1926 Detroit Stars season facts for kids

The 1926 Detroit Stars were a professional baseball team. They played in the Negro National League (NNL) during the 1926 baseball season. The team had a good year, winning 52 games and losing 47, with one tie. This placed them fourth in their league. The Stars played their home games at Mack Park in Detroit. The team was owned by John A. Roesink. It was managed by Bill Riggins and Candy Jim Taylor.

Meet the 1926 Detroit Stars Baseball Team

The 1926 Detroit Stars were known for their exciting players. They had some of the best hitters and pitchers in the Negro National League. Let's learn about some of their star players.

Batting Superstars: Key Hitters for the Stars

The team had many strong hitters. They helped the Stars score lots of runs.

Turkey Stearnes: The Batting Champion

Turkey Stearnes was the biggest star for the Detroit Stars. He played in center field. Stearnes was one of the best players in the entire Negro National League. He was amazing at hitting the ball.

• He led the league with 33 doubles. A double is when a batter hits the ball and reaches second base safely.
• He had the second-highest batting average at .383. This means he got a hit almost 38% of the time he tried to hit.
• His slugging percentage was .716, which was also second best. Slugging percentage shows how powerful a hitter is.
• He ranked third in the league with 103 RBIs. RBI stands for "runs batted in." This means he helped 103 teammates score runs.
• He also hit 21 home runs, which was third in the league.
• Stearnes was fast too, stealing 21 bases. A stolen base is when a runner advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing.
• He was also great at catching the ball. He led all outfielders with 18 assists. An assist is when a fielder helps get an opponent out. He also made seven double plays. A double play is when two players are put out on the same play.

Turkey Stearnes was a true baseball legend. He was later honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Other Important Hitters

The Stars had other talented players who helped the team succeed.

• Bill Riggins was the team's shortstop. He played in 91 games. He had a .300 batting average. He was also very fast, leading the team with 25 stolen bases.
• Edgar Wesley played first base. He had a .310 batting average. He hit 16 home runs and had 64 RBIs.
• Charlie Blackwell was the right fielder. He was very good at getting walks. A walk is when a pitcher throws four pitches outside the strike zone, and the batter gets to go to first base. He led the team with 47 walks.
• Harry Jeffries played third base. He had a .291 batting average. He scored 61 runs for the team.
• Harry Kenyon was a versatile player. This means he could play many different positions. He played first base, second base, and in the outfield. He also pitched sometimes. He had a .308 batting average.
• Johnny Jones played left field. Even though he played in fewer games, he had a very high batting average of .333.

Pitching Aces: The Stars' Best Throwers

Good pitching is very important in baseball. The Detroit Stars had some strong pitchers who helped them win games.

Andy Cooper: A Hall of Fame Pitcher

Andy Cooper was one of the Stars' top pitchers. He played in 37 games, starting 23 of them.

• He had a 13-9 win–loss record. This means he won 13 games and lost 9.
• His earned run average (ERA) was 3.91. ERA shows how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings. A lower ERA is better.
• He had 70 strikeouts. A strikeout is when a pitcher gets a batter out by throwing three strikes.
• Cooper pitched 182 innings, which was second most in the league.
• His 13 wins tied him for third in the league.

Andy Cooper was also a great player. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Other Talented Pitchers

The Stars had other important pitchers who contributed to their success.

• Lewis Hampton had an 11-11 win-loss record. He had 53 strikeouts.
• Yellowhorse Morris had an 8-7 win-loss record. He had 63 strikeouts.
• Fred Bell had a 7-4 win-loss record. He had a good ERA of 3.12 and 52 strikeouts.

These pitchers worked hard to keep the other teams from scoring. Together with the strong hitters, they made the 1926 Detroit Stars a fun team to watch!