Baseball – 1905

Baseball in 1905

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January


January 14Giants owner John T. Brush‚ who refused to play the AL pennant winners in 1904‚ proposes rules governing future World Series.
January 16It seems simple enough on paper; the Red Sox buy OF George Stone from Washington. The Browns reclaim Frank Huelsman from the Senators‚ where he had been on loan‚ and send him along with OF Jesse Burkett to Boston for Stone. Boston then sends Huelsman back to Washington in payment for George Stone. This is Huelsman’s 4th trade in 8 months. He played for five teams (Chicago twice) last year.

February


February 2Hugh Jennings‚ now managing Baltimore in the Eastern League‚ is admitted to the Maryland bar after completing law studies at Cornell. In two weeks Yankees OF Dave Fultz‚ a Columbia graduate‚ passes the New York bar exam. Fultz will suffer a late September collision with teammate Kid Elberfeld‚ breaking his nose and jaw‚ and retire at 31. In 1912 he will organize and lead the Players’ Fraternity.
February 7In Lynn‚ MA‚ Rube Waddell prevents a fire by carrying a burning stove out of a store and throwing it into a snow bank. Three days later he flees nearby Peabody to escape charges of assaulting and injuring his wife’s parents.
February 15Accused of throwing games‚ Cardinals righthander Jack Taylor is acquitted by the NL Board of Directors in New York‚ but he is found guilty of bad conduct and fined $300.
February 25While most clubs go south or stay close to home‚ the Cubs go to Santa Monica‚ CA‚ for spring training.

March


March 17In their first exhibition game of the year‚ the New York Giants beat the Birmingham Coal Barons‚ 12-5. Mathewson and Wiltse share the pitching duties and newly reacquired Sammy Strang‚ subbing at second‚ has 2 hits and fields brilliantly. The Giants‚ undefeated in last year’s exhibition season‚ will next play in Memphis.
March 29A committee of Washington writers votes for “Nationals” as the AL team nickname‚ but “Senators” continues as the general favorite.

April


April 9At San Francisco‚ the Seals (PCL) sweep a pair from visiting Portland‚ 19-3 and 2-0. Seals pitcher James “The Whale”Whalen throws his 5th consecutive shutout and his 4th consecutive shutout of the season. He has now thrown a record 47 consecutive shutout innings. On the 13th‚ Tacoma will score 5 first inning runs off Whalen to stop his streak and beat him‚ 6-1.
April 10A New York magistrate rules Sunday baseball legal‚ but the battle will continue in the courts.
April 12The Washington owners offer the players a $1‚000 bonus if they finish higher than 8th and $500 for each position higher. They will ?nish 7th‚ 11 games above St. Louis.
April 14Wait Till Next Year: Boston’s Kaiser Wilhelm loses to the Giants’ Joe McGinnity 10-1 in the opener at the Polo Grounds before an enthusiastic estimate of 40‚000. He will ?nish the year 4-22‚ one of 4 Beaneaters who will lose 20 or more this year. The other 3 are Irv Young‚ Vic Willis‚ and Chick Fraser. The only other team ever to have a quartet of 20-game losers will be the Beaneaters again in 1906.

At Washington’s American League Park‚ Jimmy Williams two-run homer‚ an inside the park shot in the first inning‚ helps New York to a 3-0 lead against lefty Case Patten. An unearned run in the 5th pins the 4-2 loss on Patten‚ winner of 14 of Washington’s 38 victories last season. Jack Chesbro wins his second straight opener.

The Cleveland-Detroit game is postponed due to snow.
April 15The Giants continue to beat up on the Beaneaters‚ riding Dick Harley for 16 hits‚ and winning 15-0. Mathewson allows just 3 hits and is lifted after 6 innings in favor of Hooks Wiltse.

At Cincinnati‚ the Reds lose to the Pirates‚ 9-4‚ with Pat Flaherty beating Jack Harper.
April 18At Washington‚ Boston pitcher George Winter pitches a one hitter and loses 1-0. Mullin’s single is the only Nat safety.
April 20Due to the late Easter this year‚ games are played on Good Friday for the first time. At Philadelphia‚ the Phils top the Giants‚ 8-1.
April 22Having failed to give out rain checks the day before when a storm stopped the game‚ the Highlanders open the gates for free admission‚ and 30‚000 people jam the park for the clash with Washington. It ends with a 5-3 Highlander victory.
April 24At Baker Bowl‚ Giants manager John McGraw lets Mathewson hit with two on in the 9th‚ and the ace promptly singles in two runs to give the Giants a 5-4 lead. Matty then checks the Phils in the bottom of the 9th for the win over Bill Duggleby.
April 26Jack McCarthy ties the ML record and sets the NL record when he becomes the 2nd OF to start 3 DPs (Jackson “Candy” Nelson in 1887‚ started 3 DPs‚ but only 2 were completed at home‚ in a UA game) in one game‚ preserving the 2-1 Chicago Cubs victory over the Pirates. All three DPs‚ including the game-ending DP‚ are at home plate to catcher Jack O’Neill‚ who sets an ML record for participating in 3 double plays: the record will be broken by Chris Hoiles. McCarthy will play just 37 games in the OF. The last to throw 3 out at home was Jim Jones on June 30‚ 1902. The AL record for 3 DPs started by an outfielder in one game will not be set until Ira Flagstead on April 19‚ 1926.

Barney Dreyfuss‚ claiming the fans want to see more hitting‚ calls for abolishing the spitball. But it will remain legal until 1920.
April 29During the Giants 10-3 victory in Philadelphia‚ Christy Mathewson is razzed by a teenager selling lemonade and responds by belting the boy in the teeth. The crowd turns ugly but the Giants emerge unscathed.
April 30Over 30‚000 attend a Sunday game between the Giants and Superbas in Brooklyn. To get around the law‚ fans make “contributions” for admission. The Giants win‚ 5-3.

At Shreveport (Southern League)‚ Harold Smith makes a strikeout-HR against Memphis‚ when the catcher misses the ball and it goes into the grandstand. No ground rules limit the runner’s advance.

At Evansville‚ IN‚ future ML umpire, Cy Rigler begins the practice of raising his right arm to indicate strikes‚ so that friends in the outfield can distinguish calls.

San Francisco pitcher Joe Corbett‚ brother of heavyweight boxing champ James J Corbett‚ defeats Oakland‚ 3-1.

May


May 1Cold weather holds the crowd to 1‚500 at South End Grounds‚ as Mathewson and the Giants freeze the Beaneaters‚ 8-2. For Matty‚ it is his 100th career victory.
May 3After a 5-4 win over the Athletics‚ Washington leads the AL‚ the highest position it has attained in any race since 1893. In 3 days it will be supplanted by the Cleveland Naps (formerly the Blues).

