Baseball – 1910

Baseball in 1910

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February

February 1Chicago (NL) acquires OF Ginger Beaumont from the Boston Braves for OF Fred Liese.
February 15Both major leagues adopt resolutions banning syndicate baseball‚ which allowed owners to have financial interests in more than one team. The NL votes for a 154-game schedule to open on April 12th‚ which the AL has already adopted. Other rules: umpires must announce all team changes to spectators; batting orders must be delivered to the umpire at home plate before the game; a batter is out if he crosses the plate from one batter’s box to the other while the pitcher is in position to pitch; a base runner is out if he passes another runner before the latter has been put out.

March

March 1The National Commission prohibits giving mementos to players on winning World Series teams. This will later be reversed‚ making way for the traditional winners’ watches‚ rings‚ and stickpins.
March 12At the White Sox spring training camp in San Francisco‚ starting catcher Billy Sullivan steps on a rusty nail. Sullivan‚ who managed the team in 1909‚ skips going to a doctor and gets blood poisoning. He will be out of the lineup till July 1.
March 25Chalmers Auto Company of Detroit offers to award a new car to the batting champs of each league. The National Commission accepts.

April

April 1Johnny Kling‚ Cubs catcher on their 1906-08 pennant winners is reinstated. Kling won the world pocket billiard title over the winter of 1908-09 and swapped a baseball bat for a pool cue. Kling‚ who played for a Chicago semipro team while holding out for the entire 1909 season‚ is fined $700‚ and required to play for the Cubs at his 1908 salary of $4‚500.
April 4Boston (NL) acquires OF Wilson Collins and 3B Buck Herzog from the Giants for OF Beals Becker.
April 11Against Princeton University‚ 22-year-old Jumbo Vaughn strikes out eight Tigers in six innings‚ and impresses Yankee manager George Stallings enough that Jumbo will get the Opening Day assignment.
April 12The Reds extend the lease on their park for 20 years at an annual rent of $1‚500‚ with an option to buy at $45‚000.
April 14With the weather perfect‚ President and Mrs. William Howard Taft‚ along with Veep Sherman‚ surprise the Nationals by showing up for the season Opener. Jimmy McAleer suggests Taft throw out the first ball‚ and he becomes the first president to do so. Walter Johnson catches it‚ then pitches the first of his 14 Opening Day Washington games‚ striking out 9. An easy ?y hit by Frank “Home Run” Baker into the overflow crowd-a ground-rule double-mars his 3-0 pitching gem over rival Eddie Plank. Gabby Street is behind the plate for Johnson‚ the only Opener in which he catches for Walter.

The White Sox’s Frank Smith also throws a one-hit opener‚ winning 3-0 against the Browns. Demmitt’s single is the only hit for St. Louis. By season’s end the AL will see 13 one-hitters-a league record.

At Robison Field‚ the Pirates spoil St. Louis’ opener by beating Vic Willis‚ 5-1. The Cards don’t help the ex-Pirate by making 5 errors behind him.

Reds pitcher Fred Beebe fires a 3-hitter in stopping the Cubs‚ 1-0‚ in 10 innings. Wildfire Schulte has all 3 Chicago hits. Beebe was acquired in February from the Cards‚ along with Alan Storke‚ for Miller Huggins‚ Rebel Oakes‚ and Frank Corridon.

In the season opener before 25‚000 at New York’s Hilltop Park‚ the Red Sox‚ sport laced collars‚ the last major league team to wear a collar. Boston sends the Yankees into extra innings before the game is called at the end of 14 innings with the score‚ 4-4. Ed Cicotte starts for Boston‚ with Joe Wood relieving in the 8th inning. Jumbo Jim Vaughn goes all the way for New York‚ retiring Boston batters in the 4th and 12 innings on four pitches. He needs just three pitches in the 10th.

The Giants Red Ames pitches hitless ball for 6 innings but loses to Braves‚ 3-2‚ in 11 innings. Chick Evans‚ in relief of Al Mattern‚ is the winner.

Although every opener is played‚ a record run of bad weather will force 85 postponements between April 15th and June 10th‚ causing chaos in the late-season schedule. Combined with an absence of close pennant races‚ this will cause a drop in attendance‚ which will tip 7‚000‚000 for the year.
April 16In Boston‚ Christy Mathewson whips the Doves‚ striking out 9 for a 3-1 win. Matty adds to the offense with a 6th inning homer over the LF fence off Kirby White.
April 19A split Patriots Day doubleheader at Boston draws 14‚721 for the A.M. game with the Senators and 31‚007 for the P.M.‚ a record total attendance for one day. The Red Sox win the opener 2-1 and the afternoon game 5-4.
April 20Cleveland’s Addie Joss pitches his 2nd no-hitter 1-0 over Chicago. Joss’s 10 assists help prevent any infield spoilers. Terry Turner‘s 6th inning double off Doc White scores the Naps only run.

At the Polo Grounds‚ Hooks Wiltse tosses a 3-hit shutout over the Doves in the Giants’ home opener. New York tops Boston‚ 4-0.
April 21League Park opens in Cleveland with a capacity of 21‚000; 18‚832 watch Detroit and Ed Willett beat the Naps‚ 5-0.
April 22The Braves and Phils combine for a ML record fewest at bats by 2 teams in 9 innings: 48 (25 for Braves‚ 23 Phils). Boston wins 3-0. The mark will be tied next year and topped in the AL in 1964.
April 23At Boston‚ CF Tris Speaker pulls off his 2nd unassisted DP in 2 years‚ the gem occurring in the 2nd inning against the Athletics. Speaker snares a low line drive and beats baserunner Harry Davis back to 2B. The game goes 11 innings with the A’s prevailing 5-3. Eddie Plank is the starter and winner over Eddie Cicotte.
April 25Detroit pitcher Bill Covington makes his ML debut against the Browns‚ relieving Pug Cavet in the 5th inning with the bases loaded and no outs. He strikes out Laporte‚ Clark‚ and Schweitzer‚ and ends up with an 11-9 win.

Reds president Garry Herrmann bans the sale of beer and liquor at the Cincinnati park.

