St. Paul recorder., 1946-07-19
Clowns vs.. Mon0rchs
At Lexington Pork
Wednesday,. July "a


ball attraction ever set for the
Twin Cities brings the highly popu-
lar indianapolis Clowns and Kansas
City Monarchs TO Lexington Park,
St. Paul, Wednesday night, July
"a, at $50 p. M, for an important
Negro American League game that
really has set this area on fire.
Some fans remember them as the
Miami Ethiopian Clowns, winners
of the last Denver national tournA-
ment held in 1871; others as the
Cincinnati Clowns. Now they're
representing Indianapolis In the
Negro American League competi-
ton and their 1916 edition is the
greatest Of them all.
The idol Of Twin City fans,
Reece ("Goose") Tatum, is out Of
the army, and easily the sensation
of Negro ball with his superb show
manship, finest frst-basing ever
seen on any diamond, and hard
hitting. The Goose" is unquestion-
ably the best-liked performer in
Negro baseball and the whole
country is wild about him.
A Worthwhile Show
Then there's the one and only
Ed ("Peanuts Nyasses") Davis,
also back from three years in the
armed forces, and pitching and
clowning in his Old-time vein. With
king Tut" the Clowns full-time
comedian, rounding out a three
ring circus with Tatum and Davis,
the Clowns comedy department is
the best they've ever had. These
three put on a pepper game never
equalled on a diamond, and also
help make the Clowns shadowball
something to see.
The fans also will like the rest
Of the Clowns team. Managed by
Jesse ("Hoss") Walker, the Clowns
boast one Of the greatest pitching
stats in Negro baseball, with
Davis, Johnny Williams, Lefty
Atires Garcia, Leo ("Preacher")
Henry, Amos Watson, Manuel Go
dinez and Jim Collie. The catching
is tops with Buster Haywood and
Sam HairstOn receiving. With Tat
um at first base, the infeld has
Ray Neil at second, Coco Ferrer at
short, Lester Lockett or Eugene
Smith at third with Manager Walk
er in reserve. The outfield is speedy
with Leovigildo Lugo in left, Yer
des Drake or Henry Merchant in
center and Dukes Cleveland in
right.
Garcia, Godinez, Drake and Lugo
are all Cubans. Ferrer is from
Puerto Rico.
And the Monarchs-they're the
fence-busting greats Of old. The
great Kansas City team swept
through to win the first half Of the
Negro American League pennant
race. despite four straight defeats
at the hands Of the Clowns, and
now the two clubs are engaged in a
hectic fight for second half honors.
Monarch Stars Back
The Monarchs have all their stars
back from the war who led the
team to successive Negro American
League championships in 1940-41-
42, and the Negro worlds cham
pionship in 1912 over the Home
stead Grays. Catcher Joe Greene,
first -baseman Buck O'Neil, short
stop Herb Thompson, outfelders
Willard Brown and Ted Strong, and
pitchers Cliff Johnson, Ford Smith
and Ted Alexander all have come
back from the wars and have made
the team the mighty Monarchs of
old.
They join such holdover Kansas
City stars as Herb Souell. Hilton
Smith, Jim La Marque, Ensloe Wy
lie. Frank Duncan, Johnny Scott,
/ Othel Renfro and Lee Moody.
The latest league average
showed the Monarchs leading the
league in team batting and team
fielding; first in home runs, triples
and stolen bases; and Scott, O'Neil
and Strong One-two-three among
the hitters with Brown and SouelI
not far behind.
It's a game Twin City fans will
talk about long after it's beer
played. The Lexington Park man.
agement is preparing for the great.
est crowd ever to witness a Negro
! game here.