Timeline of American and National League
Baseball for the Baseball-Almanac.com Year
In Review section. Project expanded to include the
National League (1900-1876), Federal League (1915-1914),
Players League (1890), Union Association (1884) and American
Association (1891-1882).
MLB
Timeline by Michael Aubrecht
Written
for Baseball-Almanac.com's Year In Review section.
Sources: Baseball-Almanac, The Baseball Timeline, The
Baseball Library, The Baseball Chronicle, Time.com,
CNN.com
1919
Off the field…
A federal prohibition act known as the "Volstead Act" was passed over the veto of President Woodrow Wilson making provisions for the enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment, which strictly forbid the manufacturing, sale, importing, or exporting of all intoxicating liquors. The act defined an intoxicating beverage as one containing more than .5% alcohol by volume and included all hard liquors and wines. It also gave federal agents the power to investigate and prosecute violations of the amendment at their own discretion.
On September 9th, three-quarters of the Boston police force voted to go on strike. Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge quickly intervened to dismiss the strikers, stating that no labor dispute would be allowed to compromise public safety.
Race riots erupted in 26 U.S. cities during the summer including an extremely violent protest in Chicago that left 38 dead, more than 500 injured, and many more homeless. The killing of a black teenager at the 26th Street beach sparked the conflict, but racial tension had been brewing in the "Windy City" for years.
In the American League…
In December, Colonel Jacob Ruppert purchased Babe Ruth from Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee. The New York Yankees owner paid a reported sum of $125,000 and guaranteed a $300,000 loan with Fenway Park as collateral for the promising pitcher/infielder who had completed the last season with 54 home runs and a .847 slugging percentage.
Chicago White Sox ace Eddie Cicotte (a member of the "Black Sox" scandal) beat the Philadelphia Athletics for the 12th straight time on June 14th en route to a 29-7 season and an astounding 1.82 ERA.
On June 23rd, Boston Red Sox first baseman Stuffy McInnis made his first fielding error after successfully handling 526 chances.
In the National League…
On June 8th, the Philadelphia Phillies outsmarted the New York Giants and broke the record for most stolen bases in an inning (set by Washington in 1915) after four runners made it to first base in the ninth and each stole both second and third.
Brooklyn Dodger Ed Konetchy went 5-for-5 on July 1st during a 9-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies tallying his 10th straight hit and tying a record set by Washington's Jake Gettman in 1897.
The National League voted to ban the use of spitball's by all new pitchers. The ban was formally worked out by the Rules Committee the following February and was expanded to include the use of all foreign substances (saliva, resin, talcum powder, paraffin) as well as any other alterations (shine or emery) to balls by pitchers.
Around the league…
Anticipating a poor season at the gate, major league owners decided to open a reduced 140-game season. Despite the lack of close races, attendance remained high all year and every club managed to show a profit at the end of the year.
The 1919 World Series ignited the infamous "Black Sox" scandal after eight members of the participating White Sox including pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude (Lefty) Williams, outfielders Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch, first baseman Chick Gandil, shortstop Swede Risberg, third baseman Buck Weaver and reserve infielder Fred McMullin were all charged with conspiring to fix the outcome of the Fall Classic against the Cincinnati Reds. Cynics were tipped off before the Series even started when the pre-game betting odds swapped shortly before the first game. Despite the rumors, most fans and members of the press accepted the games to be true, but all that would change in 1920 as suspicions turned into confessions. To this day participants in the conspiracy have been denied entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1918
Off the field…
New York suffered its worst subway accident in history after a train jumped the tracks in the Malbone Street tunnel (in Brooklyn) while traveling five times the speed limit. Ninety-two passengers were killed and over one hundred were injured. After subway motormen on the Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT) had gone out on strike on October 31st, many dispatchers and supervisors were pressed into service as replacement workers. On November 1st, dispatcher Antonio Luciano was assigned as the motorman on the Brighton Line that ran from Park Row over the Brooklyn Bridge. Luciano had never operated elevated trains in passenger service and had to navigate an S-shaped curve on what would later be called the Franklin Shuttle at Malbone Street. The speed limit at the location was posted at 6 MPH, but those on the scene later reported that the train roared through at nearly 50 causing the second and third cars to derail.