No New York teams are in action today as the temperature reaches 91‚ a record high for the day. But the hot first-place Newark Peppers (FL) play host to the Buffalo Feds‚ beating them 2-1.
April 27Mathewson stops the Phillies 7-game win streak‚ beating the Quakers 3-2. George McQuillan takes the loss.
April 28The Red Sox manage 16 hits in 12 innings against Walter Johnson‚ but strike out 12 times‚ as the Nats edge Boston‚ 2-1.

The Pirates trade righty Sam Frock and 1B Bud Sharpe to the Braves for righthander Kirby White.
April 29In his major league debut‚ Detroit’s Sailor Stroud capsizes the Browns‚ 5-0.

May

May 2Aided by a 13-game winning streak‚ the Athletics take first place in the AL. New York will wrest it from them for a brief spell in June; otherwise‚ the A’s will hold the top spot all season.

In Pittsburgh‚ baseball fan President William Howard Taft watches the Pirates top Chicago‚ 5-2.

At Washington Park‚ Christy Mathewson pitches a beautiful one-hitter to beat Brooklyn‚ 6-0. Only an error by Merkle on a Zack Wheat grounder in the 7th and a disputed hit in the 8th mar Matty’s performance. In the 8th inning‚ Pryor McElveen hits a grounder to short‚ but 3B Art Devlin cuts in front and his throw is low to 1B. It is ruled a hit even though the New York Times called it an error: its headline tomorrow proclaims “Brooklyn Gets No-hit By Mathewson.”
May 4President Taft takes in two games starting with the Reds and the Cardinals at Robison Field in St. Louis. The Cards score 5 in the 1st as Reds pitchers Fred Beebe‚ Walt Slagle (in his only ML appearance) and Harry Coveleski will eventually walk a record 16 in the 12-3 loss. The Cards walk 7 to total a record 23. Taft doesn’t stick around. He leaves for Sportsman’s Park in hopes of seeing some good baseball and is rewarded by a 3-3‚ 14-inning battle between the Browns’ Joe Lake and the Naps’ Cy Young that ends in darkness. There will be a record 19 ties in the AL this year.

The first-place Tigers defeat the White Sox‚ 4-0‚ behind Pat Mullin. Mullin gets help in the form a triple play on Bill Purtell’s line drive to 1B Hack Simmons who throws to SS Donie Bush.
May 5P Cy Morgan and 2B Eddie Collins of the Athletics and P Dixie Walker and C Gabby Street of the Senators handle all the assists in the 10-1 Philadelphia victory.
May 6The Giants score 3 runs in the 6th off Bill Foxen to beat the Phils‚ 3-2. Mathewson is the winner‚ allowing 9 hits.
May 8The New York Times reports on a foul ball hit into the stands during yesterday’s 7-2 Giants win over the Phils: “The topic which is now to be discussed is slightly removed from the silver thread of romance which runs carelessly through this new item, but nevertheless it ought to be stated that the Pinkertons at the Polo Grounds have started some classy detective work to redeem the numerous new white baseballs which drip into the stands during a game. One foul yesterday shot into the lower rows of the stand back of third base. Old gum-shoes, who was on duty there, kept his eye peeled and saw it drop into the crowd. He went after it. Five hundred voices yipped” ‘He’s got it,’ and 500 fingers pointed at 500 different people. Why, Bryan had a better chance of being President than that Pink had of finding the ball. Just by way of diversion the crowd took the Pink’s hat and untied his necktie by way of showing that there are still a few fresh ones left on earth who can be playful with the law. The only thing the detective found was his way out of the crowd.”
May 10The Cubs’ Heinie Zimmerman makes 4 errors and 4 hits in a 9-5 win over the Giants. Red Ames‚ in relief of Mathewson‚ is hammered for the loss.

The Phils pull off a triple steal in the first inning against the Reds as Grant‚ Magee and Bransfield do the swiping. A short time later Magee is tossed by umpire Brennan for protesting a call. Despite the thefts the Phillies lose‚ 8-6.

The White Sox tally 7 runs in 5 innings against Walter Johnson to coast to a 10-3 win. Johnson’s record is now 2-5‚ and the Washington Post suggests that the Nats “trade this phenom for a couple of good fielders.”
May 12The Athletics Chief Bender pitches a 4-0 no-hitter against the Naps‚ missing a perfect game with one walk. Terry Turner walks in the 4th off the Chief and then is caught stealing. Bender will be 23-5‚ one of only two 20-game-win seasons the future Hall of Famer will have in 15 years.
May 13The Cubs trade OF Doc Miller to Boston (NL) for righty Lew Richie.
May 14Cleveland edges Washington 1-0‚ beating Walter Johnson. Nap Lajoie is 2-for-4 with a double for the winners. Johnson will win his next 4 outings against Cleveland.
May 17Chief Bender follows up his no-hitter with a shutout‚ allowing 4 hits in beating the White Sox‚ 3-0.
May 18The Reds collects 11 hits off Christy Mathewson‚ but the Giants outslug Cincy to win‚ 10-6. It is Matty’s 13th win in a row over the Reds. The Giants score four runs in the 4th‚ four more in the 7th and two in the 8th to pin the loss on George Suggs‚ now 5-1.
May 19The Boston Doves snap their losing streak by beating the Pirates‚ 6-3‚ for the first time in 26 tries.

The Yankees overcome losing a base runner in the 10th inning to a hidden ball trick and beat Cleveland‚ 4-3. Hal Chase is the victim when first baseman George Stovall nabs him.

At Philadelphia, the Detroit Tigers jump on Harry Krause enrout to amassing 19 hits and beating the Athletics, 14–2. The loss stops the A’s winning streak at 13 game plus a tie.
May 23The Reds Dode Paskert steals 2B‚ 3B‚ and home in the first inning against the Boston Doves (Braves). Dode’s score is the difference as the Reds win‚ 6-5.
May 26The Pirates’ Honus Wagner and John Miller narrowly escape death when their car crashes into the safety gates of a railroad crossing in Carnegie‚ PA.
May 27New York’s Bugs Raymond strikes out 8 and stops Brooklyn‚ 8-2.
May 28Mathewson scatters 10 hits and edges the Phils‚ 3-2 at Baker Bowl. Fred Snodgrass doubles off Jim Moroney for 2 runs in the 5th inning to give the Giants the edge.
May 30In an A.M.-P.M. doubleheader with the St. Louis Cardinals at the West Side Grounds‚‚ Chicago takes the morning contest‚ 6-1‚ behind Mordecai Brown. Its Chicago’s 11th straight win‚ but St. Louis stops them in the afternoon‚ 3-1.
May 31The Yankees sell Slow Joe Doyle to Reds. Doyle set a ML record by winning his first 2 decisions in 1906 by shutouts.

