A rare scorecard from Sioux Falls, South Dakota featuring Gilkerson's Union Giants was recently put up for auction on eBay. The seller listed the item as Original 1919 Negroe League Scorecard Gilkerson's Colored Giants vs Sioux Falls.
The scorecard however is not from a 1919 game. Instead it is from 1932 - June 12, 1932 to be precise. We know this thanks to a few details provided by the original owner.
The first clue they gave us is the Union Giants' lineup for that day (I've provided the players' first names):
- (Rogelio) Crespo, 2b
- (Charles) Akers, ss
- (Owen) Smaulding, lf
- (George) Gill, 1b
- (Leon) Daniels, c
- (Chester) Hicks, cf
- (Harold) Morris, p
- (Russell) Page, rf
- (?) Saunders, 3b
None of these players were on the 1919 Union Giants, though this is a typical lineup for the 1932 team. The other clue is that Akers and Smaulding hit home runs in the game.
The Union Giants played in Sioux Falls a few times that year, including a couple of games in June and another in August. The first meeting with the Sioux Falls club was June 11th. Gilkerson's team lost to the Canaries, 6-1. Charley Akers scored the Union Giants' only run in the ninth. Owen Smaulding was the losing pitcher. The next day, the Daily Argus-Leader wrote, "the Union Giants expect to be strengthened for today's game by the addition of two players stalled in Iowa yesterday with Manager Gilkerson." Despite the claim, the lineups for both days were almost identical. The only difference was Owen Smaulding pitched and "Yellowhorse" Morris played left field in the first game. They switched roles the following day.
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| Sioux City Journal, June 13, 1932 |
On Sunday June 12th, Gilkerson's Union Giants defeated the Sioux Falls Canaries 5-2. As noted on the scorecard, both Akers and Smaulding hit home runs in the game. This is confirmed by the Sioux City Journal (right) and the Daily Argus-Leader:
"Charlie Akers, the clown shortstop of the flashing eyeballs, hit the first home run off Collins in the third inning after "Congo" had passed Saunders. Smaulding, the losing pitcher in the game here Saturday, clouted his homer almost over the same part of the left field fence in the fourth, with Morris safe on Shortstop Pat Pierce's error, scoring ahead of him. That was the Negroes' last hit, the other run having been counted in the first frame on Crespo's single, a sacrifice hit by Akers and a safe blow by Daniels, catcher."
On the flipside of the scorecard, the original owner also noted that Canaries' first baseman "Whitey" Freitag had a home run in the game. Again, this is confirmed by both newspapers.
Finally, Russell Page is listed as "Buzz" and playing left field. Curiously, "Bazz" was Owen Smaulding's nickname. It is possible the reporter got confused and listed Smaulding twice. The day before, Page was correctly listed as playing right field.
The Union Giants actually played a second game on June 12th. After defeating the Canaries, Gilkerson's team traveled 89 miles to Sioux City, Iowa to face the Stock Yards Cowboys in a night game that lasted 13 innings. The first several innings were played in drizzling rain. It was near midnight before the game ended.
The Cowboys outlasted the Union Giants in the contest, winning 6-5. Page pitched the entire game for the Union Giants, giving up a walk-off home run to Cowboys' catcher "Hack" Wilson.
The Union Giants returned to Sioux Falls just one other time in 1932. On August 28th, they lost to the Canaries 6-1 once again. Smaulding, Morris and Page all pitched in the game.
Update: The Gilkerson's Union Giants vs Sioux Falls scorecard sold on eBay for $316.00.
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