TheDetroit Stars were an Americanbaseball team in theNegro leagues and played at historicMack Park. The Stars had winning seasons every year but two, but were never able to secure any championships. Among their best players wasBaseball Hall of FamerTurkey Stearnes.

Detroit Stars
Information
League	Independent (1919) Negro National League (1920–1931)
Location	Detroit, Michigan
Ballpark	Mack Park (1920–1929) Hamtramck Stadium (1930–1931)
Established	1919
Disbanded	1931

Founded in 1919 byTenny Blount with the help ofRube Foster, owner and manager of theChicago 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-managerPete Hill and legendary catcherBruce Petway. Left-handerJohn Donaldson,Frank Wickware,Dicta Johnson, and Cuban greatJosé Méndez took up the pitching duties, and TexanEdgar Wesley was brought in to handle first base, a job he would hold for several years.

The Stars became a charter member of theNegro National League (NNL) in 1920.^[1] New outfielderJimmie 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 fielderTurkey Stearnes, who ranks among the all-time Negro league leaders in nearly every batting category; Hall of Fame pitcherAndy Cooper, a workhorse southpaw; pitcherBill 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, whenCandy 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 theSt. Louis Stars.

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 theDetroit Wolves of theEast–West League.

During the 1920s the Stars made their home atMack Park before moving toHamtramck Stadium during the 1930–1931 seasons.^[2]

These Detroit Stars alumni have been inducted to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.^[3]

• Joe "Prince" Henry
• Bruce Petway
• Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe 1928–1930
• John Donaldson 1919
• Clint Thomas
• Sam Crawford 1919

TheDetroit Tigers wear Stars uniforms on Negro League Day.^[4]

• Franchise history at Seamheads.com
• 1920 Detroit Stars Calendar