June

June 1Christy Mathewson runs his record to 8-1 with a 5-2 victory over the host Reds to move the Giants closer to the 1st-place Cubs. Matty has now beaten Cincy 14 straight times.

At Philadelphia‚ the Cardinals double the Phillies‚ winning 10-5 before a chilly crowd of 800 fans. The Phils have now dropped 14 of their last 15 games. The Cards are paced by leadoff hitter Miller Huggins‚ who has no official at bats in six appearances‚ the first time this has ever happened. Huggins walks his first three times up‚ hits a sac fly and a sacrifice in his next two‚ and walks with the sacks full in the 8th to push across the lead run. Huggins will lead the NL in passes with 116.
June 3Jack Warhop allows one hit for the Yankees‚ but loses to the White Sox‚ 3-1. Ed Walsh allows 4 singles‚ drives in 2 runs with a double‚ and scores the last run.
June 4The Cubs Three Finger Brown loses to Boston‚ 1-0‚ when Bill Sweeney hits a homerun in the 12th inning.
June 6Boston OF Duffy Lewis has the only hit-a single-against White Sox ace big Ed Walsh as Chicago wins‚ 1-0.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants cut the Cards‚ 6-1‚ as Mathewson is victorious over Harry Sallee.
June 7In his major league debut‚ the Phillies Eddie Stack stops Chicago‚ 1-0‚ on 3 hits. The Cubs sold Stack to the Phils on May 26. Smoke will pitch three complete-game victories between the 14th and 22nd‚ but will end the year at 6-7.
June 10Behind Dixie Walker’s one hitter‚ the Washington Nationals edge the White Sox‚ 1-0. Unglaub’s 9th inning single and steal of 2B is key as Blackburne’s errant throw allows him to score the winner. Doc White‘s single is the lone Sox safety.
June 12Following Doc Reisling’s premier cru 2-0 win yesterday‚ Bob Groom and the Nationals shut out the White Sox for the 3rd game in a row‚ winning today‚ 2-0.
June 13The White Sox finally score against the Nationals and beat them‚ 2-1‚ in 13 innings. Chick Gandhil’s RBI double drives home the winner.
June 15Christy Mathewson outpitches Lefty Leifield to easily turn back the Pirates‚ 5-1. The only Pirate score comes on a homer by Ham Hyatt‚ his first in the majors.

Trying to dig themselves out of last place‚ the Browns pick up Bob Spade on waivers from the Reds. They win today‚ beating Washington‚ 5-4‚ to up their record to 10-35‚ 20 games behind New York and Philadelphia.

It is a day of lengthy games as the Reds and Phils play to a 16-inning 3-3 tie.

Brooklyn beats Chicago‚ 3-2 in 14 innings‚ handing rookie King Cole his first loss after 8 straight wins (he was also 1-0 in 1909). Cole will finish the season at 20-4. Winning pitcher Cy Barger has 4 hits including an RBI double in the 14th.

The White Sox down the first place A’s‚ 4-3 in 14 innings when winning pitcher Ed Walsh drives in a run with a single.
June 17When Louis Drucke falters against the Pirates in the top of the 9th‚ Giants manager John McGraw calls for Bugs Raymond to protect the 3-2 lead. Raymond has supposedly been warming up behind the stands‚ but apparently had visited a saloon across the way‚ and swapped a ball for two shots of whiskey. Raymond hits two batters‚ allows two hits and tosses one wild‚ and the Pirates win‚ 6-3. A furious McGraw suspends the pitcher indefinitely. Bugs will be back on July 5th.

The Chicago Cubs edge Brooklyn‚ 1-0‚ behind the pitching of Mordecai Brown‚. For Brown‚ it is his 12th straight win over Brooklyn stretching back to August 8‚ 1906.
June 21The Giants stake Mathewson to an early 6-0 lead‚ and Matty coasts to a 12-1 win over Brooklyn. Matty scatters 7 hits in his 8 innings‚ and Brooklyn rookie Jack Dalton‚ playing in his 2nd game‚ has 4 of them. Dalton will finish the year hitting .227.
June 22Congressman John K. Tener‚ former Chicago White Stockings and Pittsburgh Burghers (PL) pitcher‚ wins the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania. The Irish-born Tener will be elected and will serve as president of the NL while governor.
June 23Giants 3B Art Devlin and 2 teammates are jailed for attacking a Washington Park fan who had been verbally abusing them during an 8-2 triumph over the Superbas.
June 24In 8 innings in the field at Pittsburgh‚ Cubs 1B Artie Hofman sets an NL record with no putouts. His only assist opportunity is fumbled for an error as Chicago loses‚ 6-5.
June 25Larry Doyle cracks a 3-run homer off Bill Foxen and the Giants defeat the Phillies‚ 4-1. Mathewson earns the victory and is now 12-2.
June 27The White Sox play their last game at the 39th Street Grounds‚ losing to Cleveland‚ 7-2.
June 28In the Cubs’ 11-1 win over the Reds‚ Joe Tinker steals home twice. Mordecai Brown is the winner. Chicago will swipe home plate 17 times this year to establish the ML mark‚ which will be tied next year by the Giants in the NL. The Yankees will steal home 18 times in 1912 to set the ML mark. The 2 steals of home in one game will be repeated next by Larry Doyle.

The Giants stay c lose to Chicago with a 9-1 drubbing of the Phillies. 1B Joe Ward of the Phillies pulls the hidden ball trick in the 4th‚ nabbing Josh Devore.
June 29At the Polo Grounds‚ Mathewson relieves in the 9th with the Giants ahead of the Phils‚ 2-0. The Quakers rattle Matty for 4 hits and 2 runs to tie‚ but in the bottom of the 10th‚ Mathewson lines a single to score Merkle with the game winner.