After a 5-4 win versus visting Pittsburgh‚ the Cardinals fire Kid Nichols as manager. Nichols guided St. Louis to a 5th place finish last year and they were 5-9 under him this season. Nichols will sign with the Phillies as a pitcher‚ while Jimmy Burke will take over as manager for the next 90 games before he too will be let go.
May 6At the Polo Grounds‚ Boston’s Irv “Little Cy” Young wins a duel with Christy Mathewson‚ beating the Giants‚ 2-1. New York (13-4) keeps its hold on first place.
May 8In the 2-1 Pirate win over the Reds at Pittsburgh‚ OF Otis Clymer gets into a fight with Reds 1B Cliff Blankenship. The bad feelings started several days ago when Blankenship bumped Honus Wagner on the basepaths and Clymer tried to retaliate by spiking Blankenship at 1B today. Blankenship twice punches Clymer as both are tossed from the game. The first sacker is pelted with bottles and a thrown knife by fans.
May 9The last place Cardinals edge the first place Giants‚ 8-7. Josh Clarke‚ brother of Fred‚ hits a solo homer off Iron Joe McGinnity to help St. Louis.
May 10John Lower of Waco (Texas League) tosses a 15 inning one hitter‚ which ends in a scoreless tie. (as noted by Art Schott). The only hit comes in the first inning.
May 11Christy Mathewson strikes out the side in the first inning and whitewashes the Cardinals‚ 4-0‚ on 5 hits. Jack Taylor takes the loss for St. Louis.

In Brooklyn‚ the Superbas attempt to change their bad luck by batting first against the Reds and take advantage of hitting a clean ball. “The like th new ball‚” observes manager Ned Hanlon. The Reds win it in the bottom of the 10th-an unusual occurrence-when Admrial Schlei hits an RBI single. Undaunted‚ Brooklyn will bat first tomorrow and beat the Reds‚ 2-1.
May 13At New York‚ Dummy Taylor shuts out Chicago‚ 1-0‚ beating the Colts Carl Lundgren in the first of three straight collars by Giants pitchers.
May 15Joe McGinnity and the Giants edge the Chicago Colts (Cubs)‚ 4-0. Three Fingered Brown is the loser.
May 16Red Ames stops Chicago‚ 4-0‚ the 3rd shut out in a row over Chicago by the Giants. His opponent is Ed Reulbach‚ making his ML debut and allowing just 5 hits. Reulbach‚ called “the greatest of all college pitchers” after a stellar season at Notre Dame in 1904 and switching to the University of Vermont for 1905. Reulbach set a college strikeout record in 1904 and beat Syracuse University‚ 1-0‚ on May 12. Despite missing a month he will finish this year at 18-14 (Total Baseball numbers).
May 17Waseda University of Tokyo defeats Los Angeles High School 5-3 in the first game of an American tour. It is the first baseball game ever played by Japanese outside Japan. Waseda starts a powerhouse tradition at Japan’s Big Six universities that continues today.
May 18The Pirates smack Mathewson for 9 hits and beat the host Giants‚ 7-2.
May 19Banished yesterday for brawling with Pittsburgh manager Fred Clarke‚ John McGraw roams the Polo Grounds before today’s game with the Pirates‚ shouting insults at Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss. McGraw accuses him of controlling the NL umpires through league president Harry Pulliam and welching on gambling debts. McGraw is again ejected during the game. Dreyfuss will files a formal protest with the league about McGraw’s behavior‚ his swearing‚ and his shouting “Hey‚ Barney” at Dreyfuss from the field. He also contends that the Giants manager offered to wager $10‚000 that the Giants would win the game. McGraw responds to Dreyfuss’ complaint by stating that NL President Pulliam could not “forget his former role as the secretary to Dreyfuss.” A meeting of the Leagues directors results in a $150 fine and 15-day suspension for McGraw‚ but John Brush immediately gets a Superior Court injunction blocking the suspension and further hearings exonerate McGraw. Today’s match is won by New York‚ 7-1‚ as Dummy Taylor bests Chick Robitaille.
May 20The Reds purchase former Red Shad Barry from the Cubs.
May 23Paced by Bill Dahlen‘s two home runs‚ the Giants scrub Orval Overall for a 7-0 win over the Reds. Christy Mathewson strikes out 8 and allows just 3 singles for the win.
May 27Pulliam levies a $150 fine and a 15-day suspension. McGraw files for an injunction against the fine and suspension‚ which the judge eventually grants. On June 1st the NL board meets in Boston and clears McGraw of the Dreyfuss charges‚ then censures Dreyfuss for engaging in a public altercation with McGraw. The “Hey‚ Barney” line will follow Dreyfuss for years.

At the Polo Grounds‚ Mathewson stops Brooklyn‚ 4-1‚ beating Oscar Jones. Except for a poor throw by Roger Bresnahan‚ Matty would’ve had his 3rd shutout.
May 28New York City’s police commissioner instructs his policeman to stop any Sunday baseball until the issue is resolved in the courts. The edict stops the Giants-Brooklyn game scheduled today at Washington Park‚ and almost gets Giants’ ace Iron Joe McGinnity arrested. McGinnity is asked to pitch in a semi-pro game at a field at 46th and 2nd Avenue‚ but upon arriving gets into an argument about money and refuses to put on a uniform. The police moved and arrest all the players except Joe‚ who is in street clothes.
May 29The Giants split an a.m.-p.m. twinbill with Brooklyn‚ winning the morning game 7-2 and dropping the nitecap‚ 4-3. Elmer Stricklett‚ an early proponent of the spitball (some account have him introducing the spitter to the NL)‚ allows just 5 Giant hits in the win.

At Pittsburgh‚ Dave Brain hits 3 triples to pace the Cardinals to a 6-3 win over the Pirates. He’ll match that mark on August 8.
May 30Both leagues post record attendance figures for the Tuesday Memorial Day holiday. Thanks to morning-afternoon doubleheaders‚ 80‚963 attend 8 AL games‚ 67‚806 see 7 NL games. At Chicago‚ Detroit wins a pair from the White Sox‚ 1-0 and 3-2. In Cleveland‚ the visiting Browns are edged twice‚ 1-0 and 6-5.

The Yankees sell veteran OF John Anderson to Washington.
May 31The Reds use late rallies to sweep a pair from the visiting Cubs. In the opener‚ they score 3 in the 9th to win‚ 11-10. P Jack Harper drives in the winning run with a single off Three Fingered Brown. In the nitecap Admiral Schlei hits a sac fly in the 9th for a 3-2 win.

