There is no known photo of the 1933 game,
but this photo from the 1934 game has many of the same players.
September 10, 1933: Just 2 months after the 1st All-Star Game in what is now called Major League Baseball was played at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the 1st Negro League East-West Game is played at the same venue.
Comiskey was not just a good logistical choice, since it was easy for pretty much anyone in the country to get to Chicago, but a symbolic choice: It was the home not just of the American League's Chicago White Sox, but of one of the best-known Negro League teams, the Chicago American Giants, whose greatest player, Rube Foster had founded the original Negro National League.
Fan balloting was conducted in the major black newspapers of the day. The most popular vote-getter was Oscar Charleston, with Willie Foster, Rube's brother and teammate, finishing 2nd, and 1st among pitchers. It was still relatively early in the careers of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, who would become the best-known pitcher and hitter, respectively, in Negro League play, so they didn't do as well in the voting as would now be expected: Paige was 4th among pitchers, while Gibson was 2nd to Biz Mackey among catchers.
The East team, managed by John Henry "Pop" Lloyd:
* From the Pittsburgh Crawfords: Starting 1st baseman Oscar Charleston, starting center fielder James "Cool Papa" Bell, starting pitcher Sam Streeter, starting 2nd baseman John Henry Russell, starting left fielder Vic Harris, reserve pitchers Leroy "Satchel" Paige and Bertrum Hunter, reserve 3rd baseman William "Judy" Johnson, and reserve outfielders Ted Page and Leroy Matlock.
* From the Philadelphia Stars: Starting catcher James "Biz" Mackey, starting 3rd baseman Ernest "Jud" Wilson, starting right fielder Herbert "Rap" Dixon, and starting shortstop Dick Lundy.
* From the Homestead Grays: Reserve pitcher George Britt. (Not to be confused with George Brett.)
* And from the Kansas City Monarchs (even though they were a West team): Reserve pitcher Andy Cooper.
Charleston, Bell, Paige, Johnson, Mackey, Wilson and Cooper were later elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The West team, managed by Larry Brown (a player-manager):
* From the Chicago American Giants: Starting catcher Larry Brown, starting pitcher Willie Foster, starting 1st baseman George "Mule" Suttles, starting shortstop Willie Wells, starting center fielder Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, starting 3rd baseman Alex Radcliffe, starting left fielder Walter "Steel Arm" Davis, reserve pitcher William "Sug" Cornelius, and utility player Jack Marshall.
* From the Nashville Elite Giants: Starting right fielder Sammy Bankhead, reserve catcher Tommy Dukes, and reserve pitchers Jim Willis and Percy Bailey.
* From the Cleveland Giants: Starting 2nd baseman Leroy Morney.
* And from the Kansas City Monarchs: Reserve 2nd baseman Newton "Newt" Allen, and utility player T.J. Young.
Foster, Suttles, Wells and Stearnes would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
None of the West's bench players got into the game. The East batted first. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 3rd, when Stearnes singled Bankhead home. The East made it 3-1 in the top of the 4th, but a Suttles home run was part of a 4-3 West lead. Wilson singled home 2 runs in the top of the 5th, making it 5-4 East.
The West took control from there, scoring 3 runs in the 6th, 3 more in the 7th, and 1 in the 8th. The East scored 2 in the 9th, but it wasn't enough, and the West won, 11-7. Gibson made the final out. There was no most valuable player in the game, but Suttles would have been the best choice, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and 3 RBIs.
The East-West Game continued to be played until the Negro American League folded in 1962.
*
September 10, 1933 was a Sunday. Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was born.
In the still-all-white major leagues, these games were played:
* The New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Detroit Tigers, 2-1 and 9-1 at Yankee Stadium. Lefty Gomez and Johnny Allen were the winning pitchers. Over the 2 games, Babe Ruth went 1-for-4
with a walk before sitting out most of the 2nd game, Lou Gehrig went 2-for-5 with a home run, 2 walks and 2 RBIs, and Hank Greenberg went 2-for-8 with an RBI.
* The New York Giants swept the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1 and 2-1 at Redland Field in Cincinnati. (The next season, the ballpark was renamed Crosley Field.) In the opener, Giants player-manager Bill Terry went 2-for-5 with an RBI. So did Mel Ott. So did Travis Jackson. In the nightcap, Terry went 0-for-4 with a walk, but had an RBI on a sacrifice fly; and Jackson went 0-for-4, but Ott went 3-for-5.
* A doubleheader was split at Ebbets Field. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1st game, 2-1. The Brooklyn Dodgers won the 2nd game, 3-2. Over the 2 games, Paul Waner went 4-for-8, and Lloyd Waner went 2-for-7 with a walk and an RBI.
* The St. Louis Browns swept the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 and 4-0 at Fenway Park in Boston. George Blaeholder of the Browns and Johnny Welch of the Red Sox battled to a 0-0 tie for 10 innings. Welch ran out of gas in the top of the 11th, and the Browns scored 4 runs.
* The Washington Senators beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-3 at Griffith Stadium in Washington.
* The Chicago Cubs swept the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0 and 4-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Bud Tripping pitched a 6-hit shutout in the 1st game.
* The St. Louis Cardinals swept the Boston Braves, 7-0 and 10-5 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Bill Hallahan pitched a 4-hit shutout in the 1st game.
* And the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics were rained out at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The game was made up as part of a doubleheader the next day. The A's swept, 5-3 and 8-0. In the 1st game, Lefty Grove outpitched Ted Lyons. In the 2nd game, Johnny Marcum pitched a 5-hit shutout.
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