July

July 1The new White Sox Park opens‚ decorated with thousands of yards of bunting. Five bands are on hand and the mayor presents a banner to Charles Comiskey. The stadium‚ later called Comiskey Park‚ is baseball’s biggest and costs $750‚000 to build. 24‚900 attend the game‚ 1‚100 less than capacity‚ and see Sox ace Ed Walsh lose 2-0 to the Browns.
July 4In an a.m.-p.m. doubleheader‚ the Giants sweep two from Brooklyn. Mathewson pitches 5 innings of shutout relief in the morning‚ and when Fred Merkle singles home Bridwell in the 13th‚ the Giants win 6-5. New York rolls to a 12-1 victory in the nitecap. New York is now 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs.
July 6New York tops the Doves‚ 8-3 in 14 innings. Both starters go all the way. Boston scores 3 runs in the 3rd off Christy Mathewson and the Giants tie it in the 9th on a home run by Beals Becker. New York finally unshoes Buster Brown for 5 runs in the 14th to win.
July 8Against the Browns‚ Walter Johnson K’s the first 7 hitters and 8 of the first 9 batters. After Washington scores 10 runs in the 5th inning‚ Johnson records no more strike outs‚ and coasts home to a 12-3 win.

In New York‚ the Yankees Bert Daniels triples in the 6th inning‚ then steals home‚ a first in the AL. New York beats the White Sox‚ 13-4.
July 11The Phillies George McQuillan coasts to an easy 18-0 laugher over the Pirates. Kitty Bransfield makes it easy with 8 RBIs‚ to set a 20th century ML record‚ topped in 1911. It is still a club record‚ though tied‚ for largest margin in a shutout. Lefty Leifield takes the loss.
July 14At Pittsburgh‚ the Giants blow a 3-0 lead in the 9th when starter Christy Mathewson tires. Matty gives up three runs‚ and with the bases loaded‚ throws two wide ones to Tommy Leach. McGraw yanks his ace‚ but reliever Red Ames completes the walk‚ and the Giants lose‚ 4-3.

Western Association umpire Philip Forney dies from an injury sustained when he was hit over the right eye and was paralyzed.
July 16Mathewson relieves Doc Crandall and gives up three Pirate runs in the 8th inning‚ as the Giants lose their 4th straight to Pittsburgh‚ 6-3.
July 17At Cleveland‚ Red Sox starter Elmer Steele leaves in the 6th inning leading 5-4. Joe Wood relieves and faces 17 batters over the next 4 innings‚ striking out 10 and walking none‚ as Boston wins 6-4. The scorer gives the win to Wood‚ who pitched the better game.
July 19in the 2nd game of a twinbill‚ Boston’s Cy Young‚ 43‚ wins his 500th game‚ 5-4‚ over Washington in 11 innings. It is his 213th AL win.

Chief Meyer cracks a 2-run single off Art Fromme in the 11th to give the Giants a 6-4 win over the Reds. Mathewson wins his 15th straight over the Reds.
July 22Pittsburgh ace Deacon Phillippe hits a 2nd inning inside-the-park grand slam‚ off Brooklyn’s Fred Miller‚ and the visiting Pirates roll‚ 14-1. Not till Mel Stottlemyre‚ in 1965‚ will another pitcher slam one inside the park.
July 23The Giants jump on Cardinal rookie Ed Zmich for 5 runs in the first 3 innings‚ and win easily‚ 9-2.

Connie Mack trades Morrie Rath and $5‚000 to Cleveland for Bris Lord‚ a former A’s OF‚ and Pelican OF Joe Jackson. The key is OF Joe Jackson‚ of the New Orleans club‚ who Mack wanted from Cleveland. When Francis Richter in Philadelphia writes‚ “Mack. . . on Saturday [the 23rd] made a splendid deal with Cleveland by trading third baseman Rath for outfielder Brisco Lord” he fails to mention Jackson. This trade is often listed as July 25‚ and even August 1‚ though Rath plays his first game for Cleveland on July 28. Cleveland will comfortable enough at first with Rath to release vet 1B Bill Bradley‚ but Rath gets released to Baltimore (Eastern) in late August. He’ll return with the White Sox and the Reds.
July 24The Giants drop the Cardinals again‚ winning 4-1 to end finish 7-9 on their western swing.
July 28Philadelphia’s George McQuillan allows 8 hits but the Giants score only in the 9th to lose‚ 3-1. Mathewson takes the loss‚ despite allowing just 4 hits.
July 29White Sox OF Patsy Dougherty breaks up Detroit’s Ed Summers‘ no-hitter‚ but the Tigers edge the Sox‚ 1-0 on the one-hitter. It is the 4th time in his 10-year career the .284-hitting Patsy has ruined a no-hitter.

The A’s Jack Coombs shuts out the Senators‚ 4-0‚ for his 10th win in July‚ tying the post-1993 ML record set by Rube Waddell in 1902 for most wins in a month (as noted by Brian Rash). Nine are complete games and one is a win in relief on July 11.
July 30The “Surprise of the Year‚” according to Ed Bang in Sporting Life‚ “came on July 30th when it was announced that the Naps had secured Joe Jackson from the New Orleans Pelicans for $5‚000. It is believed that Connie made the Naps the concession [as part of the Lord-Rath trade] to allow them to purchase Jackson from New Orleans.” Jackson had been up with the A’s briefly in 1908 and 1909. While

The A’s beat Washington 7-5‚ handing Walter Johnson his worst loss of the year. Eddie Collins‘ three-run homer in the 8th‚ a line drive that bounces to the LF wall‚ is the difference. It’s the only HR the Nats ace will allow this year.
July 31In the 2nd game of a doubleheader in St. Louis‚ Cubs rookie King Cole pitches a 7-inning no-hitter to win 4-0. Cole will top the NL with a 20-4 record‚ but will have only one more winning season. The game was called in the last of the 7th with the Cubs ahead and having the bases loaded‚ so that both clubs could make train connections to the East coast. The Cubs took the opener‚ 9-3‚ behind Three Finger Brown.

In the first of two at White Sox Park‚ good fielding Lee Tannehill hits a wind blown fly ball that bounces under a outfield gate for a grand slam HR‚ the first in the new park. It is his first homer since 1903. But Ty Cobb supplies a home run‚ off Ed Walsh‚ the first by a visiting player‚ to give the Tigers a 6-5 win over the Sox. Chicago will hit two more homers at home in 1910‚ and both of those will bounce under outfield gates as well.