In the American League…
The American League season opened with Boston Red Sox ace Babe Ruth pitching a 4-hit, 7-1 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. Shortly after, manager Ed Barrow started Ruth's conversion to slugger by working him into 72 games as an outfielder-first baseman.
On April 18th, Cleveland Indian's centerfielder Tris Speaker turned an unassisted double play against the Detroit Tigers. Eleven days later, Speaker duplicated the feat against Chicago for the 4th solo-DP of his career and a franchise record that he would later share with teammate Elmer Smith.
During the 1918 season, Washington Senators ace Walter "The Big Train" Johnson completed 15 extra-inning games, including two of 18 innings, one of 16 innings, and another of 15 innings.
In the National League…
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves went head-to-head on August 1st for a major league record of 20 scoreless innings. Marathon man Art Nehf went the distance for Boston, but was eventually beaten 2-0 in the 21st-inning.
Cincinnati Reds manager Christy Mathewson suspended Hal Chase indefinitely on August 9th after suspecting him of taking bribes to fix games. Chase was eventually reinstated and returned to play for the New York Giants in 1919.
On October 5th, National League infielder Eddie Grant became the first major league player killed in wartime action while leading a mission in the Argonne Forest offensive to rescue the "Lost Battalion" who was trapped behind German lines. Other players killed in WWI included Alex Burr, Larry Chappell, Ralph Sharman, and Bun Troy.
Around the league…
Although both leagues optimistically kept the schedules at a 154 game season, all owners agreed to shorten spring training by 50% in an attempt to save money.
Sunday baseball was officially legalized in Washington, D.C. on May 14th after district commissioners finally rescinded the ban in response to the large increase in the city's wartime population and the need for more recreational activities.
Secretary of War Newton D. Baker ruled that baseball was not considered an essential occupation and that all players of draft age were subject to the "work-in-essential-industries-or-fight" rule.
During the "7th-inning stretch" in Game 1 of the World Series, a military band played "The Star Spangled Banner" as a tribute to all servicemen on leave and in attendance. From then on, the song was played at every World Series outing and every season opener (though it was not yet adopted as the national anthem). The custom of playing it before every game began during WWII, after the installation of stadium speaker systems made it more feasible.
1917
Off the field…
The United States officially declared war on Germany as imperial, territorial, and economic rivalries led to the "Great War" between the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and Turkey) and the Allies (U.S., Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Serbia, Greece, Romania, Montenegro, Portugal, Italy, Japan). In the end, 10 million combatants were killed and over 20 million were wounded.
American painter and illustrator James Montgomery Flagg designed over 45 patriotic posters including the "I Want You" edition that featured Uncle Sam and attracted thousands of recruits to register for WWI military duty. Flagg also wrote for Life Magazine and Judge, and even acted in silent films. These were so well received that during World War One he was asked to write promotional films for both the Marines and the Red Cross. After the war, it was the magazines of America that were his gallery and nearly every major publisher featured his art at one time or another.
In the American League…
New York Yankees lefty George Mogridge tossed a 2-1 no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox on April 24th for the 2nd of an American League record five no-hitters.
American League president Ban Johnson instructed all AL umpires not to tolerate unnecessary delays. His statement was in support of a complaint by Charles Comiskey that protested some managers and players who he felt were intentionally stretching games to two hours or more.
On September 15th, the Washington Senators' Harry Harper and Walter Johnson tossed back-to-back shutouts (5-0, 4-0) during a double header against the Philadelphia Athletics.
In the National League…
In April, the Cincinnati Reds purchased Olympic icon Jim Thorpe from the Giants, but eventually sent him back to New York in August. Thorpe never experienced the same success on a baseball diamond that he had in the Olympics and retired after an undistinguished six-season career.
