1.
Chicago Cubs
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The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League Central division. The team plays its games at Wrigley Field, located on the citys North Side. The Cubs are one of two league teams in Chicago, the other, the Chicago White Sox, is a member of the American League Central division. The Cubs, first known as the White Stockings, was a member of the NL in 1876. The Cubs have appeared in a total of eleven World Series, the 1906 Cubs won 116 games, finishing 116–36 and posting a modern-era record winning percentage of.763, before losing the World Series to the Chicago White Sox by four games to two. The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, the 108-year drought was also the longest such occurrence in all major North American sports. Since the start of play in 1969, the Cubs have appeared in the postseason eight times through the 2016 season. The Cubs are known as the North Siders, a reference to the location of Wrigley Field within the city of Chicago, there is a divisional rivalry with the St. Louis Cardinals and also a newer rivalry with the Milwaukee Brewers. There is also a rivalry with the White Sox. The Cubs began play in 1876 as the Chicago White Stockings, joining the National League as a charter member. Owner William Hulbert signed multiple star players, such as pitcher Albert Spalding and infielders Ross Barnes, Deacon White, the White Stockings played their home games at West Side Grounds and quickly established themselves as one of the new leagues top teams. Spalding won forty-seven games and Barnes led the league in hitting at.429 as Chicago won the first ever National League pennant, which at the time was the games top prize. After back-to-back pennants in 1880 and 1881, Hulbert died, and Spalding, the White Stockings, with Anson acting as player-manager, captured their third consecutive pennant in 1882, and Anson established himself as the games first true superstar. In 1885 and 86, after winning N. L. pennants, both seasons resulted in match ups with the St. Louis Brown Stockings, with the clubs tying in 1885 and with St. Louis winning in 1886. This was the genesis of what would become one of the greatest rivalries in sports. In all, the Anson-led Chicago Base Ball Club won six National League pennants between 1876 and 1886. As a result, Chicagos club nickname transitioned, and by 1890 they had known as the Chicago Colts, or sometimes Ansons Colts
2.
Frank Chance
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Frank Leroy Chance was an American professional baseball player. A first baseman, Chance played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and he also served as manager of the Cubs, Yankees, and Boston Red Sox. Discovered by the Cubs as he played baseball while attending college, Chance debuted with the Cubs in 1898. In 1903, Chance became the Cubs regular first baseman, and in 1905, Chance led the Cubs to four National League championships in the span of five years and won the World Series in 1907 and 1908. With Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers, Chance formed a double play combination. Let go by the Cubs after the 1912 season, Chance signed with the Yankees and he joined the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as a player–manager, returning to MLB in 1923 as manager of the Red Sox. Chance was named the manager of the Chicago White Sox in 1924, noted for his leadership abilities, Chance earned the nickname Peerless Leader. He is the leader in managerial winning percentage in Cubs history. Chance was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 1946 balloting by the Veterans Committee, along with Tinker and he was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fames first class, in 1959. Chance was born in Salida, California, in Stanislaus County and his family was of English and Scottish descent. He was raised in Fresno, California and attended Fresno High School and his father was president of the first national bank in Fresno. Chance enrolled at the University of California, where he pursued a degree in dentistry and he transferred to Washington College in Irvington, California. While playing baseball for the baseball team, he received an offer to play semi-professional baseball for a team in Sullivan, Illinois, for $40 a month. Returning to college the year, Chance led his team to a third-place finish in an amateur tournament of 50 teams. Bill Lange of the Chicago Cubs discovered Chance and convinced the Cubs to sign him as a catcher and outfielder. Chance was scouted by other teams, but chose the Cubs as Tim Donohue was the only catcher ahead of him on the Cubs depth chart, Chance began his career in 1898 with the Chicago Cubs, serving as a reserve catcher and outfielder. He played irregularly through the 1902 season, due in part to finger injuries suffered while catching, Chance played in no more than 75 games in a season through 1902. In 1903, Johnny Kling became the Cubs full-time catcher, as Bill Hanlon, the Cubs first baseman, left the team, manager Frank Selee moved Chance to first base
3.
Detroit Tigers
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The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the American League Central division. One of the ALs eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in 1901 and they are the oldest continuous one-name, one-city franchise in the AL. The Tigers have won four World Series championships,11 AL pennants, the Tigers also won division titles in 1972,1984 and 1987 while members of the AL East. The team currently plays its games at Comerica Park in Downtown Detroit. The Tigers constructed Bennett Park at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Avenue in Corktown, in 1912, the team moved into Navin Field, which was built on the same location. It was expanded in 1938 and renamed Briggs Stadium and it was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961 and the Tigers played there until moving to Comerica Park in 2000. The club is a member of the American League, one of four clubs still located in its original city. It was established as a member in 1901. The Tigers played their first game as a league team at home against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 25,1901. After entering the ninth inning behind 13–4, the team staged a comeback to win 14–13. The team finished third in the eight-team league,11 years later, an elegant stadium was constructed on the site of Bennett Park and named Navin Field for owner Frank Navin. In 1938, it was improved and named Briggs Stadium, and was subsequently renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961, Tiger Stadium was used by the Tigers until the end of the 1999 season. Since 2000, they have played in Comerica Park, there are various legends about how the Tigers got their nickname. One involves the orange stripes they wore on their black stockings, Tigers manager George Stallings took credit for the name, however, the name appeared in newspapers before Stallings was manager. Another legend concerns a sportswriter equating the 1901 teams opening day victory with the ferocity of his alma mater and they had played significant roles in certain Civil War battles and in the 1898 Spanish–American War. The baseball team was informally called both Wolverines and Tigers in the news. The earliest known use of the name Tigers in the media was in the Detroit Free Press on April 16,1895, upon entry into the majors, the ballclub sought and received formal permission from the Light Guard to use its trademark
4.