August

August 2At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants score 4 runs in the 1st off Orval Overall‚ but Overall tightens his belt and allows no more scoring. The Cubs come back with 5 runs off Mathewson to win‚ 5-4.
August 3St. Louis manager-catcher Roger Bresnahan pitches 3 1?3 innings‚ giving up 6 hits and no runs against Brooklyn. He last pitched in 1901‚ and will end his career with a mark of 4-1 as a hurler.
August 4Athletics Jack Coombs and Chicago’s Ed Walsh duel 16 innings to a 0-0 tie. Coombs gives up just 3 hits and strikes out 18 in what he calls his best game. (Working with little rest‚ he wins 18 of 19 starts in July‚ August‚ and September‚ finishing 31-9 with a 1.30 ERA. His 13 shutouts are the AL record; in 12 other games he gives up just one run. Walsh gives up just 6 hits in 16 innings but the woeful Sox offense provides no support. Coombs ties his AL mark for most strikeouts in a game‚ set September 1‚ 1906‚ in 24 innings.
August 5The Giants salvage the last game in their series against the first-place Cubs‚ chasing Floyd Kroh for an 10-1 win. Mathewson is the victor.
August 9Pittsburgh’s Babe Adams scatters 11 hits in shutting out Boston‚ 10-0.
August 10At West Side Grounds‚ Cubs ace Ed Reulbach wins his 16th straight against Brooklyn‚ 8-1. Reulbach allows just 6 hits in tying a since-topped 20th century NL record for consecutive wins against a team. Reulbach also beat the Reds 16 straight times.
August 11The White Sox trade P Frank Smith‚ whose best days are behind him‚ and 3B Billy Purtell to the Red Sox in exchange for 2B Amby McConnell and 3B Harry Lord. On July 10th‚ a Walter Johnson fastball broke Lord’s finger‚ and the stellar play of his substitute Clyde Engel has made Lord expendable. Lord becoming the one threat in the weak White Sox lineup‚ hitting .297 through the end of the year‚ but the Sox will still finish last in hitting‚ slugging‚ and homers.

At New York‚ the Giants take two from Cincinnati‚ 5-4 and 3-2. Mathewson wins the opener‚ despite allowing 11 hits and 4 walks. Matty is tough in the pinch‚ however‚ as the Reds load the bases in the 9th with no outs but fail to score.
August 13In the most evenly matched game ever‚ the Pirates and Superbas each have 8 runs‚ 13 hits‚ 38 at bats‚ 5 strikeouts‚ 3 walks‚ 1 hit batter‚ 1 passed ball‚ 13 assists‚ 27 putouts‚ 2 errors‚ and use 2 pitchers. Darkness ends the game before the symmetry does.
August 15In the battle for 2nd place in the NL‚ the Pirates and Giants split two‚ each by 2-1 scores. In the opener‚ Lefty Leifield and Christy Mathewson match goose eggs for 10 innings‚ before the Pirates push across two runs on a 2-run double by Fred Clarke. The Giants score in the bottom of the 11th but come up short.

Chicago coasts to a 14-0 pasting of Brooklyn. Three Finger Brown allows 11 hits in the shutout.
August 16The Tigers top the Senators‚ 8-3‚ with Ty Cobb stealing home for the 2nd time in his career. It comes in the 4th inning with Bob Groom on the mound.
August 18In a Three-I League game at Davenport‚ Red Faber of Dubuque pitches a 3-0 perfect game against Davenport. The 21-year-old Faber is still 3 years away from the majors.
August 19At Cincinnati‚ the Giants win 9-3 beating Jack Rowan. Mathewson allows 9 hits in coasting to his 20th win of the year and his 17th straight victory over the Reds.
August 22At Forbes Field‚ the Pirates beat up on the new cork-center ball. Three HRs are hit‚ by pitcher Howie Camnitz‚ Vin Campbell‚ and Honus Wagner‚ against the Phillies in the fourth inning of game two. Camnitz’s pop is the only one of his career. Old pro Wagner is 7-for-7‚ with 2 homers‚ during the doubleheader sweep‚ including 3 doubles to go with his homer in the nitecap. The Bucs win‚ 6-5 and 8-4.
August 23Chicago’s Ed Walsh tops Walter Johnson‚ 1-0‚ the 3rd straight time Walsh has beaten the Big Train and Washington by that score.

Left fielder Fred Clarke makes a ML record-tying 4 OF assists for Pittsburgh against the Phils‚ as the Bucs win 6-2. The Pirates get one more for a NL record 5 outfield assists.

At St. Louis‚ Frank Corridon outpitches Christy Mathewson for a 4-1 Cardinals win. The Cards tag Matty for 11 hits. New York is 3 1/2 games behind 2nd-place Pittsburgh.

The first place Cubs edge the Braves‚ 3-2‚ behind the pitching of Ed Reulbach. Two weeks after setting a team record for consecutive wins‚ Reulbach racks up his 10th straight win over the last-place Braves.
August 24Atop the Washington Monument‚ White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh throws 23 balls before C Billy Sullivan snares one‚ then catches 2 more‚ 555 feet below. It duplicates Gabby Street’s catch of August 21‚ 1908. The estimated speed of the ball is 161 feet per second. On the field Walsh will be 18-20 despite a league-leading 1.27 ERA‚ the only time a pitcher with a losing record loses 20 and leads either league in ERA.
August 25In the 12th inning at Brooklyn‚ Pittsburgh’s Bobby Byrne doubles‚ steals 3B‚ and then steals home to beat Brooklyn‚ 4-3. This is the NL’s 1st 20th Century’s extra inning steal of home.

At St. Louis‚ the Athletics Danny Murphy hits for the cycle‚ but it is not enough as Philadelphia loses‚ 9-6.
August 26In Pittsburgh’s 4-2 win over host Brooklyn‚ a NL record is set when the Buc outfield makes just one putout and the Brooklyn OF none.
August 27In the first of 2‚ Highlander P Jack Warhop swipes home in 6th. His run is the difference as New York beats the White Sox‚ 4-3.

At Chicago’s West Side Park‚ Chicago pulls off a 3rd-inning triple play-2B Johnny Evers to 3B Heinie Zimmerman-against the Giants‚ but New York wins handily‚ 18-9. The Giants tally 23 hits to the Cubs 15 in beating the league-leaders.

In Boston‚ Red Sox hurler Sea Lion Hall pitches a 7-1 one-hit win over Cleveland. Koestner’s single is the only hit.