June


June 1Mathewson tops Boston‚ 8-2‚ scattering 11 hits in beating Irv Wilhelm. The Giants (31-9) are now 7 1/2 games ahead of the Pirates.
June 2The Giants score 5 runs in the 13th to beat Boston and give Red Ames his 9th win since the start of the season.
June 6In a courtesy trade‚ the Reds send little-used (2 at bats) C Gabby Street to the Boston Nationals. Boston will only play Street in 3 games before sending him back to Cincinnati on July 30.
June 7At Pittsburgh‚ Mathewson beats Patsy Flaherty‚ 5-3‚ for the Giants. Matty drives in an insurance run in the 9th with his 2nd hit of the game.
June 8Red Ames‚ 22-year-old righthander‚ loses to Pittsburgh after winning 9 in a row. A surprise winner for the Giants‚ Ames will have the best season of his 19-year career‚ 22-8.
June 9The A’s Rube Waddell loses after 10 wins in a row; as the White Sox beat him 3-2 in 14 innings. Waddell will be 26-11 for the Athletics this year; his 1.48 ERA will be the AL’s best.

The Giants score 5 runs in the top of the first against Sam Leever‚ but the Pirates come back with 6 runs off Joe McGinnity in the bottom of the inning. Mathewson relieves in the 2nd but 6 Giant errors help sink the visiting New Yorkers. Pitt wins‚ 12-6.
June 10The host Athletics outslug the Tigers‚ 15-8.
June 13At the West Side Grounds‚ Christy Mathewson and the Zephyrs’ (Cubs) Mordecai “Three Fingered” Brown almost matched Matty for 8 innings‚ allowing just 2 hits‚ but 4 straight hits in the 9th score the winning run for Giants‚ 1-0. Matty tosses his 2nd no-hitter and his 31-8 record and 1.27 ERA‚ with 9 shutouts‚ will mark his 3rd straight 30-win year.

During a 7-0 White Sox win over host Washington‚ Frank Owen of the Sox‚ steals home in the 8th inning. It is the second double steal of the game for the Sox against the Stahlwarts‚ and it is Owen’s 2nd steal of home‚ both against the Nats.
June 14The White Stockings keep stealing in Washington‚ as veteran George Davis swipes 4 bases in a 5-3 win. Ed Walsh is the victor. The 4 bases is a club record that will be tied but not topped this century.
June 17At Robison Field‚ Mathewson wilts in the heat‚ but Hooks Wiltse relieves to preserve the Giants‚ 7-2‚ win over St. Louis. Charlie McFarland takes the loss.
June 19The Giants lose to Cincinnati when New York P Hooks Wiltse accidentally swallows a quid of chewing tobacco that upsets his stomach and his pitching. The Reds roll to a 17-7 win‚ the 8th win in a row for the Reds. In the 3rd inning‚ Giants RF George Browne chases down an overthrow behind first bases and is greeted by several bottles tossed at him. One hits him on the leg‚ and both managers and a “swarm of coppers” (Cincinnati Enquirer) converge. Browne will file charges against a fan‚ but when the case appears in court the only testimony is given by Reds President Garry Herrmann and the case is dismissed.

Cleveland clubs the Highlanders‚ 12-3‚ behind Nap Lajoie‘s 5-for-6 hitting.
June 20A young woman sues the Giants for injury suffered when a foul ball hits her. Judge M. Laughlin rules that patrons attend baseball games at their own risk.
June 21The Giants score 4 in the first against the Reds and Mathewson scatters 7 hits and coasts to a 6-3 victory. Tom Walker is the loser.
June 24Chicago Zephyrs rookie righthander Ed Reulbach wins an 18-inning marathon duel with the Cards’ Jack Taylor 2-1 in St. Louis. First baseman Frank Chance has 27 putouts and 2 assists for Chicago. Three years ago‚ Taylor went 19 innings against Pittsburgh.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants beat Boston‚ 2-1‚ in 12 innings‚ with Mathewson getting the win. With 2 outs in the 12th‚ Matty hits a flyball to CF Rip Cannell‚ who drops the ball. Catcher Frank Bowerman‚ on 1B‚ chugs around with the winning run. Irv Young is the unfortunate loser.
June 29At Brooklyn‚ the Giants tally 7 runs in the first 3 innings off Mal Eason to coast to an 11-1 victory. Mathewson leaves after 5 innings of shutout ball‚ and Claude Eason tosses the last 4 innings. Dan McGann paces the offense with a triple and homer‚ while Moonlight Graham‚ in his only game in the majors‚ takes over in right field as a late inning replacement. Graham will have no at-bats but will be made famous in W. P. Kinsella’s Field of Dreams.
June 30Nap Lajoie is sidelined by blood poisoning from neglect of a spike wound. He will play in only 65 games‚ losing a chance to lead the AL in batting for the 5th straight year.

At New York‚ Eddie Plank is removed with no outs in the 9th inning and the A’s leading 7-4. Rube Waddell comes in and retires the side to preserve the A’s victory.

July


July 1White Sox P Frank Owen narrowly misses becoming the first to pitch a doubleheader shutout as the Browns score two runs off him in the 2 games. The Sox win 3-2 and 3-0.
July 4In an A.M.-P.M‚ doubleheader between Boston and Philadelphia‚ the A’s take the morning game 5-2‚ using pitchers Eddie Plank‚ Coakley and Rube Waddell on the mound to beat Jesse Tannehill. The afternoon contest proves a classic as Philadelphia’s Rube Waddell bests Cy Young in a 20-inning marathon‚ when the Athletics prevail‚ 4-2. It is an AL record that will last a year. Boston outhits the A’s‚ 15 to 13‚ but the 38-year-old Young loses on an error‚ hit batsman and two hits. Young walks nobody in the 20 innings‚ while 1B Bob Unglaub records 31 putouts. Philadelphia C Ossee Schreckengost works 28 innings in one day‚ a ML record.

At Baker Bowl‚ the Phillies split with the Giants‚ winning the first game 2-0 as Jack Sutthoff outpitches Christ Mathewson. Sutthoff allows just 3 hits. Joe McGinnity earns the split in the nitecap with a 6-3 victory. The Giants are now 7 games ahead of the Pirates.

The Cardinals trade INF Dave Brain to Pittsburgh for George McBride.

Bugs Raymond of Charleston‚ SC (South Atlantic)‚ pitches the morning and afternoon games of a doubleheader‚ throwing a no-hitter in each game.
July 5At Cincinnati‚ 36-year-old Tommy Corcoran hits an inside-the-park grand slam off Jack Taylor in the 3rd inning to pace the Reds to a 9-5 win over St. Louis. Appreciative fans give Corcoran 2 pairs of shoes‚ a bat‚ and a 5-pound box of candy.
July 8In an AL doubleheader split at Philadelphia‚ Boston has ML record 14 doubles and the A’s 12. The 26 doubles is also a ML record. Boston’s Hobe Ferris has 5 doubles as Boston wins the opener‚ 11-8‚ and loses game 2‚ 11-4.
July 12Chicago’s Three Fingered Brown scores the first of 9 straight wins over Christy Mathewson 8-1 as he allows just 2 New York hits. New York’s lone run scores on an error by Billy Maloney. Matty gives up 12 hits while his teammates commit 5 errors. Of 28 matches over their careers‚ Brown will win 14.