Hughie Jennings
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Hugh Ambrose Jennings was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894,1895, during those three seasons, Jennings had 355 runs batted in and hit.335.386, and.401. Jennings was a fiery, hard-nosed player who was not afraid to be hit by a pitch to get on base, in 1896, he was hit by pitches 51 times – a major league record that has never been broken. Jennings also holds the record for being hit by pitches with 287. Jennings also played on the Brooklyn Superbas teams that won National League pennants in 1899 and 1900. From 1907 to 1920, Jennings was the manager of the Detroit Tigers, where he was known for his antics, hoots, whistles. Jennings suffered a breakdown in 1925 that forced him to leave Major League Baseball. He died in 1928 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945. Jennings worked as a boy in the local anthracite coal mines. He drew attention playing shortstop for a baseball team in Lehighton. He was signed by the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1891 and he stayed with the Colonels when they joined the National League in 1892 and was traded on June 7,1893 to the Baltimore Orioles. Jennings played with the Orioles for parts of seven seasons and became a star during his years in Baltimore, the Baltimore Orioles teams of 1894,1895, and 1896 are regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time. Amidst all those players, Jennings was appointed captain in 1894. During the Orioles championship years, Jennings had some of the best seasons ever by a major league shortstop, in 1895, he hit.386, scored 159 runs, collected 204 hits, knocked in 125 runs, and stole 53 bases. In 1896, his performance was better, as he hit.401 with 209 hits,121 RBIs. The fiery Jennings was also known as one of the most fearless players of his time, in one game, he was hit by a pitch three times. In 1896, he was hit by pitches 51 times—a Major League record that still stands, in just five seasons with the Orioles from 1894 to 1898, Jennings was hit by pitches an unprecedented 202 times. During one game, Jennings was hit in the head by a pitch from Amos Rusie in the 3rd inning, as soon as the game ended, Jennings collapsed and was unconscious for three days
5.
Hank O'Day
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Henry M. Hank ODay, nicknamed The Reverend, was an American right-handed pitcher and later an umpire and manager in Major League Baseball. After a seven-year major league playing career, he worked as a National League umpire for 30 seasons between 1895 and 1927. ODay umpired in ten World Series – second only to Bill Klems total of 18 – including five of the first seven played, and was behind the plate for the first modern World Series game in 1903. His 3,986 total games as an umpire ranked third in league history when he retired. He is largely known for his decision in a pivotal 1908 game. ODay interrupted his umpiring career twice for single seasons as a manager, leading the Cincinnati Reds in 1912 and he remains the only person ever to serve full seasons in the NL as a player, manager and umpire. ODay was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2013, ODay was born in Chicago, the son of railroad engineer James ODay and his wife Margaret, who were immigrants from Ireland and were both deaf. The couple had at least seven children, Daniel, James Jr. Catherine, Henry, Margaret, Mary McNamara, the ODays originally settled in Buffalo, New York, by the mid-1850s, they had moved to Cincinnati, and they relocated to Chicago around 1858. Jackson Street, which remained the residence until the early 20th century. ODay worked as a fitter in Chicago before entering organized baseball. With Toledo, he played alongside Fleet Walker, the first African American to play in the major leagues, ODay made his major league debut on May 2,1884, and served as the teams second pitcher behind Tony Mullane. However, he made only 13 other non-pitching appearances in the field in later years, in 1885, he split playing time with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the AA and the Washington Nationals of the Eastern League. ODay had a record of 5–7 for the Alleghenys, his time was limited because he was caring for his sick father. He made only five starts after May 11, and left the team for the last time after his July 6 start, in the meantime, the Chicago White Stockings had opened West Side Park on June 6, less than a mile and a half from the ODay residence. In 15 games with Washington in the Eastern League, he had a record of 13–2, on September 5 of that year, his younger brother Joseph died at age 15 from injuries he had suffered two days earlier after falling from the front car of a roller coaster. At the end of the season, the Nationals folded, and ODay joined a Louisville ball club, ODay spent most of 1886 with the Savannah team in the Southern Association, and during his time there he was considered a favorite among other players. In 39 games with Savannah, ODay won 26 games, lost 11, late in the year, he joined the Washington Nationals, where he posted a 2-2 record in six games. ODay became a starter for the Nationals in 1887
6.