Inventor George Cahill brings his patented lighting system White Sox Park. Using twenty 137‚000 candlepower arc lights‚ 2 amateur teams play a night game before 20‚000. However‚ the first AL night game won’t be played there until 1939.

Washington 2B Red Killefer sets a since-tied ML mark by sacrificing 4 times in the first game of a doubleheader against visiting Detroit. He then bunts his first time up in game 2 to set a ML mark of straight sac bunts (according to historian Ernie Lanigan) as Washington sweeps a pair‚ 3-1 and 5-4.
August 30New York’s Tom Hughes pitches a no-hitter for 9 1?3 innings before giving up a hit to Cleveland’s Harry Niles. Hughes then collapses‚ allowing 5 runs in the 11th to lose 5-0.

The Giants beat the Red Adams and the Pirates‚ 5-2‚ to sweep the 3-game series with Pittsburgh. The Bucs batter Mathewson for 12 hits‚ but he wins his 22nd.

For the second time in 4 days‚ a Red Sox pitcher throws a one-hitter as Ray Collins beats the visiting White Sox‚ 4-0. Meleon’s single is the only hit.

September

September 3Walter Johnson of Washington tops Chief Bender and the first-place Athletics‚ 3-1. The A’s score comes on a triple steal (Hartsel‚ Houser‚ Rapp).
September 5After losing 5-2 to the Yankees‚ the A’s win the second game 2-1 and Jack Coombs begins a streak of 53 shutout innings‚ topping Doc White‘s 46 of 1904. Three years later Walter Johnson will top Coombs.
September 7At the Polo Grounds‚ Christy Mathewson allows 7 hits in beating the Boston Doves‚ 2-0. Sam Frock is hung with the loss.
September 12At Toronto‚ Dick Rudolph of Toronto (Eastern League) pitches 10 hitless innings over Montreal. Rudolph wins in 12 innings‚ 2-1.

At Oakland‚ Vean Gregg of Portland pitched a PCL record third 1-hitter‚ a 2-0 win over Oakland.
September 13In an 8-7 loss to Cleveland‚ Ty Cobb hits his 9th HR of the year‚ all inside the park‚ to clinch his only home run title.

The Giants split with the Pirates‚ winning 11-1‚ then getting outslugged‚ 15-3. Mathewson loses the opener‚ allowing 5 runs in 8 innings.
September 14Detroit rookie Dave Skeels‚ just 17-years-old‚ make his first and only ML appearance‚ surrendering 8 runs‚ on 9 hits and 4 walks‚ in 6 innings‚ but comes away with a 9-8 win. He finishes the day and his ML career with an ERA of 12.00.
September 15Cleveland tops Washington‚ 3-0‚ with Walter Johnson losing to the Naps after 4 straight wins against them. The victory goes to Fred Blanding in his major league debut. Nap Lajoie scores a run but is 0-for-3.
September 16Mathewson stops the Bucs on 5 hits‚ as the Giants top Pittsburgh 3-1 to move a half-game behind the 2nd place Pirates. Al Leifield takes the loss.

Jack Coombs tosses his 3rd shutout in a row as the first-place A’s ‘s roll over the Tigers‚ 10-0. Coombs next start‚ against Cleveland‚ will result in a 0-0 tie.
September 17Detroit pitcher Ed Summers‚ a notoriously poor hitter‚ bounces 2 HRs into the stands in a 10-3 victory over the A’s. He adds a single his last time up. The two homers‚ both off Harry Krause‚ will comprise his career total.

The White Sox combine 2 hits‚ 2 errors‚ 2 walks and a triple steal in the 1st inning to beat the visiting Red Sox‚ 4-3. Choinard‚ Collins‚ and Payne pull off the triple steal.

At Atlanta‚ Mobile and Atlanta finish their Southern Association season by breaking the “world’s time record” for a 9-inning game‚ completing the match in 32 minutes. Mobile wins‚ 2-1. Both teams run in after each inning‚ hitters run to the plate and swing at the first pitch‚ though there is one walk‚ no strikeouts‚ and 4 stolen bases in the game. There are 35 assists by the 2 teams.
September 20The Cards beat the Giants‚ 5-1‚ then lose the nitecap 3-2. Rookie Ed Zmich‚ still looking for his first win‚ loses to Mathewson. Matty allows 10 hits‚ but K’s 10.
September 21At Cleveland, A’s ace Jack Coombs throws 11 scoreless innings only to be matched by rookie Harry Fanwell. The game ends 0-0 with Coombs’ scoreless inning streak at 47.
September 22In the 2nd game of a DH at Cincinnati‚ Boston P George Ferguson hits a grand slam off Jack Rowan‚ in the 3rd inning‚ as Boston beats the Reds‚ 7-5. It is Ferguson’s only ML homer.
September 23George Stallings‚ convinced that Hal Chase tried to throw a game‚ but unable to make the charge stick‚ is replaced by his charismatic first sacker as manager of the 2nd-place Highlanders for the season’s final 11 games. On his own‚ Prince Hal will lead the New Yorkers downhill to 6th place in 1911.
September 24In another matchup of aces‚ the Giants score 4 runs in the 1st inning off Three Finger Brown‚ who is lifted after six innings‚ trailing‚ 5-1. The Cubs rally against Christy Mathewson‚ and score 2 runs in both the 8th and 9th innings to tie. Larry Doyle‚ who sloppy play helped the Cubs scoring‚ singles home the winning run for New York in the bottom of the 9th. Despite the Cubs tying the game after his departure‚ Brown is handed the loss.
September 25At Chicago’s South Side Grounds, Ed Walsh attempts to run the White Sox victory-streak to 10 games in the first game of a doubleheader against the A’s. Walsh allows one hit through 8 innings while Ed Plank is nearly as good, surrendering three hits. The A’s tie the game in the 9th when Jack Coombs relieves to pitch five scoreless innings as the A’s prevail, 3-1, in 14. Harry Lord has four of the five Sox hits. Coombs, with his consecutive scoreless innings streak now at 52 innings, starts game two. He allows a leadoff triple in the 1st inning but escapes without Chicago scoring. However, the Sox tally three in the 2nd ending Coombs streak at 53 innings. Chicago wins, 5-2, in five innings when the game is called on account of darkness. Harry Lord steals 3B and then swipes home on the front end of a double steal for the Sox.