The Detroit Tigers beat New York‚ 6-3‚ with the help of 2 errors by Highlander 1B Jack Doyle. The vet Doyle was signed yesterday and this will be his only appearance for New York.

At Boston‚ the Reds score 7 runs in the 6th to beat the Braves‚ 15-3 in the first of 2. Rookie Charley Malay hits his only career homer‚ a-3-run HR‚ off Patsy Flaherty. Because of the intense heat‚ Reds manager Joe Kelley wants game 2 to be limited to 7 innings‚ but Boston manager Fred Tenney insists on 9: the Braves win‚ 3-2. Tomorrow‚ however‚ game 2 of the DH will be postponed till August.
July 13The Philadelphia A’s “sell” catcher Mike “Doc” Powers to the New York Highlanders. Powers will be sold back to the A’s on August 7. As noted by Lyle Spatz‚ Powers was needed to replace back up C Red Kleinow‚ injured yesterday in a game with Detroit. Powers will catch tomorrow but play mainly at 1B‚ replacing Hal Chase whose nose was broken in the Detroit game. The New York Times (July 22) will note that New York needed Powers to replace Patsy Dougherty‚ out with a finger injury.
July 14With runners on 1B and 3B and no outs in the 9th‚ Boston’s Ed Abbaticchio lines to SS Corcoran in a game-ending triple play against the Reds Bob Ewing. The play preserves the Reds’ 4-3 win and is the 2nd triple play in a Reds-Boston game in a week. The other Reds’ game-ending TP was on June 22‚ 1882: the next won’t come until May 30‚ 1967. In the 6th Fred Odwell‚ who will lead the NL in home runs‚ hits a homer over the RF wall‚ one of the longest blows hit at South End Grounds.
July 15In New York‚ the Giants open a four-game series the 2nd place Pirates by staking McGinnity to a 6-0 lead. But the Bucs score 2 in the 6th and 5 runs in the 7th inning before Iron Joe is lifted. Mathewson shuts out Pittsburgh over the last 2 2/3 inning and New York scores a deuce in the 9th on a 2-run homer by George Browne. Browne is carried off the field by the ecstatic fans after the 8-7 win. Pittsburgh takes the nitecap‚ 3-0‚ behind Deacon Phillippe‘s four-hitter. Honus Wagner secures the victory with a 2-run homer onto the elevated tracks in the 8th inning.
July 16The Pirates edge the Giants‚ 2-1‚ overcoming the pitching of Christy Mathewson‚ who is knocked over by Fred Clarke in a play at 1B. Six Giants are tossed out of the coaching box during the game. Pittsburgh now trails New York by 6 games.
July 17Reds rookie Orval Overall tosses a one-hit 10-inning 1-0 win over Philadelphia. The only hit is a weak grounder in the 6th by Red Dooin‚ who is safe when Overall is late covering the bag. Overall ignites the 10th inning rally with a single off Tully Sparks.Harry Steinfeldt‘s RBI double is the winner.
July 18The Pirates tally 8 hits including a HR‚ over 7 innings against Mathewson‚ to win‚ 2-1. The game is briefly stopped by ump Johnstone after a Giants fan tosses a pop bottle at Pirate RF Otis Clymer while he’s chasing down a single.
July 19The Pirates pull to within 5 games of New York by overcoming a 5-2 deficit and beating the Giants‚ 8-5. Bill Klem provokes a barrage of garbage from the New York fans by tossing Dan McGann and Mike Donlin out of the game for abusive behavior.
July 20SS Phil Lewis has a busy afternoon at Washington Park in the Brooklyn 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Lewis has 18 chances and comes up with 7 assists‚ 6 put outs and 5 errors‚ the latter tying the NL record. Winning pitcher Stricklett makes 2 errors. The attendance for the last place Brooklynites is 1500; they had 330 for a recent game.
July 21At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants score 6 runs in the 2nd inning against St. Louis‚ with Sam Mertes‘ grand slam providing the big blow. Mathewson is given the afternoon off after 5 innings‚ with New York in command‚ 10-2. New York wins‚ 14-2‚ pinning the loss on Jack Taylor.

In Chicago‚ Sox manager Comiskey protests when the Highlanders use Doc Powers. Powers joined the New York squad in Cleveland July 14 after the A’s loaned the first baseman as a replacement for Patsy Dougherty‚ who injured his finger (see entry July 13‚ 1905). Powers is to return to the A’s tomorrow when Fred Curtis is expected to join the Highlanders from the Copper League. Orth and Altrock battle each other and the White Sox score with 2 out in the 9th to tie at 1-1. Another run in the 12th gives the White Sox the victory.
July 22Weldon Henley of the Athletics‚ who will win 4 games all year‚ fires a no-hitter against the 7th place St. Louis Browns winning 6-0. Harry Davis and Lave Cross each have 3 hits off Barney Pelty. St. Louis cops a split by defeating Rube Waddell‚ 3-2‚ in the nitecap.
July 23Behind Cy Young Boston beats Detroit‚ 6-1‚ and would’ve scored more except for 5 DPs started by SS Charley O’Leary‚ an AL record that will be tied but never topped this century.

The Philadelphia Athletics edge the White Sox‚ 1-0. Sox SS Goerge Davis pulls off a hidden ball trick in the first inning nabbing Topsy Hartsel.
July 24Giant LF Sam Mertes makes an unassisted double play to help New York stop the Reds‚ 4-3‚ at the Polo Grounds. In the 2nd inning‚ the Reds have one out and a runner on 3rd‚ outfielder Cy Seymour‚ once a wild pitcher for the Giants. Mertes catches a short fly off the bat of George Schlei and continues running to double off Cy.

Detroit and Boston play their 2nd straight game in Columbus‚ Ohio. Boston won yesterday‚ 6-1‚ behind Cy Young‚ and today Boston wins again‚ 7-1. Bill Dinneen is victorious over Detroit workhorse George Mullin. Boston 2B Hobe Ferris was 3-for-4 yesterday‚ and today chips in with a homer.
July 25Mathewson wins his 16th‚ defeating the Reds‚ 7-2. The game was close until Frank Bowerman belts a 3-run homer in the 8th for the Giants. Cincy fans get a scare in the 1st inning when Reds C Ed Phelps is knocked unconscious when he struck by the back swing of Sam Mertes. Phelps is rushed to a hospital.
July 29The Giants increase their lead to 7 1/2 games by shutting out the Reds‚ 3-0. Mathewson scatters 6 hits in defeating Orval Overall.
July 31Charles P. Taft‚ owner of the Cincinnati Times-Star and brother of a future president‚ finances Charles W. Murphy’s purchase of the Chicago Cubs for $125‚000.