Bill Klem
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William Joseph Klem, born William Joseph Klimm, known as the Old Arbitrator and the father of baseball umpires, was a National League umpire in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1941. He worked 18 World Series, which is a league record. Klem was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953, Klem was born on February 22,1874 in the Dutchtown area of Rochester, New York. He had changed the spelling of his last name from Klimm to Klem because he thought it had a better sound, Klem pursued a baseball career as a catcher until he sustained an arm injury. He then worked as a bartender and traveled through the Northeast building bridges and he decided to pursue umpiring after reading a newspaper article about major league umpire Silk OLoughlin. His umpiring career began in the Connecticut League in 1902 and that year, Klem had a run-in with league secretary and team manager Jim ORourke after Klem ejected one of the managers players. ORourke threatened that Klem would not umpire another game in the league, but Klem responded, Maybe so and he worked in the New York State League the following year. Klem spent the 1904 season in the American Association before joining the NL in 1905. He worked a record 18 World Series,1908,1909,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1917,1918,1920,1922,1924,1926,1929,1931,1932,1934 and 1940. No other umpire has worked in more than ten Series, of the 16 major league teams in existence during his career, all but one—the St. He was also one of the umpires for the first All-Star Game in 1933, Klem holds the MLB record for most career ejections by an umpire with 251. He called balls and strikes in five no-hitters, an NL record later tied by Harry Wendelstedt and he was also the home plate umpire on September 16,1924, when Jim Bottomley of the St. Louis Cardinals had a record 12 runs batted in. Klem had a number of nicknames amongst the players, his favorite was The Old Arbitrator, Klem despised the latter name, and was notorious for ejecting players whom he caught using it. One particular incident involved a player whom Klem ejected after he caught the player drawing a picture of a catfish with his foot in the infield dirt. Klem also dismissed catcher Al López from a game after López pasted a newspaper clipping onto home plate which showed Klem clearly in error calling a play involving López, the catcher had covered the photo with dirt and waited for Klem to brush off home plate. As Klem got older, he began to experience a skin condition that he related to his nerves. He once commented on the toll that umpiring took on him, saying, feel that these verbal and physical public humiliations go in one ear and out the other. They go in one ear and go straight to the system, eating away coordination, self-confidence
7.
Tom Connolly
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Thomas Henry Connolly was an English-American umpire in Major League Baseball. He officiated in the National League from 1898 to 1900, followed by 31 years of service in the American League from 1901 to 1931, Connolly was born in Manchester, England, and played cricket as a boy. He immersed himself in the book, and within a few years was umpiring for local games. While working in YMCA games, he was discovered by major league umpire Tim Hurst, who obtained a position for Connolly in the New England League, where he umpired from 1894 to 1897. Connolly had the privilege of umpiring, as its sole arbiter, during the ensuing argument, Connolly was struck in the mouth by a bottle thrown by a spectator. His reputation earned him prominent game assignments, including the first AL games ever played at Comiskey Park, Shibe Park, Fenway Park, Connolly was also the sole AL umpire chosen to work in the first World Series in 1903. In his career, Connolly worked in an AL-record eight World Series,1903,1908,1910,1911,1913,1916,1920 and 1924. He was also the plate umpire for Addie Joss perfect game on October 2,1908, one of four no-hitters in which he called balls. Connolly was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953, Connolly and Klem are the only two umpires in history to have worked in five decades, Connollys record of 31 years umpiring American League games was broken by Larry Barnett in 1999. Connolly died at age 90 in Natick, Massachusetts
8.
Mordecai Brown
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Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown, nicknamed Three Finger or Miner, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher and manager during the first two decades of the 20th century. Due to an accident in his youth, Brown lost parts of two fingers on his right hand, and in the process gained a colorful nickname. He turned this handicap into an advantage by learning how to grip a baseball in a way that resulted in an exceptional curveball, with this technique he became one of the elite pitchers of his era. Brown was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949, Brown was born in Nyesville, Indiana. He was also known as Miner, having worked in western Indiana coal mines for a while beginning his professional baseball career. Nicknames like Miner and Three Finger were headline writers inventions, to fans and friends he was probably best known as Brownie. To his relatives and close friends, he was known as Mort. His three-part given name came from the names of his uncle, his father, according to his biography, he suffered two separate injuries to his right hand. The first and most famous trauma came when he was feeding material into the farms feed chopper and he slipped and his hand was mangled by the knives, severing much of his index finger and damaging the others. A doctor repaired the rest of his hand as best he could, while it was still healing, the injury was further aggravated by a fall he took, which broke several finger bones. They were not reset properly, especially the middle finger and he learned to pitch, as many children did, by aiming rocks at knot-holes on the barn wall and other wooden surfaces. Over time, with constant practice, he developed great control, as a bonus, the manner in which he had to grip the ball resulted in an unusual amount of spin. This allowed him to throw a curve ball, and a deceptive fast ball. The extra topspin made it difficult for batters to connect solidly, in short, he threw ground balls and was exceptionally effective. Brown was a third baseman in baseball in 1898 when his teams pitcher failed to appear for a game and was put in to pitch. Players in the league quickly noticed the spin and movement created by Browns unusual grip, fred Massey, Browns great-nephew, said, It didnt only curve, it curved and dropped at the same time, Massey said. It made it hard to hit and if you did hit it. Browns most productive period was when he played for the Chicago Cubs from 1904 through 1912, during this stretch, he won 20 or more games six times and was part of two World Series championships
9.