On May 26th, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Walton Cruise became the first player ever to hit a ball out of Braves Park. His 402+ foot blast landed in the 25-cent stands in right field (known as the "Jury Box"). Amazingly, the next ball hit out of the park also came off the bat of Cruise (1921) when he returned as a Boston Brave.
Hank Gowdy of the Boston Braves became the first major league player to enlist in the armed forces after he registered with the Ohio National Guard. During the war, Gowdy saw considerable action in France and after he returned in 1919, he shared Boston's catching duties before he was re-acquired by the New York Giants in 1923.
Around the league…
Organized Baseball officially terminated relations with the union, leaving the players without representation. Players Fraternity president, Dave Fultz, called off a strike in which the players were attempting to eliminate a ten-day clause, in which teams refused to pay any injured player after ten days.
America's entry into WWI combined with an unusually wet spring to postpone 48 National League games in the first month. As a result, half of all major league clubs showed losses for the year and 8 of 20 minor league teams folded before the end of the season. On a side note, the American League petitioned the United States Army to assign drill sergeants to each team for daily pre-game drills.
In June, 21,000 New York fans were treated to inter-league play as the Giants and Yankees met for the first Sunday game in the "Big Apple" (a war charity exhibition).
1916
Off the field…
Montana voters elected 36-year-old Republican Jeannette Rankin as the first woman in the United States to serve in Congress. A strong proponent of peace, Rankin voted against the declaration of war on Germany in 1917 and in 1941, she cast the only vote in the House against entering WWII. A member of various antiwar organizations over the years, she led the "Jeannette Rankin Brigade", a peace group, to Washington to protest the Vietnam War in 1968.
Congress officially established The National Park Service as a bureau in the Department of the Interior. The system included not only the most extraordinary and spectacular scenic exhibits in the United States, but also a large number of sites distinguished either for their historic or prehistoric importance or scientific interest, or for their superior recreational assets. Today, the National Park System is made up of over 375 areas covering more than 83 million acres in every state except Delaware.
In the American League…
On April 11th, the World Champion Boston Red Sox suffered an embarrassing 1-0 loss during an exhibition game against the young men from Boston College.
Cleveland Indians catcher Steve O'Neill completed an amazing 36 double plays for a major league season record for catchers that still stands to date.
On May 9th, the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers combined to set a major league record with 30 walks during a 16-2, "Motor City" win. Eighteen were issued by the A's, (who went on to finish the season with 715). Detroit added 11 more the following day for a 2-game major-league record of 29.
In the National League…
The National League, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary, voted down a proposal by the New York Giants, Boston Braves, and Chicago Cubs to increase their player limit from 21 to 22.
On June 22nd, the Boston Braves pulled off the only National League extra-inning triple steal to beat the New York Giants 3-1 in the 11th. In 1941, the American League would match the feat with their only recorded triple swipe.
Chicago Cubs catcher Bill Fischer set a major league record by catching all 27 innings in a doubleheader loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 28th.
Around the league…
In January, the National Association released a list of 123 Federal League players with free-agent status under the terms of the new leagues "peace agreement". The following month, the Federal League's year-old suit charging antitrust violations by organized baseball was dismissed by mutual consent in the U.S. District Court by Judge Kenesaw M. Landis.
Chicago Cubs owner Charles Weeghman became the first to officially allow fans to keep any and all balls hit into the stands. His decision followed an incident in which a fan fought with park attendants after catching a foul ball during the St. Louis Cardinals' series.
1915
Off the field…
The Superior Court in Fulton County, Georgia accepted the charter for the establishment of the new Ku Klux Klan on December 4th. The first Ku Klux Klan was an organization that thrived in the South during the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Subsequent groups calling themselves by the same name sprang up in much of the South after both World War I and II and in response to civil-rights activity during the 1960s. In spite of its efforts, the new Klan was not strong, and by the end of the 1960's its nationwide power and membership had declined into a small, underground movement.