August


August 1The Giants win their 12th in a row‚ and 11th straight against Cincinnati 10-5. The Pirates will end the streak at 13 on August 3rd‚ but the Giants will win the pennant easily‚ 9 games ahead of Pittsburgh.

Cubs manager Frank Selee resigns and is replaced by Frank Chance‚ who is elected manager in a narrow vote among the players. Selee‚ suffering from tuberculosis‚ had not been making road trips‚ and Chance has been serving as road manager. Selee‚ who fashioned the team that will dominate the second half of the decade‚ retires to Colorado. The visiting Phillies overcome a 5-0 deficit to down Chicago‚ 7-6‚ in 11 innings.

Cleveland’s cross-firing Earl Moore is hit on the foot by a line drive and limps to a 3-2 loss to the Highlanders in New York. He will limp to a 2-8 record the rest of the season‚ finishing at 15-15 and win just 9 games in the following three seasons. Meanwhile‚ Cleveland “loans” catcher Nig Clarke to Detroit. He’ll be returned to Cleveland‚ August 11. He’s the 3rd catcher this year to be sold‚ then returned to his original team.

The Reds release sore-armed Noodles Hahn‚ 26. In six seasons Noodles won 122 games and led the NL in strikeouts three times.
August 2The Athletics go into first place as Rube Waddell beats the White Sox‚ 4-3‚ fanning 14. He will lead the AL with 287 strikeouts‚ the 4th of 6 straight seasons when he tops the league.

At Pittsburgh‚ the Giants win their 13th game in a row‚ beating the Pirates‚ 3-1‚ to take a 10 1/2 lead over the Pirates. Mathewson is the winner over Deacon Phillippe. Bucs star Honus Wagner is thrown out at first in the 4th inning on a close play‚ then shows his displeasure by firing a ball near umpire George Bausewine during warmups the next inning. Bausewine responds by thumbing Honus out of the game. Wagner will be suspended for 3 games and fined $40.
August 3The Reds Charley Chech tosses a 5-0 shutout over Brooklyn. 1B Shad Berry helps with a successful hidden ball trick on rookie Charley Malay.
August 4The Highlanders field a unique battery: Doc Newton pitching and Mike “Doc” Powers catching‚ but only Powers is a physician. The Highlanders beat St. Louis‚ 7-3.

At Boston‚ Harvard Eddie Grant makes his ML debut‚ collecting 3 hits for Cleveland. But Boston wins‚ 7-5. Grant will go hitless tomorrow in an 8-4 loss to Cy Young‚ and be sent down to the minors. He’ll resurface with the Phillies in 1907.
August 5Highlanders 1B Hal Chase has a record 38 putouts in a doubleheader sweep versus the visiting Browns. The Highlanders win 3-1 and 6-5.

Umpire George Bausewine is once again in the middle of controversy. He forfeits a game to the Pirates with the score tied 5-5 in the 9th when the Giants argue too long over his safe call at 3B. New York will appeal the forfeiture‚ but on August 26th President Pulliam will uphold the ump’s decision. By the rules of the day‚ Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson is charged with the loss.

The Reds score 8 runs in the 1st en route to a 19-6 win over Brooklyn. Miller Huggins scores 5 runs for Cincinnati.
August 6At Cincinnati‚ the Reds and Brooklyn split a twinbill. Brooklyn wins the opener‚ 6-3‚ and the Reds take the nitecap‚ 2-0‚ behind Bob Ewing‘s 2-hitter. The two teams tie the ML record by handing out just one walk in the 2 games.

Kid Nichols‚ fired in May as the player-manager of the Cardinals‚ pitches the Phillies to a 2-1 victory over his old team. The Kid will go 10-6 with the Phillies this year.
August 8Dave Brain‚ who hit 3 triples in a game in Pittsburgh for St. Louis on May 29th‚ repeats the performance for Pittsburgh against visiting Boston. The Pirates win in 10 innings‚ 5-4‚ with Brain’s triples coming in the first 9 innings. He is the only major league player to perform the feat twice in one season. The two performances also ties the career ML record: no one else in the 20th century will have two three-triple games in his career.

In Chicago‚ the Cubs notch 6 hits and 3 runs off Dummy Taylor‚ but the Giants still lead 4-3 in the bottom of the 4th‚ when McGraw lifts the pitcher for Christy Mathewson. Matty shuts out Chicago over the last 5+ innings‚ but the win goes to Taylor. By today’s standards the win would go to Mathewson‚ since Taylor did not last through the first 5 innings.
August 9In Pittsburgh‚ Bill Klem narrowly escapes a beating at the hands of gamblers. The heavily favored Pirates are down 5-2 in the 9th inning against Boston when a number of Pirates start mocking Klem’s flamboyant calls. The rookie umpire chases them down and fines each $10‚ thereby incurring the wrath of the gamblers‚ who go looking for Klem. He wisely hides in the ladies’ room.

Following a 5-4 loss to Brooklyn‚ the 6th-place St. Louis Cardinals fire their manager Jimmy Burke and put in Matt Robison. Robison is the 3rd manager this year for St. Louis‚ and he’ll be replaced at the end of the year by John McCloskey.

Mistaking her husband for a burglar‚ Ty Cobb‘s mother shoots and kills him‚ and incident that will be cited as the reason for Cobb’s intense desire to succeed. The Georgia Peach will make his ML debut with the Tigers later this month.
August 10Catchers are not expected to hit triples‚ but Boston Beaneater backstop Pat Moran legs out a trio of 3-base hits against the Pirates in Boston’s 7-4 win.

In a great pitching duel‚ New York ace Christy Mathewson allows 3 Chicago hits‚ while the Giants manage just 4 off Ed Reulbach. New York tallies an unearned run in the 6th for the games only score.
August 15The A’s Rube Waddell is the whole show today as he hurls a 5-inning no hitter over the Browns. The A’s are ahead 2-0‚ when the rain starts pouring after the A’s bat in the 5th. Waddell strikes out 9 batters‚ and three more bounce out to Waddell. The one runner reaches on Rube’s error.
August 17Christy Mathewson pitches his 2nd straight 3-hit shutout against Chicago‚ this time beating Bob Wicker‚ 3-0.