Johnny Evers
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John Joseph Evers was an American professional baseball second baseman and manager. He played in Major League Baseball from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves and he also appeared in one game apiece for the Chicago White Sox and Braves while coaching them in 1922 and 1929, respectively. Evers was born in Troy, New York, after playing for the local minor league baseball team for one season, Frank Selee, manager of the Cubs, purchased Everss contract and soon made him his starting second baseman. Evers helped lead the Cubs to four National League pennants, including two World Series championships, the Cubs traded Evers to the Braves in 1914, that season, Evers led the Braves to victory in the World Series, and was named the leagues Most Valuable Player. Evers continued to play for the Braves and Phillies through 1917 and he then became a coach, scout, manager, and general manager in his later career. Known as one of the smartest ballplayers in MLB, Evers also had a temper that he took out on umpires. Evers was a part of a great double-play combination with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance, Evers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946. Evers was born on July 21,1881, in Troy and his father worked as a saloon keeper. Many of Evers relatives, including his father, brothers, and uncles, Evers attended St. Josephs Elementary School and played sandlot ball in Troy. Evers made his debut in minor league baseball for the Troy Trojans of the Class-B New York State League in 1902 as a shortstop. Evers reportedly weighed less than 100 pounds, and opposing fans thought he was a part of a comedic act, Evers reportedly weighed no more than 130 pounds during his career. Evers batted.285 and led the New York State League with 10 home runs, Frank Selee, manager of the Chicago Cubs, scouted Everss teammate, pitcher Alex Hardy. Evers made his MLB debut with the Cubs on September 1 at shortstop, only three players in the National League were younger than Evers, Jim St. Vrain, Jimmy Sebring, and Lave Winham. Three days later, Selee returned Tinker to shortstop and assigned Evers to second base, in his month-long tryout with the Cubs, Evers batted.222 without recording an extra-base hit and played inconsistent defense. However, Lowes injury did not properly heal by spring training in 1903, the Cubs sold Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the season. Evers played 152 games in the 1904 season, defensively, his 518 assists and 381 putouts led the NL, though his 54 errors led all NL second basemen. During the 1906 season, Evers finished fifth in the NL with 49 stolen bases, the Cubs won the NL pennant in 1906, but lost the 1906 World Series to the Chicago White Sox four games to two, Evers batted 3-for-20 in the series. During the 1907 season, Evers led the NL with 500 assists, the Cubs repeated as NL champions in 1907, and won the 1907 World Series over the Detroit Tigers, four games to none, as Evers batted 7-for-20
10.
Joe Tinker
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Joseph Bert Tinker was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played from 1902 through 1916 for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball, born in Muscotah, Kansas, Tinker began playing semi-professional baseball in Kansas in the late 19th century. He began his career in 1900 in minor league baseball. Tinker was a member of the Chicago Cubs dynasty that won four pennants, after playing one season with Cincinnati in 1913, he became one of the first stars to jump to the upstart Federal League in 1914. While in Orlando, Tinker developed a real estate firm, which thrived during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, however, the 1926 Miami hurricane and Great Depression cost Tinker most of his fortune, and he returned to professional baseball in the late 1930s. With the Cubs, Tinker was a part of a great double-play combination with teammates Johnny Evers, however, Evers and Tinker feuded off the field. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946 and he has also been honored by the Florida State League and the city of Orlando. Tinker was born in Muscotah, Kansas and his twin sister died at a young age. When Tinker was two, his family moved to Kansas City, Kansas, there, he began to play baseball for his schools team when he was 14 years old. He played in semi-professional baseball for Hagens Tailors in 1898, winning the city championship, in 1899, he played for a team based in Parsons, Kansas, until it disbanded. He then joined a team representing Coffeyville, Kansas, as a third baseman, playing as a second baseman for Denver, Tinker batted.219 in his first 32 games. Tebeau sold Tinker to the Great Falls Indians of the Montana State League in June, Great Falls sold Tinker to the Helena Senators, also in the Montana State League, for $200 later in the season due to the teams financial insolvency. In 1901, Tinker batted.290 for the Portland Webfoots of the Pacific Northwest League as their third baseman and he led the league with 37 stolen bases. When he purchased Tinkers contract, Cubs manager Frank Selee was seeking a replacement at shortstop for Barry McCormick, Tinker won the job during spring training. As a rookie in 1902, Tinker batted.261, Johnny Evers, also a rookie, played second base for the Cubs. With Frank Chance, the teams first baseman, the trio first played together on September 13,1902, in the 1903 season, Tinkers batting average improved to.291, and he also contributed 70 RBIs. Tinker led all NL shortstops in the 1906 season with a.944 fielding percentage, on September 14,1905, Tinker and Evers engaged in a fistfight on the field because Evers had taken a cab to the stadium and left his teammates behind in the hotel lobby. They did not speak for years following this event, Tinker led all shortstops in the NL in double plays turned in the 1905 season
11.