Ford rolled its one-millionth automobile off the Michigan assembly line, which was responsible for manufacturing half of all cars in America. To meet the growing demands of his "Model T" automobiles, Henry Ford had opened a large factory at Highland Park, in 1910. There, the industrial visionary invented precision building, interchangeable parts and a continuous moving assembly line that revolutionized automobile production by significantly reducing assembly time per vehicle as well as labor costs.
In the American League…
On May 6th, an "up-and-coming" pitcher for the Boston Red Sox nicknamed "The Babe" hit his first major league homerun off the Yankees Jack Warhop at New York's Polo Grounds.
A back-up catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics named Wally Schang set an American League record after nailing six would-be St. Louis base stealers during a 3-0 loss to the Browns.
On June 23rd, Detroit's Ty Cobb stole home (again) for the 5th time in the month en route to a 4-2 Tiger victory over the St. Louis Browns. "The Georgia Peach" would finish the season with 96.
In the National League…
Making his National League debut, St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lee Meadows became the first player to wear glasses regularly on the field. Later that season, Carmen Hill of the Pittsburgh Pirates became the second.
The Pittsburgh Pirates became the first team since 1894 to lose game 1 of a doubleheader (against Baltimore 6-0), then comeback to score in every inning of the nightcap (to win, 13-5).
On August 18th, Wilbur Good became the only Chicago Cub ever to steal second, third, and home - all in the same inning. His teammates followed his "good" example and went on to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 9-0.
In the Federal League…
After a lengthy contract dispute instigated by the Federal League's high salary structures, "Home Run" Baker announced his early retirement from the Philadelphia Athletics at the tender age of 28. Manager Connie Mack also experienced salary problems with several other players including Chief Bender, Eddie Plank, and Jack Coombs. Refusing to compete with the rival league's higher pay scale, Mack decided to release the stars and sell Baker to the Yankees after the 1915 season.
In December, organized baseball agreed to a formal "peace treaty" with the Federal League ending a 2-year political war. The Federals agreed to disband after the American and National Leagues both agreed to pay an enormous sum of $600,000 for distribution to owners, absorb 2 franchises (1 AL and 1 NL) and recognize all former players as eligible picks at a Fed-controlled auction.
Around the league…
The Federal League sued organized baseball, claiming it to be an illegal trust and demanding that it be dissolved with all contracts voided. The case was formally filed in the U.S. court in Chicago, before Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis and the future baseball commissioner intentionally stalled his decision while waiting for peace to be declared at the end of the year.
The American League officially banned the emery ball, a pitch introduced by Russ Ford in 1910. Ford had accidentally discovered that a scuffed baseball could be made to break sharply while a semi-pro pitcher. He began intentionally doctoring the ball using emery paper, and disguised his pitches as spitballs, which at the time were legal.
On "Suffrage Day", 4,100 women bought tickets to see the Giants take on the Chicago Cubs in New York. As a publicity stunt, the suffragettes announced that they would pay five dollars to each player who scored a run. Unfortunately, "Wildfire" Frank Schulte emerged as the only recipient after leading a Chicago "double-steal" in the 1st inning.
1914
Off the field…
The United States finally completed the construction of the Panama Canal. The 51 mile long waterway ran across the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic (by way of the Caribbean Sea) and Pacific oceans. After the United States acquired territory in the Caribbean and in the Pacific as a result of the Spanish-American War (1899), U.S. control over a man-made canal seemed imperative. In 1912, "The Panama Canal Act" was passed (exempting tolls from American cargo ships engaged in coastwise trade) igniting a protest by Great Britain that was eventually repealed in 1914 through the efforts of President Woodrow Wilson.
In the American League…
Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman stumbled his way into an unwanted record on June 20th after committing four errors in the 5th inning during a 7-1 loss to the New York Yankees at League Park II.
During the second game of an August doubleheader in Washington, Detroit Tigers pitcher Hooks Dauss combined with four Senators aces to hit a record seven batters for a major-league mark that remained unmatched until the 1971 season.
