[Big Six]

San Francisco Enquirer, November 16, 1920

ROY HITT'S ALL-AMERICANS IMPRESSIVE
Major Leaguers Defeat Negro League Stars, 4-3

SAN FRANCISCO--A large crowd of baseball aficionados were treated to an exhibition from some of the sport's most expert practicioners, both white and colored, yesterday at the Bay View grounds. Roy Hitt's All-Americans, a squad made up of stars from the major leagues who have been touring the West for almost a month now, defeated the Road Kings, an aggregation of Negro League standouts assembled by Bruce Petway. The final score was 4-3. Joe Wood and "Dizzy" Dismukes both demonstrated their finely honed skills, as each man had to face a lineup stocked with booming bats. Wood struck out eight men, walking none, while Dismukes fanned seven against one walk.

The Road Kings scored first, as left fielder Oscar Charleston led off the second inning with a booming double to the gap in left-center field. After Bingo Warren's ground ball to Pat O'Farrell at second moved Charleston to third, Oscar raced homeward on a deep fly ball by Tony Carter.

The All-Americans countered in the third frame, and then some. With one out, leadoff man Tillie Shafer laced a ball down the right field line that, with his speed, turned into a double. Harry Hooper bounced one right back to Dismukes, who held Shafer at second and retired Hooper. Working carefully, Dismukes passed O'Farrell on four wide ones. Then, with Shafer and O'Farrell on the move, Sandy Piez drilled a ball through the infield that second baseman Roy Gasaway nearly snared with a dive. Shafer crossed the plate, and O'Farrell slid into third.

After another walk to Joe Jackson, big Jim Nealon stepped to the slab. Nealon has been hot as a pistol throughout the All-Americans' tour, and once again, the first baseman delivered.

Nealon took a sharp curve from Dismukes and pounded it off the right field wall, missing a grand slam by inches. As was, the blow was good for two bases, and scored all three runners.

The gritty Road Kings battled back to tie the score in the sixth inning. With one out, Petway singled to center. Gasaway drove a ball to the deepest reaches of center field, and Petway came home easily. When Gasaway tried to stretch the hit into a triple, however, a powerful throw from Piez in center cut him down. Wood, perhaps shaken by Gasaway's blast, yielded a base hit to Charleston, and then a long home run to Bingo Warren. "That ball Warren hit was one of the longest balls I've ever had hit off me," Wood said after the game. "And it came on a good pitch, too."

Wood's mates regained the lead for him in the seventh, as the Road Kings' defense became sloppy. Dismukes threw wildly to first trying to retire Hooper. With O'Farrell up, Hooper lit out for second, and Petway, who is renowned for his strong, accurate arm, made a rare misfire. As the ball sailed into center, Harry reached third. O'Farrell delivered a fly to Torriente in center that was deep enough to score Hooper. Dismukes settled down to retire the side, and Wood held the Road Kings the rest of the way to seal the victory.

Today, the two teams meet again, with Walter Johnson and "Bullet" Joe Rogan the mound opponents.