Sam Crawford
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Samuel Earl Sam Crawford, nicknamed Wahoo Sam, was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers from 1899 to 1917. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957, Crawford batted and threw left-handed, stood 6 ft 0 in tall and weighed 190 pounds. He was one of the greatest sluggers of the era and still holds the Major League records for triples in a career. He has the second best all-time record for most inside-the-park home runs in a career and he finished his career with 2,961 hits and a.309 batting average, and became the first player to lead both American League and the National League in home runs. One of his contemporaries, Fielder Jones, said of Crawford and he stands up at the plate like a brick house and he hits all the pitchers, without playing favorites. Crawford was among the American League leaders in hits, RBI, extra base hits, slugging percentage and total bases for 11 consecutive years, Crawford was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, in 1880, the son of Stephen O. Crawford and Nellie Crawford. In 1901, he married Ada M. Lattin, born circa 1881 in Nebraska and he was listed as a ballplayer in 1910, and had one daughter, Virginia, born circa 1905 in Michigan. Various ship records confirm his birthdate and that of wife Ada, as of the 1920 U. S. census, he was living in Los Angeles, with wife Ada and daughter Virginia, and a new addition, Samuel, born ~1918 in California. In 1898, he joined a traveling team in Wahoo. They traveled on a wagon from town to town for weeks at a time, challenging the locals to baseball games. Crawford was offered an opportunity in the spring of 1899 to play for the Chatham Reds of the Canadian League for $65 per month, Crawford seized the opportunity and left behind his job as a barbers apprentice. From Chatham, Crawford moved on to play for the Grand Rapids Prodigals in the Western League, in September 1899, Grand Rapids sold Crawford to the Cincinnati Reds. Crawford played in 31 games for the Reds at the end of the 1899 season, at age 19, and one year removed from his days playing for Wahoos traveling team, Crawford was playing in the major leagues with future Hall of Famers Jake Beckley and Bid McPhee. Crawford hit.307 in 31 games with the Reds in 1899, in 1900, at age 20, Crawford played in 101 games and was among the National League leaders in triples with 15 and home runs with seven. Crawford proved to be one of the best sluggers in baseball in 1901, batting.330, Crawford was also third in the National League in triples, RBIs and slugging percentage. Crawford had another year in 1902, leading the National League in total bases and triples. Crawford hit 12 inside-the-park home runs in 1901 – a major league record that has never been equaled, at the end of 1902, a bidding war for players developed between the National and American Leagues. Crawford signed contracts with both the Reds and the Detroit Tigers, the competing contracts led to a publicized legal dispute, with a judge ultimately awarding Crawford to the Tigers but requiring $3,000 in compensation to the Reds
12.
Ty Cobb
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Tyrus Raymond Ty Cobb, nicknamed The Georgia Peach, was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the last six as the teams player-manager, and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics. In 1999, editors at the Sporting News ranked Ty Cobb 3rd on their list of Baseballs 100 Greatest Players, Cobb is widely credited with setting 90 MLB records during his career. He still holds records as of the end of the 2016 season, including the highest career batting average. He still holds the record for stealing home and for stealing second base, third base, and home in succession. Cobb ranks fifth all-time in number of games played and committed 271 errors, Cobbs legacy as an athlete has sometimes been overshadowed by his surly temperament and aggressive playing style, which was described by the Detroit Free Press as daring to the point of dementia. Cobb himself wrote shortly before his death, In legend I am a sadistic, Cobb was notorious for sliding into bases feet first, with his spikes high. Cobb was born in 1886 in Narrows, Georgia, a rural community of farmers that was not an official city or village at the time. He was the first of three born to William Herschel Cobb and Amanda Chitwood Cobb. Cobbs father was a state senator, when he was still an infant, his parents moved to nearby Royston, where he was raised. He played his first years in organized baseball for the Royston Rompers, the semi-pro Royston Reds, and he then tried out for the Anniston Steelers of the semipro Tennessee–Alabama League, with his fathers stern admonition ringing in his ears, Dont come home a failure. Eventually, Rice wrote a note in the Journal that a young fellow named Cobb seems to be showing an unusual lot of talent. After about three months, Cobb returned to the Tourists and finished the season hitting.237 in 35 games, in August 1905, the management of the Tourists sold Cobb to the American Leagues Detroit Tigers for US$750. On August 8,1905, Cobbs mother fatally shot his father with a pistol that his father had purchased for her, court records indicate that Mr. Cobb had suspected his wife of infidelity and was sneaking past his own bedroom window to catch her in the act. She saw the silhouette of what she presumed to be an intruder and, acting in self-defense, shot, Mrs. Cobb was charged with murder and then released on a $7,000 recognizance bond. She was acquitted on March 31,1906, Cobb later attributed his ferocious play to his late father, saying, I did it for my father. He never got to see me play, but I knew he was watching me, and I never let him down. In 1911, Cobb moved to Detroits architecturally significant and now historically protected Woodbridge neighborhood, the Victorian duplex in which Cobb lived still stands
13.
1907 World Series
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The 1907 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, with the Cubs winning the Series four games to none for their first championship. The Cubs came back strong from their loss in the 1906 World Series. The Tigers young star Ty Cobb came into the Series with the first of his many league batting championships, with pitching dominance over the Tigers and Cobb, the Cubs allowed only three runs in the four games they won, while stealing 18 bases off the rattled Tigers. Tigers pitcher Wild Bill Donovan struck out twelve Cubs in Game 1, although that matched Ed Walshs total in Game 3 against the Cubs in 1906, it was across twelve innings. Donovan struck out just ten Cubs in the first nine innings of the game, the Cubs loaded the bases on a single, walk and infield error with one out. Detroit conceded a run on a ball for the second out. Wild Bill Donovan struck him out, but the ball got away from catcher Boss Schmidt, Donovan got the next hitter, but the damage had been done. The teams then played three extra innings before the game was called on account of darkness and declared a tie. This was the closest the Tigers would come to winning a game in this, Chicago scored two more in the fourth on a single, sacrifice bunt, RBI single, stolen base and double to take a 3–1 lead. Jack Pfiester, while allowing ten hits, benefited from two plays and three caught-stealings by battery-mate Johnny Kling and was the winning pitcher for the Cubs. Joe Tinker scored a run and drove in another in Game 2 after being pinch-hit for in the ninth inning of Game 1, Johnny Evers had three hits, including two doubles, as the Cubs took a 2–0 lead in the Series. Soon after play resumed in the inning, two Cubs reached base on an error and a walk. After Joe Tinker sacrificed, pitcher Orval Overall drove both runners home on a single to right, the Cubs scored three more in the seventh without the ball leaving the infield, on four bunts and two ground balls. Regular-season 23-game winner Overall was masterful after the delay, allowing only one hit in Detroits final five innings. Saturday, October 12,1907, at Bennett Park in Detroit, Detroit had runners on second and third with one out in the last of the fourth, but left them there and never seriously threatened after that. 1907 World Series, Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers Cohen, Richard M. Neft, the World Series, Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. Archived from the original on 2008
14.
