Leon Day was the recipient of much run support, and did his job by holding the Stars to a lone run in the third. Not much is known about the second game. The Black Yankees were shut out by the Elite Giants by a score of 4-0. McDuffie was the starter and loser for the Yankees, while Jonas Gaines was credited with the shutout for the Elites.

The third double-header brought the powerful Homestead Grays to Yankee Stadium on July the 23rd. Homestead was in year three of a nine year run that saw them win a 1st or 2nd half title every year. They faced the hapless Philadelphia Stars in the first game. Homestead hitting got runs across the plate right away. With two down in the bottom of the initial frame, Brown touched Wellmaker for a double. Setting a trend, Wellmaker then walked Josh Gibson on four pitches. After the runners moved up on a wild pitch, both scored on a double by Buck Leonard. Spearman brought home Leonard to complete the scoring at three. In the fourth, Cooper drew a walk for the Stars. Harris moved him to third on a single, and Dunn plated him with a single of his own. Benson brought in Harris with yet another single. The Stars brought in two runs, but the only effect was to make the Grays mad. In their half of the fourth the Grays combined two hits and two errors for three runs. The fifth saw three hits and an error produce three more runs. The opportunistic Grays used a hit and an error for their last two runs in the sixth. After the game the Stars were criticized in the press for walking Josh Gibson intentionally three times, once even when the Stars were down by a score of 8-2. It was felt that the fans had been cheated of their well-earned money when the Stars took the bat out of Gibson's hands.

In the second game the New York Black Yankees faced the Cuban Stars and defeated them by a score of 4 to 0. The game started with excitement as Terris McDuffie, hero of other Yankee Stadium matches, took the mound for the Black Yankees. He gave up three walks, but also chalked up three strikeouts, and left the inning unscathed. David Campbell took the first pitch that the Black Yankees saw and placed it in the right field seats to give the Yankees a lead that they would never lose. McDuffie would pitch a gem, two-hitting the Cubans.

August the 13th would see the return of the Negro National League four-team double-header to Yankee Stadium. The first game saw the Cuban Stars host the powerful Baltimore Elite Giants. Once again the reporting for these games is scant and contradictory. The Pittsburgh Courier ran no account of the games, the New York Times gave two paragraphs and line scores, and the Chicago Defender gave a short piece plus box scores. However, not all of the facts agree. Both accounts give the score of the first game as Elites 11, Cubans 1. Ruez started for the Cubans, but was relieved first by Tiant and then by Faber. The Elites would score all of their runs in the first six innings, probably making use of the Cuban's six errors. The two teams headed in opposite directions; the Elites would take their 3-0 record in the double- headers to a showdown with the Homestead Grays for the Ruppert Cup. The Cubans would go 0-3, a reflection on their 5-22 Negro National League performance for 1939. The second game of the double-header has a definite winner, the Homestead Grays, but it is unclear if that is by an 11-5 score or a 10-5 score. The linescores for the Times and Defender match until the 8th inning, where the Defender has four runs to the Time's 3. Buck Leonard hit a home run in that stanza, but the details there are fuzzy. The Times claims that it was a three run blast, but the Defender credits Sam Bankhead with a triple in that inning, and Bankhead bat right before Leonard in the lineup. It would appear as if more digging must be done to resolve this mystery.

On September the 24 the Homestead Grays and the Baltimore Elite Giants faced for the Ruppert Cup. The Grays had won the first half of the Negro National League season, and the Elites dominated the league for the second half. It was decided that the Yankee Stadium game should decide not only the Ruppert Cup, but also the 1939 Negro National League title. To complete the double-header, an amalgam of the two teams would face an all-star team of white minor leaguers assembled from the American Association, International League and Eastern League.

Before the title game Baltimore's second baseman, Sammy Hughes, would collapse in the dugout. He was replaced in the lineup by Felton Snow. Lefty Gaines started for Baltimore, while Roy Partlow twirled for the Grays. Both pitchers shut down the opposition for the first six innings. In the bottom of the seventh, Moore roped a one-out double. The Gray's third-sacker then was slow on a bunt, allowing both the runner to move up and the batter to reach first. On the next play to third the fielder bobbled the ball and Moore scored. After a walk to the next batter, Roy Campanella came to the plate and brought in a second run with a single. Partlow then settled down, but it was too late, the damage had been done. Although Gaines was dominant that day, he ran out of steam with two outs in the 8th. With a man on first, he walked Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard, prompting the Elites to bring Willie Hubert in from the bullpen. Hubert was able to coax a popup out of Tom Parker to end the threat. The Elites would win by a score of 2-0 and claim the Ruppert Cup and the Negro National League crown. In the second game of the double header the Negro Leagues played an All-Star squad of minor leaguers. In this game the minor leaguers were able to tie the combined team by a score of 1-1 when the game was called in the seventh inning. The coming of night ended Negro League baseball for 1939.