In September, New York Yankees shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh replaced Frank Chance to become the club's all-time youngest skipper (23), and the 7th in its 12-year existence. He later went on to win 9 of 17 games and eventually managed Cleveland in 1928.
In the National League…
On June 9th at the Baker Bowl, Pittsburgh Pirate legend Honus Wagner joined Cap Anson as the only other member of the "3,000 Hit Club". Wagner collected the game-winning double off the Philadelphia Phillies' Erskine Mayer in the ninth-inning of his 2,332nd game.
Pittsburgh and New York went head-to-head for a 21 innings on July 17th before Larry Doyle's 2-run home run sealed a 3-1 Giants victory over the Pirates. The Forbes Field marathon set a major league mark as the longest "non-walk game" in the history of organized baseball.
Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman Jake Daubert tied a major-league mark on August 15th after recording four sacrifice bunts in the 2nd game of a doubleheader sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies (8-4, 13-5). Daubert had also placed two sacrifice bunts in the first game after an ankle injury impeded his ability to run.
In the Federal League…
1914 debuted the short-lived Federal League after John T. Powers of Chicago convinced a group of entrepreneurs that the growing popularity of baseball could support a third major league. Eight teams entered the inaugural season with clubs based in Brooklyn, Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh as well as Baltimore, Kansas City, Buffalo and Indianapolis which had been the home for AAA teams. All eight cities constructed brand new ballparks including the Chicago Whales who played in what would eventually be known as Wrigley Field.
To effectively compete, the owners lured 81 former Major League players (18 of which were active) and 140 Minor League players (25 of which were active) into the Federal League Baseball Company, Inc.
On May 6th, Pittsburgh Rebel Ed Lennox collected the only Federal League cycle during a 10-4 win over the Kansas City Packers.
Around the league…
A joint committee representing both the American and National Leagues voted that a "runner touched or held by a coach while rounding third base was officially out" and that "coaches could now assist other members of their team, not just the base runners". Pitchers were also allowed to stand on the rubber (vs. standing behind the rubber until ready to pitch) and base runners were no longer permitted to run on an infield fly. A motion to eliminate the intentional walk was also rejected along with an attempt to legalize Sunday baseball in Massachusetts.
In April, the 25-player limit was suspended in both the American and National Leagues. With uncertainty over who has signed with what teams, it was almost impossible to verify how many players could be on any club's roster at any one time.
On April 22nd, a 19 year-old pitcher named Babe Ruth made his debut in the International League with a 6-hit, 6-0 win for Baltimore over Buffalo. The second batter he faced was Joe McCarthy, the manager he would later play for as a New York Yankee.
1913
Off the field…
The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (for income tax) was adopted stating that: "Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration."
One of the most important exhibitions of art ever held in the United States, "The Armory Show" aroused the curiosity of the public and helped to change the direction of American painting. An estimated 1,600 works including paintings representing many avant-garde movements from Europe were revealed to mixed reviews. Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase" was singled out by the hostile critics as a prime example of the "degeneracy" of the new art. Later, many of the same paintings would become modern masterpieces commanding millions of dollars in value.
In the American League…
The New York Yankees became the first team to practice outside the United States after they traveled to Bermuda for spring training.
On May 14th, Walter "The Big Train" Johnson topped Jack Coombs with a record of 56 straight scoreless innings as his Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns 10-5 at Sportsman's Park III.
The Boston Red Sox set a major league record for frustration on July 3rd after totaling 15 hits off the Washington Senators' Walter Johnson during a 1-0 shutout.
In the National League…
Philadelphia Phillies ace Erskine Mayer set an unwanted National League mark on August 18th after surrendering nine consecutive hits to the Chicago Cubs (all in the 9th-inning) en route to a 10-4 loss. The following day, teammate Grover Cleveland Alexander matched the unfortunate effort.
In September, Pittsburgh Pirate Honus Wagner was presented with a commemorative bat carved from a piece of wood taken from naval hero Oliver Perry's flagship Niagara (which had sunk in Lake Erie 100 years before). Wagner had been the first player ever to have his signature scrawled on a Louisville Slugger (1905).