World Series
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The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball in North America, contested since 1903 between the American League champion team and the National League champion team. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a playoff. As the series is played in October, during the season in North America. As of 2016, the World Series has been contested 112 times, with the AL winning 64, the 2016 World Series took place between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs. Seven games were played, with the Cubs victorious after game seven, the final score was 8–7, the game went into extra innings after a tied score of 6–6. This was the third World Series won by the Cubs, as well as their first title since 1908, in the National League, the St. As of 2016, no team has won consecutive World Series championships since the New York Yankees in 1998,1999, all championships were awarded to the team with the best record at the end of the season, without a postseason series being played. From 1884 to 1890, the National League and the American Association faced each other in a series of games at the end of the season to determine an overall champion. These series were disorganized in comparison to the modern World Series, the number of games played ranged from as few as three in 1884, to a high of fifteen in 1887. Both the 1885 and 1890 Series ended in ties, each team having won three games with one tie game, the series was promoted and referred to as The Championship of the United States, Worlds Championship Series, or Worlds Series for short. In his book Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded, August 27,1883, Simon Winchester mentions in passing that the World Series was named for the New York World newspaper, but this view is disputed. Until about 1960, some sources treated the 19th-century Series on a basis with the post-19th-century series. After about 1930, however, many authorities list the start of the World Series in 1903, following the collapse of the American Association after the 1891 season, the National League was again the only major league. The league championship was awarded in 1892 by a playoff between half-season champions and this scheme was abandoned after one season. Beginning in 1893—and continuing until divisional play was introduced in 1969—the pennant was awarded to the club in the standings at the end of the season. For four seasons, 1894–1897, the league played the runners-up in the post season championship series called the Temple Cup. A second attempt at this format was the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup series, in 1901, the American League was formed as a second major league. No championship series were played in 1901 or 1902 as the National and these series were arranged by the participating clubs, as the 1880s Worlds Series matches had been
15.
1909 World Series
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The 1909 World Series featured the Pittsburg Pirates and the Detroit Tigers. The Pirates won the Series in seven games to capture their first championship of the modern Major League Baseball era and they had won the pennant in 1909 behind the brilliant play of Honus Wagner, who led the league with a.339 batting average and 100 RBI. Detroit returned for their third consecutive Fall Classic determined to erase the memories of their previous efforts, the Tigers were also backed up by the heavy bat of Ty Cobb and a formidable pitching staff. They might have won the Series in their third try had it not been for Pirates rookie Babe Adams. Manager Fred Clarke started him, on a hunch, in Game 1, Adams won that game and two more, setting a World Series record for rookies. The Tigers thus became the first AL team to win three pennants and the first team to lose three straight World Series. The Pirates ran at will against the weak Detroit catching corps, Ty Cobb had a fairly quiet Series, going 6 for 26 with two stolen bases and one caught stealing. However, an examination of the play-by-play does not indicate such a play occurred. In the one caught stealing charged to Cobb, during the first inning of Game 4 and this story is largely attributed to the creative press at the time, and Wagner and Cobb were actually on good terms. For the first time, four umpires were used at the time, with the standard plate umpire. On June 14,2009, the series 100th anniversary was celebrated, both teams wore throwback uniforms similar to those worn in 1909. The stadiums public address and sound systems were turned off. The Pirates won the game, 6–3, NL Pittsburg Pirates vs. AL Detroit Tigers Friday, October 8,1909, at Forbes Field in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Ill never forget the look on Adams face when I told him I wanted him to pitch the opener. Rookie Babe Adams, who had compiled a 12–3 record during the regular season and he responded with a six-hit, 4–1 victory sparked by Clarkes game-tying home run in the bottom of the fourth. Saturday, October 9,1909, at Forbes Field in Pittsburg, Ty Cobb stole home to start the rally. Monday, October 11,1909, at Bennett Park in Detroit, tuesday, October 12,1909, at Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan The win-swapping continued with Detroit taking Game 4. Tiger ace George Mullin threw a shutout while striking out 10 Pirates. Wednesday, October 13,1909, at Forbes Field in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Babe Adams threw another six-hitter, for an 8–4 triumph, donovan got off to a miserable start
16.