At St. Louis, the Browns and Senators split with the Browns winning game one, 2–1. In the second game, Walter Johnson tosses the first of his two career one-baserunner games, missing a perfect game when a sixth inning grounder by rookie Frank Truesdale skips by SS George McBride for a single. Johnson’s one-hitter is good for a 3–0 victory over the Browns. Johnson strikes out 11 to run his season total to 303, “establishing a new world strikeout record beating Rube Waddell’s mark of 301 set in 1903.” (Chicago Tribune). However, Waddell’s mark is now recognized as 349.
September 27At Detroit‚ the Yankees win‚ 10-2‚ as rookie Russ Ford (26-6) records his 26th victory‚ beating Ed Willett. Ford’s 26 is the most wins ever by a rookie.
September 30Browns 3B Ray Jansen gets 4 hits in 5 at-bats in his ML debut‚ the only game he will play in the Majors. Speeding his exit are his 3 errors at the hot corner. The last-place Browns fall to the White Sox‚ 9-1.

In a shootout at the Polo Grounds‚ Beals Becker hits a pinch grand slam inside-the-park as the Giants outslug Brooklyn‚ 17-8. It is the 2nd pinch slam IPHR in ML history; Mike O’Neill hit the first.

October

October 1Rookie Lefty Russell blanks the Red Sox 3-0 in his first start‚ for Philadelphia’s 100th win and his sole ML victory in his 3-year career.

In a 9-6 Chicago win in Cincinnati‚ the Cubs’ Johnny Evers breaks his ankle sliding home in the 5th and will not play in the WS. He’ll play just 46 games next season.
October 2The pennant-bound Cubs end the season with an 8-4 win over the Reds‚ pulling off a triple play in the process. The TP goes left fielder Jimmy Sheckard to C Johnny Kling to 1B Jimmy Archer.
October 4In Philadelphia’s 3-1 win at Boston‚ the A’s Eddie Collins swipes his 81st base to set a new AL record. Cobb will break it next year by 2.
October 5Connie Mack inserts his son Earle behind the plate in a game against the Highlanders. Earle‚ who hit .135 in 26 minor league games this year‚ responds with a single and triple while catching Eddie Plank and Jack Coombs. The Highlanders beat the A’s 7-4. Earle will mop up in late seasons games next year and again in 1914‚ and serve for 25 years as his father’s coach.
October 6Boston (NL) rookie OF Bill Collins hits for the cycle as the Braves demolish the Phillies‚ 20-7; the next franchise player to match Collins will be Albert Hall for the Atlanta Braves in 1987.

The Senators and Red Sox split a pair‚ with Boston taking game 1 by a score of 5-2 and the Nationals winning‚ 6-5‚ in 8 innings. Duffy Lewis has a homer in game 2‚ while Clyde Milan scores in the 3rd inning on the front end of a triple steal. When Walter Johnson relieves for Walker in the 6th inning‚ Milan saves the win with a tumbling 2-out‚ bases-loaded catch. Johnson has a pair of K’s to finish with a AL-high 313: his scheduled next start against the A’s will be washed out.

The Giants triple Brooklyn to win‚ 9-3. Brooks 2B Dolly Stark is 4-for-4-for-4‚ getting 4 hits in 4 at bats and making 4 errors.
October 8The Superbas tip the Giants‚ 3-2 in 10 innings when reliever Red Ames wild pitches in the winning Brooklyn run.

The Yankees beat Boston twice‚ winning 4-1 and 6-5. The first game takes 72 minutes.

With the White Sox putting lefty Irv Young on the mound against the Tigers‚ Cobb takes the night train the Philadelphia and manager Hugh Jennings leaves for home. Wild Bill Donovan manages the Tigers. Young allows 3 hits in taming the Tigers 4-0‚ his 4th win of the year and 4th shutout. He adds a RBI single‚ steals second and when neither the second baseman or shortstop move to cover the base‚ the throw sails into CF‚ and Young sails to 3B. He then scores the 4th run.
October 9The battle for the AL batting title is decided on the final day‚ when Detroit’s Ty Cobb edges Cleveland’s Nap Lajoie .3850687 to .3840947. Neither man covers himself with glory. Lajoie goes 8-for-8 in a doubleheader with the Browns‚ accepting six “gift” hits on bunt singles on which Browns rookie 3B Red Corriden is apparently purposely stationed at the edge of the OF grass. The prejudiced St. Louis scorer also credits popular Nap with a “hit” on the Brownie SS Bobby Wallace‘s wild throw to 1B. In Lajoie’s last at bat‚ he is safe at first on an error call‚ but is credited with a sac bunt since a man was on. The St. Louis Post is just one of the papers to be openly critical of the move against Cobb. “All St. Louis is up in arms over the deplorable spectacle‚ conceived in stupidity and executed in jealousy.” The Browns win the opener‚ 5-4‚ and Cleveland takes the nitecap‚ 3-0 with both managers‚ Jack O’Connor and Jim Maguire catching. O’Connor is behind the plate for just an inning‚ but Maguire goes all the way.

Cobb‚ meanwhile‚ rather than risk his average‚ sits out the last two games‚ the Tigers beating the White Sox in the finale‚ 2-1. Ban Johnson investigates and clears everyone concerned‚ enabling Cobb to win the 3rd of 9 straight batting crowns. The embarrassed Chalmers Auto Company awards cars to both Ty and Nap. In 1981 The Sporting News uncovers an error-crediting a 2-for-3 game twice to Cobb-that‚ if corrected‚ would give the championship to Lajoie. But the commissioner’s committee votes unanimously to leave history unchanged.

Despite 10 walks by King Cole‚ the Cubs down the Cardinals‚ 4-3‚ scoring the winning run with 2 outs in the 9th. Cole finishes the year at 20-4‚ with the ML’s best winning percentage and the best by a Cub in the 20th century (Sutcliffe will be 16-1 for Chicago in 1984‚ but 20-6 overall).

The Leland Giants begin a 16-game series in Havana‚ Cuba. The black team will play a series against the AL champion Detroit Tigers.

