The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-17
Black Barons To Play Champions Of Negro League

Birmingham, has seen some great negro baseball this summer-the be # brand of colored baseball ever staged south of the Ohio-but Bir- mlngham is coming into the greatest negro baseball of the entire summer. M mSnaay; Tuesday and Wednesday. when the Kansas City Monarchs open a three game series here with the Black Barons at Redwood field. The K. c. Monarchs represent the greatest aggregation of ball-tossers m m the Negro National league, for they are leading in that organization ana nave cfnched the pennant
 An insight into the calibre of tba MonArchs may be gleaned from the fact that after the American associa tCn race was over last year, the coiored Monarchs met the white team or the American association in post-season battle for the baseball championship of Kansas City and won out over them. They have the same agreement with the Kansas City Blues this year, and after tn, campaign is over in the American assoclation they will again take on u e white ball tossers
 The following clipping from ths Kansas City Press recently. shows Just what the visiting team, who will clash with the Black Barons, has in the way of stars:
 Says the clipping in part: Pity but what Walter Moore. shortstoD for the Monarchs could bleach his face some. If he were a white ball player he could be sold to the New York Giants today for $50,000. Dick kinsella. scout for the Giants who saw the oMnarchs play recently said that Moore is easily the greatest young shortstop he has seen this side of. the majors this year.
 For that matter. however Joe Mendez, the Cuban pitching wonder wEo manages the Monarchs would have job in the majors long ago, had his complexion been of the bleached variety. He has pitched and defeated such teams as the New York Giants, when Christy Matthew son was in his prime and pitching against him. Mendez. a few years ago, was the equal of any pitcher in the world. white or black, but of course. Father Time has slowed his pitching arm up a bit and he must content himself now with acting as manager for the Monarchs and pitch- ing an occasional game.
 "The Monarchs are replete with negro stars who would have won their spurs on a major league club had it not been for the fact that fate had dealt unkindly with them in tinting their complexions. There is the great Bullet Rogan, for in- stance. He has a Johnsonian fast ball and on dark days 1t is well nigh impossible to even see the ball. It is conceded all over the country that Bullet Rogan is the greatest pitcher in negro baseball today.
 "Other stars who are scintillating for the Monarchs this year are Frank Duncan the catcher with the whip of steel, Heavy Johnson the Black Babe Ruth of baseball and big Rube Cur rie, Drake and Bell, who help Bullet Rogan with the pitching assign ments."
 From the above write-up it may be seen that the Kansas City Mon archs are bringing to Birmingham the most sensational aggregation of black ball tossers appearing in the have followed the fortunes of the Black Barons this summer will see that they are in for the most hectic struggle of the entire campaign The Chicago Americans under Rube Eos ter; the Cuban Stars and the St. Louis teams were all great and fur nished plenty of thrills, but the Kan sas City negroes will give them the best brand of baseball yet played here. and the odds are against the hometown negroes when they go up against such opposition.
 The opening game will be staged Monday with another to follow Tues day. Then on Wednesday comes the real big day of them all when Negro Elks Day" will be celebrated at Rick wood. Quincy L. Gilmore, Secretary of the Monarchs is Grand Officer Cf the Negro Elks. and the special day will be staged in order to honor the visiting negro dignitary.