2016 World Series
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The Indians had home-field advantage because the AL had won the 2016 All-Star Game. The Cubs defeated the Indians 4 games to 3 to win their first World Series in 108 years, the Cubs, playing in their eleventh World Series and their first since 1945, won their third championship and first since 1908. It was the Indians sixth appearance in the World Series and their first since 1997, the two teams entered their matchup as the two franchises with the longest World Series title droughts, a combined 176 years without a championship. The Cubs made their appearance in the World Series, their only previous two championships were in 1907 and 1908, both against the Detroit Tigers. The division title was their sixth since division play began in 1969 and it was also Maddons third World Series appearance overall – in 2002, he was bench coach with the Anaheim Angels when they won the World Series in seven games. The Indians made their appearance in the World Series. They won their first two championships in 1920 against the Brooklyn Robins and in 1948 against the Boston Braves. They lost their three most recent appearances in the Fall Classic, losing to the New York Giants in 1954, the Atlanta Braves in 1995, the Indians qualified for the postseason by winning the American League Central, their eighth division title and their first since 2007. They defeated the Boston Red Sox in three games of the AL Division Series before clinching the pennant with a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Championship Series. For Indians manager Terry Francona, it was his appearance in the World Series. Francona has won two World Series championships, in 2004 and 2007, both with the Red Sox, former Indians and Cubs player Kenny Lofton threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1. Corey Kluber started for the Indians, and Jon Lester started for the Cubs, Schwarber struck out twice, but also doubled and drew a walk. The double made Schwarber the first non-pitcher to get his first hit of the season in the World Series, Kluber made World Series history by striking out eight hitters in the first three innings. In the first, the Indians loaded the bases off of Lester on a single, Perezs home run in the fifth made it 3−0 Indians. In the eighth, Justin Grimm walked Guyer with two outs and allowed a single to Lonnie Chisenhall, then Hector Rondon allowed Perezs second home run of the night. Andrew Miller and Cody Allen finished the victory for the Indians despite Miller having to pitch out of a jam in the seventh. Franconas World Series winning streak reached nine with this victory, leading off the 1st inning, Dexter Fowler became the first African-American to play for the Cubs in a World Series. Former Indians player Carlos Baerga threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2, the start time for the game was moved up an hour, because of the possibility of heavy rain in the forecast
17.
1910 World Series
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The 1910 World Series featured the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago Cubs, with the Athletics winning in five games to earn their first championship. Jack Coombs of Philadelphia won three games and Eddie Collins supplied timely hitting, the greatest Cubs team in history closed out its glory years, only ten years into the new century. AL Philadelphia Athletics vs. NL Chicago Cubs Monday, October 17,1910, tuesday, October 18,1910, at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jack Coombs pitched erratically, allowing eight hits and walking nine, but still picked up the win. The Cubs left 14 men on base, a Series record at that time, the As combed Mordecai Brown for 13 hits, including four doubles in a six-run seventh that put the game away. Jimmy Archer became the first player in World Series history to appear in a World Series for both the National and American leagues when he took the field in Game 3 for Chicago, Archer played for the Tigers in the 1907 World Series. Philadelphia entered the series with ten days off compared to one day off for Chicago – the largest disparity of rest days in World series history. During the 1910 World Series, a baseball was secretly introduced into professional baseball for the first time. Cohen, Richard M. Neft, David S, the World Series, Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. Archived from the original on 2008
18.
1918 World Series
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The 1918 World Series featured the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two. The Series victory for the Red Sox was their fifth in five tries, the Red Sox scored only nine runs in the entire Series, the fewest runs by the winning team in World Series history. Along with the 1906 and 1907 World Series, the 1918 World Series is one of only three Fall Classics where neither team hit a home run, the 1918 Series was played under several metaphorical dark clouds. The Series was marred by players threatening to strike due to low gate receipts, the Red Sox had played their home games in the 1915 and 1916 World Series in the more expansive Braves Field, but they returned to Fenway Park for the 1918 series. The 1918 World Series marked the first time The Star Spangled Banner was performed at a league game. During the seventh-inning stretch of Game 1, the band playing the song because the country was involved in World War I. The song would be named the national anthem of the United States in 1931, the winning pitcher of Game 1 was Babe Ruth, who pitched a shutout. The 1918 championship would be the last Red Sox win until 2004, the drought of 86 years was often attributed to the Curse of the Bambino. The alleged curse came to be when Red Sox owner Harry Frazee traded the superbly talented, the Cubs would not win their next World Series until 2016. The Red Sox, who had won the American League but lost the Series in 1946,1967,1975, of note, Ted Williams was born August 30,1918, and so was 12 days old when the Red Sox clinched the victory in this Series. He was part of Bostons next appearance in 1946, the only World Series he played in and he died in 2002, two years before the Red Sox next Series championship. After Game 6, it would be some 87 years until the Cubs, a three-game interleague matchup at Wrigley Field began June 10,2005, and was Bostons first ever visit to the park. The Cubs would not return to Fenway Park for nearly 94 years until a three-game interleague matchup beginning May 20,2011, † For the first time in the Series, all four umpires worked in the infield on a rotating basis. In previous Series from 1909 through 1917, two of the four umpires had been positioned in the outfield for each game, in addition to the plate umpire. AL Boston Red Sox vs. NL Chicago Cubs Game 1 went to the Red Sox, 1–0, stuffy McInnis knocked in the games only run, driving in Dave Shean with a fourth-inning single off Hippo Vaughn. The Cubs rebounded to knot the Series with a 3–1 victory in Game 2 the next day, tyler himself hit a two-run single in the second inning to make the score 3–0 and carried a shutout into the ninth inning, when the Red Sox scored their only run. The series remained in Chicago for Game 3 due to restrictions on travel. The Red Sox emerged victorious, 2–1, and took a 2–1 lead in the Series, wally Schang and Everett Scotts back-to-back RBI singles in the fourth inning were all Boston needed for the win
19.