At a field day at Cincinnati’s Palace of the Fans‚ Evansville’s (Central League) Sheldon LeJeune throws a baseball 426 feet 6 1/4″ on the fly‚ breaking the record set by Brooklyn’s Jack Hatfield in 1872 (400 feet 7 1/2″). LeJeune‚ who will make it to the majors for 24 games‚ has 4 trials and reaches his mark with his 4th try. He reached 401 feet‚ 4 1/2 inches on an earlier heave‚ longer than his 399 foot throw on September 10‚ 1907. Speedy Hans Lobert is the fastest this day‚ circling the bases in 14 seconds and ties teammate Ward Miller by beating out a bunt to 1B in 3.2 seconds. He also wins the 100-yeard dash in 10 seconds flat. The Reds beat the Pirates in the last game‚ 7-1.
October 10Playing for Sacramento (PCL), Frank Arellanes, who was 4-7 this year for the Boston Red Sox, pitches a no-hitter against Vernon, but loses, 2-0.
October 12With the AL season ending a week earlier than the NL‚ the champion A’s tune up with a 5-game series against an AL all-star team‚ which includes Ty Cobb‚ Tris Speaker‚ Doc White‚ Ed Walsh‚ and Walter Johnson. The A’s drop 4 out of 5 to the all-stars‚ but Mack will later state‚ “Those games‚ more than anything else‚ put the Athletics in a condition to outclass the National League champions.”
October 13At the Polo Grounds‚ 25‚000 fans show up for the start of the City Series between the Giants and Highlanders‚ and to watch Christy Mathewson and rookie phenom Russ Ford square off. The score is 1-1 when Mathewson and Devore single in the bottom of the 8th. An error loads the bases and Ford plunks Al Bridwell to score the winning run. The Giants score 3 more for a 5-1 win‚ with Matty striking out 14 Highlanders. The American Leaguers will win tomorrow when Jack Warhop tops Hooks Wiltse‚ but the Giants take the game on the 15th when Matty preserves the 5-1 win for Drucke. Matty will win game 4 by another 5-1 score.

In Ban Johnson’s hearing on the October 9th doubleheader in which Nap Lajoie had 8 hits‚ Browns 3B Red Corriden staunchly defends playing back: “I wasn’t going to get killed playing in on Lajoie.”
October 15On the last day of the season‚ St. Louis manager Jack O’Connor is fired by Browns president Hedges for his role in the Lajoie batting-title travesty. Also fired is coach Harry Howell for allegedly delivering an offer to the official scorer E.V. Parrish to change his error call to a hit.
October 16At Portland‚ Los Angeles (PCL) beats the Beavers‚ 3-2 and 1-0 in 5 innings. In game 1‚ when Angels Pete Daley scores in the 4th inning‚ it is the first score against Portland in 88 innings. Portland will finish atop the PCL with a 113-79 record and four 20-game winners.
October 17With sore-armed Eddie Plank unavailable‚ Connie Mack will squeeze 5 complete games out of 2 pitchers in the WS. Chief Bender‘s 4-1 three-hitter wins game one for the Athletics at Philadelphia. Frank Baker’s 3 hits drive in all the runs needed to beat the Cubs’ Orval Overall.
October 18Jack Coombs struggles for a 9-3 win‚ walking 9 and giving up 8 hits‚ but strands 14 Cubs‚ while a 6-run 7th off Three Finger Brown blows open the win for the A’s. Eddie Collins has 2 doubles and 2 SBs.

The Reds beat the Cleveland 8-5 in the 7th game of the first Ohio championship series.
October 20The A’s dispose of Ed Reulbach in 2 innings‚ then pin the loss on reliever Harry McIntire‚ who lasts a third of a inning. Coombs coasts on one day’s rest‚ 12-5‚ and helps himself with 3 hits. Cubs manager Frank Chance becomes the first player ejected from a WS game when umpire Tom Connally chases him for protesting a Danny Murphy HR drive against a sign over the RF bleachers. Chance opines too loudly that it should be a ground-rule double.

The Giants win the City Series against the Highlanders‚ 4-2‚ as Christy Mathewson is victorious over Jack Warhop‚ 6-3. Larry Doyle‘s 3rd inning 3-run homer into the upper grandstand in RF is the big blow. Paid admission for the six games is over 100‚000‚ and each Giant takes home $1‚110.62. Art Fletcher will use the winnings to marry his childhood sweetheart‚ Blanche Dieu.
October 22Frank Chance lines a 9th inning one-out triple to knot game 4 at 2-2. Jimmy Sheckard then singles in the 10th to give the Cubs the 3-2 win. Three Finger Brown‚ in relief‚ is the winner over Chief Bender‚ who goes all the way.
October 23Three Finger Brown comes back to face Coombs‚ who takes a 2-1 lead into the 7th. The A’s get to Brown for 5 runs and a 7-2 win. The crowd of 27‚374 is the Series’ largest. The A’s .316 BA is a WS record. For this WS‚ cork-center balls were secretly used for the first time‚ and will be used in the ML starting next year. Previously‚ rubber center balls were used.
October 26The Washington Post headlines a rumored trade with Walter Johnson going to Detroit for Ty Cobb. Detroit president Frank Navin scoffs at the story‚ saying he would never trade Cobb‚ but praising Johnson “as the best pitcher in the country.”

November

November 27The touring Detroit Tigers‚ with Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford in the lineup‚ play an exhibition game in Havana‚ Cuba. With George Mullin on the mound‚ the Tigers beat Almendares‚ 4-0.
November 29It’s the Cuban’s turn today as Cuban ace Jose Mendez shuts out the Tigers‚ 3-0. On steal attempts‚ Ty Cobb is thrown out three times by Bruce Petway‚ who played last year for the Chicago Leland Giants‚ and Gervasio “Strike” Gonzales. On his last attempt‚ Cobb argues that the bag is three inches too far. When measured‚ Cobb is proved correct‚ but is still out stealing. A frustrated Cobb will cut short the tour and return to the U.S. The Tigers will end their Cuban swing at 7-4‚ with a tie. This is a reversal of last year’s 4-8 record‚ when they played the Cuban teams without Cobb and Sam Crawford. The champion A’s also played in Havana at the same time‚ finishing with a 4-6 record.

December

December 13Former New York Giant Dan McGann‚ 39‚ who ended his 13-year career in 1908‚ shoots himself in a Louisville hotel.
December 17John Harris sells the Boston National League team to a syndicate headed by William Hepburn Russell‚ a New York lawyer and city official‚ for $100‚000. The team will be nicknamed the Rustlers after their new owner.