Elwood "Bingo" DeMoss (September 5, 1889 – January 26, 1965) was a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

player and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

in the

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...

from 1905 to

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

Early life

DeMoss was born in

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat ...

in 1889"WWI Draft Registration for Elwood "Bingo" DeMoss, 28th Precinct, 2nd Ward, Cook County, Illinois, June 5, 1917
/ref> and began his playing career in 1905 with the Topeka Giants. He is considered the finest fielding second baseman of the 1910s and 1920s

. He was the captain of the 1926 Negro league champion Chicago American Giants. Using great bat control, DeMoss is considered one of the greatest bunters in Negro league History. His highest batting average came in 1926 when he finished second in the batting race with a .303 average. After he retired, he spent fifteen years as a manager.

Playing career

DeMoss spent his prime years with the Chicago American Giants, and as a player-manager for the Indianapolis ABC's and Detroit Stars. From 1920 through 1930, he batted .247, including highs of .314 for the 1929 Detroit Stars and .292 for the 1920 Chicago American Giants. DeMoss was a proficient bunter and hit-and-run man, making him an ideal second-place hitter.

Jelly Gardner Floyd "Jelly Roll" Gardner (September 27, 1895 - March 28, 1977) was a baseball player in the Negro leagues. He played infield and outfield from 1919 to 1933, primarily for the Chicago American Giants The Chicago American Giants were a Chicago ...

, who batted ahead of DeMoss on the American Giants, said of his teammate, "If he thought you'd be out trying to steal, he'd foul off the pitch if he couldn't hit it well. He could hit 'em anywhere he wanted to.

Coaching career

DeMoss retired as a player after 1930, but continued to manage through 1947. In 1945, he managed the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers of the United States Baseball League, a circuit organized by Branch Rickey to scout players for possible signing by the Brooklyn Dodgers. The league lasted only one full season.

Private life

In 1917, at age 27, DeMoss registered for the WWI Draft and listed himself as married and also supporting his mother. He also lists his home address as 3433 Vernon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

Later life

DeMoss held the title of Treasurer for the Old Ball Players Club of Chicago, an organization dedicated to supporting black baseball players in the Negro leagues and honoring those who played for Major Leagues Baseball teams. DeMoss was well respected in his community, residing in the Bronzeville area of Chicago, known for his keen sense of business and money management he often provided support in the form of loans and opportunities to those in need, despite the harsh era of 'Segregation' throughout the United States. At the age of 63, DeMoss received several votes listing him second only to

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color lin ...

as best second baseman on the 1952 ''

Pittsburgh Courier The ''Pittsburgh Courier'' was an African-American weekly newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the mo ...

'' player-voted poll of the Negro leagues' best players ever."1952 Pittsburgh Courier Poll of Greatest Black Players"
/ref>

References

External links

an
Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats
an
Seamheads
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Seamheads
{{DEFAULTSORT:Demoss, Bingo Negro league baseball managers Chicago American Giants players French Lick Plutos players Indianapolis ABCs players Oklahoma Monarchs players 1889 births 1965 deaths Sportspeople from Topeka, Kansas Baseball players from Kansas 20th-century African-American people Kansas City Giants players