Bill Bradley takes over for Nap Lajoie as manager of Cleveland and guides the Brads to a 2-1 loss to New York. Bradley will be 21-20 as manager before Lajoie retakes the reins for the last 56 games. Cleveland‚ just 3 games out of 1st place at the start of play today‚ will go 8-18 this month as they slide to a 5th place finish.
August 20The A’s Rube Waddell strikes out 12 batters in 7 innings‚ but the effort is wasted as the Browns and A’s go 16 innings before the game is a called at 3-3. Bobby Wallace has 5 hits.
August 21The Giants run past the Pirates‚ 10-2‚ with Mathewson defeating Deacon Phillippe. New York swipes 5 bases including a steal of home by Art Devlin.
August 22Umpire John Sheridan forfeits a game to Washington in the 11th when the Tigers refuse to resume play after a lengthy dispute. Washington is ahead 2-1 at the time of the forfeiture.
August 24Chicago’s Ed Reulbach defeats Philley starter Tully Sparks in a 20-inning 2-1 Colts marathon win over the Phils‚ exactly 2 months after Big Ed topped the Cards by the same score in 18 innings. Frank Chance‘s single drives in Jack McCarthy with the winning run. The game ties the existing ML mark for the most innings played in a game. A high point in the game‚ as recounted in Johnny Evers Touching Second‚ is when OF Jimmy Slagle‚ in the 18th‚ shoves his hand in his back pocket to get a plug of chewing tobacco just as the batter cracks a long line drive. Slagle starts after the ball and discovers that he can’t get his hand out of his pocket. He makes a leaping one-handed catch with his gloved hand‚ then stops‚ pulls the tobacco out‚ bites off a piece and bows to the crowd.

The Giants win their 12th straight over the Reds‚ as Mathewson wins easily‚ 8-0. Matty allows 2 scratch hits. The 2nd game is called on account of darkness‚ 6-6‚ after 9 innings.
August 26The Giants beat up on the Reds again‚ winning 2-0 and 6-5. McGinnity wins the opener‚ allowing 5 hits in the shutout. New York scores 4 runs in the nitecap on wild pitches by Orval Overall‚ but when the Reds load the bases with no outs in the 9th‚ Mathewson relieves Dummy Taylor and gets 3 straight outs.
August 28The Giants beat the Cards‚ 8-1‚ with Mathewson outpitching Jake Theilman. New York leads the Pirates by 8 1/2 games.
August 30Ty Cobb makes his ML debut‚ doubling off Jack Chesbro‚ as Detroit defeats New York‚ 5-3. The 2-bagger is the first of his 4‚191 hits‚ a record topped by Pete Rose with 4‚256 in 1986.
August 31White Sox ace Frank Smith throws a near-perfect game‚ beating the Washington Nationals‚ 2-0. Jake Stahl’s single accouncts for the only Nat baserunner.

September


September 1At the Polo Grounds‚ Mathewson allows 3 hits‚ strikes out 9 and allows no earned runs as New York whips the Phillies‚ 4-1.

Hillerich & Bradsby sign a contract with Honus Wagner to produce the first autographed model bat.
September 3Pittsburgh’s Deacon Phillippe and Chicago’s Bob Wicker hook up in an 10-inning scoreless duel‚ each allowing just 3 hits‚ before Chicago pushes across a run to win. In the nitecap‚ Lefty Leifield makes his ML debut and fires a 1-0 win over Chicago in a game stopped after 6 innings.
September 4In a rain-delayed doubleheader‚ the Giants trip the Phillies twice‚ 7-1 and 11-6. The opener doesn’t start till 3:00 p.m. but Joe McGinnity wins easily. Mathewson wins his 25th in the nitecap‚ despite spotting the Phils 5 runs in the 2nd inning. The Phillies match the gift in the 5th and 7th innings.
September 5When Boston beats the Athletics 3-2 in 13 innings‚ they score the first runs off Rube Waddell in 44 innings. Waddell strikes out 17.
September 6After 6th-place Detroit beats the White Sox 4 times in 2 days‚ Chicago turns the tables by whitewashing the Tigers twice today. The Sox win the opener‚ 2-0‚ behind Doc White‚ then Frank “Piano Mover” Smith‚ who threw two one-hitters earlier in the year‚ tosses a 15-0 no-hitter in the 2nd game. This is the most lopsided no-hitter in history and also the 2nd time that the Sox have no-hit the Tigers: Jimmy “Nixey” Callahan accomplishing the feat in 1902. Callahan plays LF and bats cleanup in today’s gem‚ collecting 2 hits. The two wins today keep the Sox 4 games in back of the leading A’s.
September 7The Beaneaters and Giants trade shutouts‚ with Boston beating Joe McGinnity in the opener‚ 1-0‚ and Christy Mathewson returning the favor‚ 3-0 in the nitecap. The game is scoreless until New York scores a run in the 7th off Vic Willis.
September 8Pittsburgh tallies 15 hits and 8 walks against the Reds‚ but the Pirates leave a still-standing NL record 18 men on base. The Reds win‚ 8-3‚ behind Charley Chech‚ who allows 15 hits and 8 walks.

At Boston‚ Rube Waddell beats Cy Young again and the A’s maintain their 3 1/2 game lead in the AL. But on the way back to Philadelphia after the game‚ the team changes trains in Providence and Waddell and teammate Andy Coakley engage in a friendly scuffle over a straw hat. Waddell falls and injures his shoulder and his season is over except for two short relief appearances on the last two days. He will not appear in the World Series.
September 11The Highlanders sell workhorse pitcher Jack Powell (8-13) to the Browns. Powell won 23 games in 1904‚ pitching 390 1/3 innings.

The Washington Senators roll to a 14-0 score over Boston in a game 2 win‚ setting a club record for runs in a shutout that will be tied but never topped. The game ends after 7 innings‚ with darkness‚ not the mercy rule‚ as the reason.
September 12Cards pitcher Jack Taylor allows just three Pirate hits-all by Honus Wagner-and teammate Harry Arndt swipes home in the bottom of the 9th to give St. Louis a 2-1 victory. Wagner will spoil two more no hitters by collecting the only hits: against Art Fromme on May 27‚ 1911 and facing Phil Douglas on October 2‚ 1914.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants and Brooklyn split a twinbill. Mathewson wins the opener‚ 3-2‚ when Bill Dahlen singles home the winner in the 9th. The 2nd game is called after 7 innings with Brooklyn leading‚ 8-5.
September 13Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers engage in a fist fight on the field during an exhibition game in Washington‚ IN‚ because Evers took a taxi to the park‚ leaving his teammates in the hotel lobby. Allegedly‚ this is the incident that will cause the pair to not speak to each other ever again. Years later Evers will point to a hard throw from 10 feet away that bent his finger in 1907. When he complained to Tinker‚ he laughed‚ according to Evers.

The A’s Eddie Plank outduels Boston’s Jesse Tannehill to post his third 1-0 victory of the year.
September 14In Detroit’s 6-0 win‚ pitcher Bill Donovan swipes home in the 4th inning.
September 16The Highlanders find themselves a little short on infielders so RF Willie Keeler‚ who is lefthanded‚ plays 2B in both games against visiting Washington. The talented Keeler played two games at shortstop for New York in 1893. New York splits‚ winning 5-2 and losing 3-0.

