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{{Short description|Negro league baseball team in Detroit, active from 1919 to 1931}}
{{About|the original Negro league baseball team known as the '''Detroit Stars'''|other teams with the same name|Detroit Stars (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox baseball team
|name            = Detroit Stars
|cap_logo        = 
|logo            = DetroitStars3.png
|established     = [[1919 in baseball|1919]]
|disbanded       = [[1931 in baseball|1931]]
|city            = [[Detroit, Michigan]]
|league          = 
*Independent (1919)
*[[Negro National League (1920–31)|Negro National League]] (1920–1931)
|nickname        = 
|ballpark        = 
*[[Mack Park]] (1920–1929)
*[[Hamtramck Stadium]] (1930–1931)
}}The '''Detroit Stars''' were an American [[baseball]] team in the [[Negro league baseball|Negro leagues]] and played at historic [[Mack Park]]. The Stars had winning seasons every year but two, but were never able to secure any championships. Among their best players was [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]r [[Turkey Stearnes]].

== Founding ==
{{For-text|a list of annual win-loss records|[[List of Detroit Stars seasons]]}}

Founded in 1919 by [[Tenny Blount]] with the help of [[Rube Foster]], owner and manager of the [[Chicago American Giants]], the Detroit Stars immediately established themselves as one of the most powerful teams in the West.  Foster transferred several of his veteran players to the team, including player-manager [[Pete Hill]] and legendary catcher [[Bruce Petway]].  Left-hander [[John Donaldson (pitcher)|John Donaldson]], [[Frank Wickware]], [[Dicta Johnson]], and Cuban great [[José Méndez]] took up the pitching duties, and Texan [[Edgar Wesley]] was brought in to handle first base, a job he would hold for several years.

== League play ==
[[Image:1920 Detroit Stars.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The 1920 Detroit Stars]]
The Stars became a charter member of the [[Negro National League (the first)|Negro National League]] (NNL) in 1920.<ref name="constitution1920">{{cite web|url=http://negroleagues.bravehost.com/pdf/000590.pdf |title="Baseball Men Write League Constitution" Chicago Defender, Chicago, Illinois, Saturday, February 21, 1920, Page 9, Columns 1 and 2 |access-date=2013-12-27}}</ref> New outfielder [[Jimmie Lyons]] enjoyed a brilliant season at bat, and Detroit came in second with a 35–23 record.  The next season Lyons was transferred to the American Giants, and the team slumped to 32–32 and fourth place. This would be their low point for some time.  For the rest of their tenure in the NNL, the Stars were consistently good (finishing under .500 only twice), but not brilliant (finishing as high as second place only twice).

The mainstays of the Detroit Stars during the 1920s were Hall of Fame center fielder [[Turkey Stearnes]], who ranks among the all-time Negro league leaders in nearly every batting category; Hall of Fame pitcher [[Andy Cooper]], a workhorse southpaw; pitcher [[Bill Holland (right-handed pitcher)|Bill Holland]]; and first baseman Wesley, who led the league in home runs twice and batting average once.  Pete Hill left after the 1921 season.  Bruce Petway took his place as manager until 1926, when [[Candy Jim Taylor]] briefly held the position.  [[Bingo DeMoss]], yet another Rube Foster protégé, took over in 1927, and finally led the team to its first postseason berth in 1930.  The Stars won the second-half season title, only to lose the playoff series to the [[St. Louis Stars (baseball)|St. Louis Stars]].

== Decline and demise ==

After the collapse of the Negro National League at the end of 1931, the original Stars baseball team disbanded. They were replaced in 1932 by the [[Detroit Wolves]] of the [[East–West League]].

== Home fields ==

During the 1920s the Stars made their home at [[Mack Park]] before moving to [[Hamtramck Stadium]] during the 1930–1931 seasons.<ref>{{cite book |title=Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of Major League and Negro League Ballparks |last=Lowry |first=Philip J. |year=2006 |publisher=Walker Publishing Company, Inc. |location=New York |isbn=0-8027-1562-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/greencathedralsu0000lowr_u1c9/page/85 85, 94] |url=https://archive.org/details/greencathedralsu0000lowr_u1c9/page/85 }}</ref>

==Players==
{{Main list|Detroit Stars all-time roster}}

===Baseball Hall of Fame inductees===
These Detroit Stars alumni have been inducted to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DS/hof.shtml|title = Detroit Stars I Hall of Fame Register}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center
|-
! colspan=4 style="background:navy; color:white;"|Detroit Stars Hall of Famers
|-
! style="background:navy; color:white;"|Inductee
! style="background:navy; color:white;"|Position
! style="background:navy; color:white;"|Tenure
! style="background:navy; color:white;"|Inducted
|-
| [[Andy Cooper]] || P || 1920–1927<br>1930 ||2006
|-
| [[Pete Hill]] || OF / 1B ||1920–1921 || 2006
|-
| [[Cristóbal Torriente]] || OF / P|| 1927–1928 || 2006
|-
| [[Turkey Stearnes]] ||  CF || 1923–1931 || 2000
|-
|}

=== Notable players ===
*[[Joe Henry (baseball)|Joe "Prince" Henry]]
*[[Bruce Petway]]
*[[Ted Radcliffe|Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe]] 1928&ndash;1930
*[[John Donaldson (pitcher)|John Donaldson]] 1919
*[[Clint Thomas]]
*[[Sam Crawford (pitcher)|Sam Crawford]] 1919

== MLB throwback jerseys ==
The [[Detroit Tigers]] wear Stars uniforms on Negro League Day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/fan_forum/negroleague_weekend.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715150025/http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/det/fan_forum/negroleague_weekend.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2007|title=Negro Leagues Weekend|website=Detroit Tigers|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Negro league team|sh=DS |br=DS }}

{{Detroit Stars}}
{{Detroit Negro league baseball}}
{{Negro National League (1920–1931)}}
{{Negro League teams}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Negro league baseball teams]]
[[Category:Baseball teams in Detroit|Stars]]
[[Category:Defunct baseball teams in Michigan]]
[[Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1931]]
[[Category:Baseball teams established in 1919]]