1932 Detroit Wolves season facts for kids

The 1932 Detroit Wolves baseball team was a special team in Negro league baseball. They played in the East–West League (EWL) during the 1932 baseball season. This team was super successful! They won 28 games and lost only 9. This amazing record helped them win the EWL championship. They finished way ahead of the second-place team. The Wolves played their home games at Hamtramck Stadium in Hamtramck, Michigan.

Many famous players were on this team. Five of them later joined the Baseball Hall of Fame. These legendary players included Cool Papa Bell (center fielder), Mule Suttles (first baseman), Willie "The Devil" Wells (shortstop), and pitchers Ray Brown and Smokey Joe Williams.

How the Team Started

After the 1931 season, the first Negro National League ended. The Detroit Stars, which was Detroit's team since 1920, also stopped playing.

The Detroit Wolves team was created before the 1932 season. They joined a brand new league called the East–West League (EWL). Cumberland Posey was a key person in starting the EWL. He also owned the Wolves team. People called him "the smartest man in Negro baseball." He was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Dizzy Dismukes, a pitcher from Alabama, became the team's manager.

To build a strong team, the Wolves signed players from the old Negro National League. They signed seven players from the 1931 St. Louis Stars team. These players were Cool Papa Bell, Willie Wells, Mule Suttles, Quincy Trouppe, Dewey Creacy, Ted Trent, and Nate Hunter.

Later in the season, the Wolves traded some players. They sent Suttles, John Henry Russell, and Creacy to the Homestead Grays. In return, they got Giles, Allen, and Jud Wilson.

Meet the Hitters

The Detroit Wolves had a very strong group of batters. They scored about 5.5 runs per game against other EWL teams.

Cool Papa Bell, who played center field, was an amazing hitter. He had a .340 batting average, which was second best in the league. He also scored 40 runs and stole 9 bases. Bell was one of the first Negro league players to join the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

Mule Suttles, the first baseman, was the team's main power hitter. He led the league with 48 RBIs (runs batted in) and 22 doubles. He was also second in the league for walks and slugging percentage. Suttles was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Third baseman Dewey Creacy played in more games than anyone else in the EWL. He was also a great fielder at third base.

Willie Wells, the shortstop, was known for his amazing defense. He was one of the best defensive shortstops of his time. Wells joined the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Meet the Pitchers

The Wolves' pitchers were the best in the EWL. Their team's earned run average (ERA) was 2.77, which means they didn't give up many runs.

Bertrum Hunter, a right-handed pitcher, led the league in wins (10) and strikeouts (72). He had a great record of 10 wins and only 2 losses.

William Bell, another right-handed pitcher, had the second-best ERA in the league at 2.47. He won 4 games and lost 2.

Smokey Joe Williams, also a right-handed pitcher, had a record of 5 wins and 1 loss. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

Ray Brown had a record of 7 wins and 7 losses. He later became very famous playing for the Homestead Grays. Brown was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Team Roster

Here are the players who played for the 1932 Detroit Wolves.

Name	Image	Position	Height	Weight	Bats/Throws	Place of birth	Year of birth
Cool Papa Bell		CF	5'11"	157	Both/Left	Starkville, Mississippi	1903
William Bell		RF	5'7"	170	Right/Right	Hallettsville, Texas	1897
Ray Brown		LF	6'1"	195	Both/Right	McDonald Township, Ohio	1908
Albert Dewey Creacy		3B	5'9"	160	Right/Right	Fort Worth, Texas	1899
Dizzy Dismukes		P	6'0"	180	Right/Right	Birmingham, Alabama	1890
Vic Harris		LF	5'10"	168	Left/Right	Calhoun, Alabama	1905
Nate Hunter		P	5'9"	175	Right/Right	Phoenix, Arizona	1910
John Henry Russell		2B	5'9"	148	Right/Right	Dolcito, Alabama	1898
Ray Sheppard		2B
Mule Suttles		1B	6'1"	200	Right/Right	Blocton, Alabama	1901
Ted Trent		P	6'3"	185	Right/Right	Jacksonville, Florida	1903
Quincy Trouppe		RF	6'2"	225	Both/Right	Dublin, Georgia	1912
Willie Wells		SS	5'9"	170	Right/Right	Shawnee, Oklahoma	1904
Smokey Joe Williams		P	6'3"	190	Right/Right	Seguin, Texas	1886
Charles Williams		P	5'6"	165	Left/Left	Tanners, Virginia	1894
Tom Young		C	6'1"	210	Left/Right	Wetumpka, Alabama	1902