At Boston‚ the leading Giants sweep two from the Beaneaters‚ winning 3-1 and 7-1. In the opener‚ Mathewson wins his 10th straight‚ beating Irv Young‚ who allows just 3 hits. Boston notches 8 off Matty.

Former pitcher and former manager Nixey Callahan swipes 4 bases to pace the White Stockings to a 12-2 win over the St. Louis Browns. He’s the 2nd Chicago player to swipe 4 bases in a game this year: George Davis did it on June 14.
September 19At Philadelphia‚ the Phils stop the Giants‚ 3-2‚ then manage just 2 hits in losing 2-1 to Christy Mathewson. For Matty‚ it is his 11th straight win.
September 20Cleveland makes 7 errors in the 8th inning‚ a major-league record for an inning‚ giving the White Sox 8 runs and a 9-6 victory.

Chicago President Charles Comiskey orders a houseboat built for the express purpose of transporting and housing the team during spring training.

Boston Beaneater lefty Irv Young beats Brooklyn‚ 6-5‚ for his 20th win. He’ll lose his 20th in 10 days.
September 22At Cincinnati‚ the Reds smack Brooklyn spitballer Elmer Stricklett‚ winning 11-1.
September 23Detroit rookie Ty Cobb‚ 18‚ hits his first HR‚ off Cy Falkenberg‚ an inside-the-park blow‚ in an 8-5 loss at Washington.

In Chicago‚ Mathewson and Carl Lundgren hook up in a tight pitchers’ duel‚ decided in Chicago’s favor on a mental error by Giants SS Bill Dahlen. With two on and two out in the 5th inning‚ Dahlen bobbles a grounder and touches 2B as the runner arrives. Dahlen‚ thinking that he has the 3rd out‚ rolls the ball to the mound. But ump Bob Emslie calls the runner safe. Johnny Evers the runner on 3B‚ alertly scores on the play for the game’s only run. The loss stops Matty’s win streak at 11 games.
September 24In his first two at bats‚ Cy Seymour lines two inside-the-park home runs to pace the Reds to an 8-3 win over visiting Brooklyn. The Reds win game 2 by an 8-7 score. Seymour will finish the season with a NL-high .377 average‚ and lead the league in hits (219)‚ doubles (40)‚ triples (21)‚ total bases (325)‚ SA (.559) and RBI (121). He’ll be 2nd in homers to teammate Odwell.
September 25After losing 3 in Chicago‚ the Giants open a critical series in Pittsburgh by winning‚ 10-4 behind Mathewson’s 30th victory. The Giants score 5 runs in the 1st inning on just one hit. Deacon Phillippe hits a record-tying 3 batters in the frame and Honus Wagner adds a throwing error. New York now leads by 6 1/2 games.
September 26Chicago White Sox P Ed Walsh hurls two complete-game victories over Boston‚ winning by scores of 10-5 and 3-1. When Doc White leaves the first game after giving up a single to Freddie Parent in the first inning (Doc says the wind was blowing and his curve ball would not break)‚ Walsh comes in without warming up. He gives up 5 runs in the first‚ then blanks Boston the rest of the way to win. The second match goes 8 innings before darkness falls. The Sox score a pair in the 8th.

At Philadelphia‚ A’s starter Andy Coakley pitches 7 innings and is behind 4-2 against the Tigers when he departs. The A’s knot the score up with runs in the 7th and 8th‚ and reliever Jimmy Dygert tosses the last three innings. When Tigers score 2 in the 10th to win‚ the scorer pins the loss on Coakley for pitching badly [later revisions will give the loss to Dygert‚ and Coakley’s record of 20-7 will be the AL’s best winning percentage].

The Giants top the Pirates‚ 9-5‚ with the help of 8 walks and a hit by pitch in six innings by usually steady Mike LynchRed Ames goes six innings to pick up the win‚ and Mathewson tosses the last 3 innings of shutout ball.

In a twinbill split with Cleveland‚ Washington’s Joe Stanley hits his second and last career homer and like his first‚ it’s a grand slam. He did it with the Boston Nationals 1903 making him the first player to slam in both the NL and AL. Washington loses game 1‚ 2-0‚ then wins‚ 13-6.
September 27Boston’s Bill Dinneen‚ who had not thrown this month because of a sore arm‚ pitches the 4th no-hitter of the season. The White Sox have 26 official at bats against him in the 2-0 Boston win‚ their first loss to Boston after 10 straight wins. Chicago gets revenge in the nitecap‚ whipping the Americans‚ 15-1. Dinneen’s no-hitter is the 2nd that Boston pitchers have thrown against the White Sox in successive years: it is the only time this century that that will occur. With the A’s losing yesterday to the Tigers‚ Chicago now heads for Philadelphia‚ trailing by 3 percentage points. The Boston Americans will play 11 twinbills this month‚ winning 2‚ losing 2‚ and splitting 7.

Washington’s Tom Hughes shuts out Cleveland‚ 6-0‚ his ML record 5th whitewash over the Naps this year. His mark will be tied twice in the NL‚ by Alexander in 1916 and Larry Jaster in 1966.
September 28In a game that helps decide the pennant‚ the A’s beat the White Sox 3-2‚ as LF Topsy Hartsell scores from 2nd base with the winning run in the 7th inning. Harry Davis‘s RBI single to short left hits Hartsell’s mitt‚ which the left fielder had left in the outfield at the end of the inning. The A’s win tomorrow‚ 11-1.
September 29In St. Louis‚ the Giants sweep two from the Cardinals‚ winning 6-5 and 5-1. Trailing 4-1 to Mathewson in the 9th the Cards knot the opener when Danny Shay belts a bases loaded triple to send the game to extra innings. New York scores 2 in the 11th to win‚ 6-5. Shay will miss next season because of an amputated finger and his comeback in 1907 with the Giants will be short lived.
September 30The Athletics lose today‚ 4-3‚ but take 2 of 3 from Chicago at home to all but end the White Sox’ pennant hopes. The final margin is 2 games. The series draws 64‚620‚ a ML record‚ with thousands more turned away each day.

Mike Lynch of Pittsburgh beats Boston‚ 10-9‚ handing Irv Young his 20th loss. Young (20-21)‚ Willis (11-29)‚ Fraser (14-21) and Wilhelm (4-23) set a ML record as the first 4 pitchers on one team to all lose 20 games in a season. A Beaneater quartet will match it next season.

October


October 1In the first game of a twinbill‚ the Giants beat the Reds‚ 5-4‚ to clinch the NL pennant.
October 2The Washington outfield has no putouts or assists in a 3-2 win over Chicago.
October 3The National Commission establishes the rules for a World Series and names Hank O’Day and John Sheridan (both NL umps) to umpire it.