Around the league…
American League President Ban Johnson and Detroit Tigers President Frank Navin both voiced complaints on the extensive length of the games, which were taking up to 2 hours to play. Both blamed several rules and regulations including the location of the "coachers boxes" and proposed that they be moved back so that the catcher could relay the pitcher his signals more quickly.
After ruling that a ballplayer on the field was considered a "public person," a New York judge tossed out several cases (brought by both New York and Boston players) against a motion picture company that had apparently taken film of the 1912 World Series.
In December, The Sporting News reported that 15 men (none well known) had died from various baseball-inflicted injuries during the 1913 season, according to a list compiled by J.R. Vickery of Chicago.
1912
Off the field…
American journalist and publisher, William Randolph Hearst began to acquire his media empire that would eventually include 18 newspapers and nine magazines within two decades. A flamboyant and highly controversial figure, Hearst was nonetheless an extremely competent newspaperman who quickly became one of the wealthiest men in the world. His castle at San Simeon, California, won fame for its immense art collections and is still considered one of the largest houses in the United States. The property was later presented to the state as a museum after Hearst's death.
In the American League…
While playing the Boston Red Sox in their opener at New York's Hilltop Park, the New York Yankees debuted their "soon-to-be" trademark pinstripes.
One of baseball's original cathedrals, Boston's Fenway Park, (built at a cost of $350,000) was formally dedicated as the visiting White Sox beat the Red pair 5-2 before a capacity crowd.
On August 11th, Joe Jackson of the Cleveland Indians became only the second American League player ever to steal home twice in a single game. Jackson first stole home in the first, then went on to thieve second, third and home in the seventh.
In the National League…
The St. Louis Cardinals set a major league record on April 16th after embarrassing the Chicago Cubs with a 20-5 massacre at Robison Field. (The mark would stand until 1922).
The St. Louis Cardinals also ended the New York Giants consecutive winning streak at 14 after a 5-1 effort on May 31st. The Giants incredible start of 43-11 remained the best of the century and stood unmatched until 1939 when the New York Yankees tied the mark.
In response to the demand for an alternative way to statistically rate pitchers, the National League elected to officially score the Earned Run Average for the first time. Jeff Tesreau of the New York Giants went on to lead the new category with a 1.96 ERA.
Around the league…
In an effort to eliminate the possibility of home team's ball boys influencing which ones are used for each team's turn at bat, the National League installed small boxes near home plate to supply the umpires directly.
In New York, the Giants and Yankees met at the Polo Grounds to play an unscheduled charity game to raise money for the survivors of the Titanic (which had sunk three days earlier, April 14th). The Giants prevailed 11-2.
As a gag, Western Union telegraph operator Lou Proctor entered his name as a pinch hitter into the St. Louis Browns - Boston Red Sox box score (with no hits in one at bat). Initially, the forgery was not noticed and appeared both as a published box score in The Sporting News and in the first editions of The Baseball Encyclopedia.
1911
Off the field…
On March 25th, the worst factory fire in the history of New York City occurred after the Triangle Shirtwaist Company burned down. The horrific incident had an even greater significance as it revealed the inhumane working conditions to which industrial workers were subjected. Employees at the factory consisted mostly of poor Jewish immigrants between the ages of thirteen and twenty-three and to keep the women at their sewing machines, the proprietors locked the doors leading to the exits. After a fire broke out on the eighth floor, many panicking workers rushed to the stairs, the freight elevator, and the fire escape. Dozens on the ninth floor died, unable to force open the locked door to the exit and the rear fire escape collapsed, killing many and eliminating an escape route for others. Although Pump Engine Company 20 and Ladder Company 20 arrived quickly (along with 4 other companies) the bodies of victims who had jumped hindered them from entering the building. In the end, a total of 146 women died in less than fifteen minutes bringing to the attention of the nation a need for more humane and safe working conditions in America's factories.
