Paul Eugene "Country Jake" Stephens (February 10, 1900 – February 5, 1981) was an American

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 tea ...

player known for his slight stature, speed, and defense at the

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

position. He played 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 ...

for 4 teams (–).

Early years

The younger brother of fellow Negro leaguer Frank Stephens, Stephens broke into professional black baseball by sending a telegram to

Ed Bolden Edward Bolden (January 17, 1881 in Concordville, Pennsylvania – September 27, 1950 in Darby, Pennsylvania) was an American baseball executive and owner in the Negro leagues. Early career Bolden's first occupation in baseball was as a voluntee ...

, owner of the

Hilldale Daisies The Hilldale Athletic Club (informally known as Darby Daisies) were an American professional Negro league baseball team based in Darby, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia. Established as a boys team in 1910, the Hilldales were developed by their e ...

about a great young prospect (Stephens) in

York, Pennsylvania York ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The populati ...

, who happened to be Stephens. Bolden signed Stephens in 1921. He hit .263 against all levels of competition before returning to semipro ball. He spent part of 1922 in semipro ball and some with Hilldale, batting .290. In 1923, Stephens saw more playing time, backing up

John Henry Lloyd John Henry Lloyd (April 25, 1884 – March 19, 1964), nicknamed "Pop" and "El Cuchara", was an American baseball shortstop and manager in the Negro leagues. During his 27-year career, he played for many teams and had a .343 batting average. Lloy ...

at shortstop and

Judy Johnson William Julius "Judy" Johnson (October 26, 1899 – June 15, 1989) was an American professional third baseman and manager whose career in Negro league baseball spanned 17 seasons, from 1921 to 1937. Slight of build, Johnson never developed as ...

at third base.

Eastern Colored League

In 1924, Stephens hit .183 (19 for 104) as a reserve shortstop. He asked to be taken out of game 8 of the 1924 Negro World Series; because he felt too nervous. With Stephens on the bench, catcher

Biz Mackey James Raleigh "Biz" Mackey (July 27, 1897 – September 22, 1965) was an American catcher and manager in Negro league baseball. He played for the Indianapolis ABCs (1920–1922), New York Lincoln Giants (1920), Hilldale Daisies (1923–1931), ...

moved to third base and

moved to shortstop. Unfortunately, Mackey committed a crucial error in game 8 that cost Hilldale the game and eventually the series. The

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...

won the series, the first Negro World Series ever played. In 1925,

Frank Warfield Francis Xavier Warfield (April 26, 1897 – July 24, 1932) was an infielder and manager in the Negro leagues. Career Standing at just 5'7", Warfield was known primarily for his fielding and baserunning excellence, but he also had several good yea ...

, the Hilldale manager, inserted Stephens at shortstop permanently. He hit .229 but played sufficient defense to help the Daisies to their third consecutive pennant and a victory in the Negro World Series against the 1924 champion Monarchs. Over the next three seasons with the Daisies, Stephens hit an average .229. In 1928, Hilldale traded Country Jake to the

Homestead Grays The Homestead Grays (also known as Washington Grays or Washington Homestead Grays) were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro league baseball, Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 in sports, 1912 by Cumb ...

. Stephens and

Rev Cannady Walter "Rev" Cannady (March 6, 1904 - December 3, 1981) was an American baseball infielder in the Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, L ...

were sent to Homestead in exchange for George Britt and

Martin Dihigo Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

. Stephens left the Grays and returned to play for Hilldale, but later left the Daisies as well. In 1930 and 1931, Stephens played for the Homestead Grays. The 1931 Grays are considered one of the best Negro league teams ever to play, compiling 136 wins and losing only 17. Stephens played alongside

Jud Wilson Ernest Judson Wilson (February 28, 1894 – June 24, 1963), nicknamed "Boojum", was an American third baseman, first baseman, and manager in Negro league baseball. He played for the Baltimore Black Sox, the Homestead Grays, and the Philadelphia S ...

at third base and

George Scales George Louis Scales (August 16, 1900 - April 15, 1976), nicknamed "Tubby", was an American second baseman and manager in Negro league baseball, most notably with the New York Lincoln Giants and Baltimore Elite Giants. Born in Talladega, Alabam ...

at second base. The Grays also sported sluggers

Josh Gibson Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. In 1972, he became the se ...

Chaney White Chaney Leonard White (April 15, 1894 – February 23, 1967), nicknamed "Reindeer", was an outfielder in Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a ...

and

Oscar Charleston Oscar McKinley Charleston (October 14, 1896 – October 5, 1954) was an American center fielder and manager in Negro league baseball. Over his 43-year baseball career, Charleston played or managed with more than a dozen teams, including the Home ...

. The team's pitching staff included

Smokey Joe Williams Joseph Williams (April 6, 1886 – February 25, 1951), nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" and "Smokey Joe", was an American right-handed pitcher in Negro league baseball. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all-time and was elected to the Natio ...

, Willie Foster,

Double Duty Radcliffe Theodore Roosevelt "Double Duty" Radcliffe (July 7, 1902 – August 11, 2005) was a professional baseball player in the Negro leagues. An accomplished two-way player, he played as a pitcher and a catcher, became a manager, and in his old age b ...

, and Lefty Williams. In 1930, he hit .349 for the Grays but managed only a meager .168 batting average in the 1931 season. In 1932 Stephens joined the Pittsburgh Crawfords, playing alongside

and

Satchel Paige Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...

. Known mostly for his defense, Stephens hit for a low average but proved his worth defensively, turning acrobatic double plays.

Philadelphia and New York

In 1934 Stephens joined the Philadelphia Stars. He joined Stars second baseman

Dick Seay Richard William Seay (November 30, 1904 – April 6, 1981) was an American Negro league baseball player who played from 1925 to 1947 for the Brooklyn Royal Giants, Newark Stars, Baltimore Black Sox, Philadelphia Stars, Newark Eagles, Pittsburg ...

as the best double play combination in the league. Following the 1934 season,

Cum Posey Cumberland Willis "Cum" Posey Jr. (June 20, 1890 – March 28, 1946) was an American baseball player, manager, and team owner in the Negro leagues, as well as a professional basketball player and team owner. Early life Cumberland Jr. was born i ...

selected Stephens to the annual All-star team, an honor bestowed upon him the following season as well. Stephens spent the 1936 and 1937 seasons with the

New York Black Yankees The New York Black Yankees were a professional Negro league baseball team based in New York City; Paterson, New Jersey; and Rochester, New York. Beginning as the independent Harlem Stars, the team was renamed the New York Black Yankees in 1932 and ...

, hitting .169 and .222 in 1936 and 1937 respectively. Although he received an offer to play for the

Atlanta Black Crackers The Atlanta Black Crackers (originally known as the Atlanta Cubs and later briefly the Indianapolis ABCs) were a professional Negro league baseball team which played during the early to mid-20th century. They were primarily a minor Negro league ...

, Stephens turned them down and retired from baseball after 17 seasons in professional baseball.

Later life

Stephens moved back to

, running a taproom for two years. From 1939-1955, he worked for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Stephens also worked as a part-time deputy sheriff. He is a member of the Pittsburgh and York, Pennsylvania sports halls of fame. Stephens died in 1981 and is buried in York, Pennsylvania.

References

External links

an
Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats
an
Seamheads
* Jake Stephens a

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Jake 1900 births 1981 deaths Hilldale Club players Homestead Grays players New York Black Yankees players Philadelphia Stars players 20th-century African-American sportspeople