Brooklyn hurler Doc Scanlon hurls 2 complete-game victories over host St. Louis‚ winning by scores of 4-0 and 3-2. Doc gives up 12 hits in his 18 innings.

The Reds win the opener of 2 from the league-champion Giants‚ and pull off a triple play. With the bases loaded and no outs in the 7th‚ RF Cy Seymour catches a line drive‚ fires home to nab the runner from 3B‚ and the throw back to 3B gets the advancing runner. An 8-2-5-6 TP. Bob Ewing wins his 20th‚ 4-2‚ with the nitecap ending in a 4-4 tie. Seymour has 4 hits in the twinbill and will lead the NL in hitting with .377.
October 4Just one point apart in the batting race on the final day of the 1905 season, Cincinnati Reds centerfielder Cy Seymour and Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates shortstop Honus Wagner played against each other in a doubleheader. Seymour entered the last day of the season with a league leading .365 average and Wagner was in second place batting .364. A very good day at the plate for Honus combined with a poor one for Cy would have reversed their positions. Seymour had four hits in seven attempts to end up with the National League batting championship (.377) while Wagner collected two for seven to end up in second place.(.363) A newspaper account of the day stated “…10,000 were more interested in the batting achievements of Wagner and Seymour than the games…cheer upon cheers greeted the mighty batsmen upon each appearance at the plate…”

Just one point apart in the batting race on the final day of the 1905 season, Cincinnati Reds centerfielder Cy Seymour and Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Honus Wagner played against each other in a doubleheader. Seymour entered the last day of the season with a league leading .365 average and Wagner was in second place batting .364. A very good day at the plate for Honus combined with a poor one for Cy would have reversed their positions. Seymour had four hits in seven attempts to end up with the National League batting championship (.377) while Wagner collected two for seven to end up in second place.(.363) A newspaper account of the day stated “…10,000 were more interested in the batting achievements of Wagner and Seymour than the games…cheer upon cheers greeted the mighty batsmen upon each appearance at the plate…”
October 5Athletics P Chief Bender has 3 hits‚ including a triple with 3 on‚ in an 8-0 victory over Washington. He relieves Andy Coakley in the 2nd game and wins 9-7. Overall‚ he has 2 wins‚ 6 hits‚ and 8 RBI for the day.

Trying for his 32nd win‚ Mathewson is beaten 4-1 by the Phillies. New York takes the nitecap‚ 5-3.
October 6The Athletics clinch the pennant while losing to the Washington Nationals‚ 10-4‚as St. Louis defeats the White Sox. Elmer Flick of the Cleveland Naps leads the AL in batting with a .306 mark.
October 7In a doubleheader split‚ Cincinnati’s Fred Odwell lines an inside-the-park homer‚ off St. Louis rookie Buster Brown‚ to edge out teammate Cy Seymour for the NL home run title. Odwell leads the NL with 9 round trippers‚ but will never hit another homer. The Cardinals win game 1‚ 7-3‚ and the Reds take the 2nd match‚ 6-3.

After winning the opener‚ 10-4‚ and clinching 7th place‚ the Boston Beaneaters start OF Jim Delehanty on the mound in game 2. He gives up 5 hits in 2 innings but doesn’t get a decision as the Beaneaters lose‚ 11-7. Eighth place Brooklyn and Boston were 11-11 against each other. Beaneaters 1B Fred Tenney has one assist in the season’s final game‚ giving him an NL record of 152. The mark will be topped by Sid Bream of Pittsburgh‚ with 166 in 1986.
October 8A Pacific Coast League game between the Oakland Oaks and Portland Beavers is attended by one fan. According to newspaper reports‚ the home-plate umpire‚ whose job it is to announce lineups‚ addresses the crowd‚ “Dear sir…” Portland wins‚ 3-2.
October 9At Philadelphia‚ in the first game of a World Series under a 7-game format‚ two Pennsylvanian rivals square off: Bucknell’s Christy Mathewson outpitches 26-game-winner Eddie Plank (Gettysburg Academy) to win 3-0 in the first game of the all-shutout World Series. Matty allows 4 hits and walks none.
October 10In Game 2 of the WS at New York‚ Philadelphia’s Chief Bender gives up a mere 4 hits for a 3-0 win.
October 11Today’s game in Philley will be canceled because of wet grounds‚ though the press speculates that the real reason is poor gate receipts. At game time‚ the crowd was just 4‚000‚ as threatening weather keeps many away.
October 12With 2 days rest‚ Mathewson allows his first and only walk in 27 innings‚ in a 4-hit 9-0 romp at Baker Bowl. The Giants cook Andy Coakley for 9 runs on 8 hits and 5 walks. The A’s add 4 errors‚ 3 by 2B Danny Murphy. The Giants now lead the WS‚ 2-1.
October 13Joe McGinnity surrenders 5 hits‚ and Plank 4 hits‚ but 2 errors deal the A’s a 1-0 loss.
October 14Mathewson pitches his 3rd shutout in 6 days‚ giving up 6 hits to Bender’s 5. The Giants win 2-0. The A’s .161 team BA is the lowest ever for a WS; the teams’ combined .185 is also the lowest. Each winning share is worth $1‚142. The A’s receive $382 each‚ but the club owners donate their share of the gate‚ raising the players’ checks to $832.22.

In the Boston city series at the Huntington Grounds‚ the Boston Americans beat their National League rivals‚ 8-2 The only win in the 7-game series‚ all at Huntington‚ for the NL Beaneaters came on in the 9th when they won‚ 5-2‚ behind Vic Willis.
October 22Los Angeles (PCL) beats visiting Portland‚ 3-2 in 11 innings. Bill Tozer (22-15) of Los Angeles ends his PCL record 48 consecutive shutout inning streak when Portland scored 2 unearned runs in the third inning.

December


December 15After losing a record 29 games this year‚ veteran righthander Vic Willis is traded by 7th-place Boston (NL) to Pittsburgh for 3 players: Del Howard‚ infielder Dave Brain‚ who the Pirates acquired from the Cardinals in mid-season‚ and Vive Lindaman. Willis will rebound with 4 straight 20-win seasons.

Boston (NL) continues trading‚ sending C Pat Moran to the Cubs for C Jack O’Neill and P Big Jeff Pfeffer.
December 16The Cubs trade OF Jack McCarthy and Billy Maloney‚ 3B Doc Casey‚ and pitcher Buttons Briggs to Brooklyn for Jimmy Sheckard‚ who will take over LF for the NL champions of the next 3 years.
December 23Lave Cross‚ 38-year-old 3B‚ is sold to Washington by the Athletics. Cross set a ML record in 1902 by driving in 108 runs without hitting a home run.