In the American League…
On June 18th, the Detroit Tigers staged the biggest comeback in major league history after overcoming a 13-1 deficit (after 5 1/2 innings) to defeat the Chicago White Sox by a score of 16-15.
On September 28th, several hundred fans witnessed what is considered to be one of the worst contests in American League history as the New York Yankees and St. Louis Browns combined to accumulate 29 hits, 20 walks, 12 errors and 15 stolen bases en route to an 18-12 (NY) final.
In the National League…
On May 22nd, Boston Braves pitcher Cliff Curtis set a major league record by recording his 23rd consecutive loss (beginning on June 13, 1910) with a 3-1 deficit against the St, Louis Cardinals.
By early September, Frank Schulte had hit his 21st home run and his 121st RBI. He later completed the season leading the National League in both categories and also became the first player to have more than 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in a single season.
Philadelphia Phillies ace Grover Alexander dominated the month of September after tossing complete game shutouts on the 7th, 13th, 17th and 21st.
Around the league…
The idea of selecting a Most Valuable Player was introduced after automobile maker Hugh Chalmers offered a brand new car to the MVP in each league to be chosen by a select committee of baseball writers.
The Pennsylvania Railroad set a speed record on May 29th after transporting the Chicago Cubs 191 miles from Columbus, Ohio, to Pittsburgh in 215 minutes. After arriving at the game, the Cubs showed some speed of their own and beat the Pirates 4-1.
The Federal Express of the Hartford Railroad (carrying the St. Louis Cardinals to Boston) plunged down an 18-foot embankment outside Bridgeport, CT, killing 14 passengers. Fortunately, no players were injured, and each helped to remove bodies and rescue the injured.
1910
Off the field…
The Boy Scouts of America was introduced inviting boys 11 to 17 years old an opportunity to join an organization dedicated to improving mental, moral, and physical development while stressing outdoor skills and training in citizenship and lifesaving. Originally, the movement was intended to be nonmilitary and without racial, religious, political, or class distinctions, but the Supreme Court affirmed the organization's right to limit membership to those who believe in God in 1993.
The "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People" was founded in New York, in November. The N.A.A.C.P. originally published an underground journal called "The Crisis," and was at the forefront of all the attempts by Blacks to achieve equality. For more than ninety-three years, the NAACP has continued include people of all races, nationalities and religious denominations, while remaining united on one premise, that all men and women are created equal.
In the American League…
Cleveland Indians ace Cy Young won his 500th game on July 19th after beating the Washington Senators 5-4 at American League Park II.
Washington Senators second baseman Red Killefer set a major league mark on August 27th after sacrificing four times in the first game of a Detroit Tigers doubleheader.
Eddie Collins of the Philadelphia Athletics set an American League record after stealing his 81st base of the season during an 8-1 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox.
In the National League…
The Braves and Phillies combined on April 22nd for a major-league record fewest at bats by two teams in nine innings: 48 (25 for Boston, 23 for Philadelphia). The record was tied the following season, but remained unbeaten until 1964.
On August 13th, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers played in perhaps, the most evenly matched game ever. Both teams finished the 8-8 tie (called on darkness) with exactly 8 runs, 13 hits, 38 at bats, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks, 1 hit batter, 1 passed ball, 13 assists, 27 putouts and 2 errors with 2 pitchers used.
Around the league…
William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to throw out the ceremonial "first pitch" after he opened the 1910 season at Washington's League Park. The Senators' Walter Johnson christened the tradition by pitching a one-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Athletics and Eddie Plank 3-0.
Both leagues agreed to adopt a resolution that would ban syndicate baseball, which had previously allowed owners to have financial interests vested in more than one team. They also mandated that all umpires were to announce any team changes to the spectators; batting orders were to be delivered to the head umpire at home plate before the game and a base runner was to be called out if he passed another runner ahead of him on the base path.
Email
questions-comments-corrections
Copyright
© 2002-2003 Pinstripe Press. All Rights Reserved.
All essays researched and written by Michael Aubrecht.
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York
Yankees.