1919 Detroit Stars season

Ownership

The team was established in 1919 by owner Tenny Blount (1873–1934), sometimes also known as "Teddy" Blount, with assistance from Rube Foster who owned the Chicago American Giants. Blount was an Alabama native who moved to Detroit in 1913 and became a prominent "numbers man".^[4][5][6]

Hall of Fame inductees

Three players from the 1919 Stars were later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame:

• Pete Hill was the team's manager, center fielder, and leading batter. During the 1919 season, Hill compiled a .396 batting average with a .488 on-base percentage and an .892 slugging percentage.^[1] By late July, he had already hit 16 home runs leading the press to describe him as a rival of Babe Ruth for 1919 slugging honors.^[7] (In 1919, Hill's batting average was 74 points higher than Ruth, and his slugging percentage was 235 points higher than Ruth.) Hill was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 by vote of the Negro League Committee.^[8]
• Oscar Charleston also joined the Stars late in the season. He was a left-handed slugger and played center field for the Stars.^[1] He died in 1954 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.^[9]
• José Méndez, a native of Cárdenas, Cuba, was the team's shortstop and also appeared in 12 games as a pitcher, compiling a 2.14 earned run average.^[1] Nicknamed "The Black Diamond", Méndez died in 1928 and was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.^[10]

Other batters

In addition to the three Hall of Fame inductees, the Stars received strong performances from several other position players.

First baseman Edgar Wesley, a left-handed hitter from Texas, compiled a .322 batting average and a .610 slugging percentage for the 1919 Stars. In 146 at bats, he tallied eight home runs, 21 extra-base hits, and 43 RBIs.^[11]

Joe Hewitt, an infielder from Alabama, led the team with 153 at bats and ranked second with 36 runs scored and third with 36 hits.^[12]

Second baseman Frank Warfield, a Kentucky native, led the team with eight triples.^[12]

Pitchers

Sam Crawford was the team's leading pitcher, compiling a 10–4 record and 2.89 earned run average (ERA).^[1]

John Donaldson also pitched for the Stars, compiling a 2.33 ERA. Donaldson was regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of the era, appearing in approximately 700 games^[13] with over 400 wins^[14] and 5,000 strikeouts.^[15] He was voted a first-team member of the 1952 Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the Negro leagues best players ever.^[16]

Batting

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; SLG = Slugging percentage

^[1][26]

Pitching

Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; PCT = Win percentage; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

^[1][26]