1929 World Series
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The 1929 World Series featured the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago Cubs. The Athletics beat the Cubs decisively in five games and it was the last occurrence of an inside-the-park home run in a World Series game until Game 1 of the 2015 World Series. Ehmke went on to start Game 5 but failed to get out of the inning, the bullpen. AL Philadelphia Athletics vs. NL Chicago Cubs This was the first World Series game ever played at Wrigley Field and he proved his shrewd manager right, striking out thirteen Cubs for a Series record that would stand until 1953. Mack had rested Howards arm by sending him to scout the Cubbies for the last few weeks of the season, ehmke notched 13 strikeouts in the game, besting the World Series record of 12 set by Ed Walsh in 1906. Attending Game 1 was 9-year-old John Paul Stevens, who would grow up to become a Supreme Court Justice, a lifelong Cub fan, Stevens later said, And that was my first game, a tragic game for a young boy to go and see in person. Jimmie Foxx became the first player to homer in his first two World Series games, Game 3 was a strong showing of two defensive teams at their best, a classic pitchers duel and a nail-biter. Sticking to his policy, Mack rolled the dice again in Game 4 by starting 46-year-old Jack Quinn. After Wilsons miscue on Haass hit, a fan wrote new lyrics to My Old Kentucky Home. And ending For well sing one song for the game and fighting Cubs, after seeing his seemingly safe 8–0 lead implode to a 10–8 loss after the As record seventh and a scoreless last two innings, Cub skipper Joe McCarthy was anything but jovial. When a boy came by after the game asking for a baseball, Marse Joe muttered, Come back tomorrow and stand behind Wilson, and youll be able to pick up all the balls you want. The As rallied for their three runs in the bottom of the ninth to come from behind yet again and win the Series on home turf. 1929 World Series, Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs Cohen, Richard M. Neft, the World Series, Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. Archived from the original on 2008, amateur film footage from the series
20.
1932 World Series
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The 1932 World Series was a four-game sweep by the American League champions New York Yankees over the National League champions Chicago Cubs. By far its most noteworthy moment was Babe Ruths called shot home run, in his 10th and it was punctuated by fiery arguments between the two teams, heating up the atmosphere before the World Series even began. A record 13 future Hall of Famers played in this Series, AL New York Yankees vs. NL Chicago Cubs The Cubs opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Yankees jumped ahead 3–2 on a home run by Lou Gehrig. New York scored nine runs in the last three innings to win 12–6 on only eight hits, Yankee starter Red Ruffing pitched a complete game, striking out 10 Cubs but walking six and giving up six runs, only three of which were earned. Chicago got nine hits but only two runs off Lefty Gomez, and went back to Wrigley behind two games to none and this was the last World Series game Babe Ruth ever played in Yankee Stadium, with a single in his last Fall Classic home at-bat. Roughly 50,000 Cubs fans showed up for Game 3, in a prelude of things to come, Ruth and Gehrig put on an impressive batting display in batting practice. Ruth launched nine balls into the stands, while Gehrig hit seven. As reported in the first edition of A Day at the Park, by William Hartel, p.82, Ruth said while batting, Cub starter Charlie Root struggled in the opening frame. The first two Yankees reached base, and Ruth followed with a homer into the bleachers to put the Yanks up 3–0. The existing newsreel footage showed Gehrig giving Ruth a friendly swat on the buttocks as Ruth crossed the plate. Gehrig hit a home run of his own in the top of the third. This put the Yankees up 4–1, the Cubs battled back with two in the third and one in the fourth, tying the score at four. Joe Judge, who scored the tying run in the fourth, had doubled to right after Ruths futile dive for the ball, what happened in the top of the fifth is legendary, immortalizing this Series sweep in many history books for that and nothing else. Ruth and Gehrig hit back-to-back home runs, but Ruth’s is perhaps the best-known in Series history, Ruth supposedly predicted his home run by pointing to the stands as Root was preparing to pitch. Herb Pennock retired Riggs Stephenson on a fly ball to right for the last out of the Series, the Yankees had won their fourth World Series, and their 12th consecutive Series game. It was the last Series for Yankee mainstays Ruth, Combs, the Cubs extended their World Series victory drought to 24 years with their humiliating loss, their fourth consecutive in the Fall Classic after 1910,1918 &1929. The Cubs drought would end up lasting 108 years, having finally ended when the Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games to win the 2016 World Series. 1932 World Series, New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs Bench jockeying, when some of Koenigs Yankee friends got wind of this, they dissed the Cubs as cheapskates in the press, tight with their Series money
21.
1935 World Series
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The 1935 World Series featured the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs, with the Tigers winning in six games for their first championship in five Series appearances. They had lost in 1907,1908,1909, and 1934, the Tigers won despite losing the services of first baseman Hank Greenberg. In Game 2, Greenberg collided with Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett and broke his wrist, marv Owen replaced him at first base and went 1 for 20. Utility infielder Flea Clifton was forced to fill in for Owen at third base, the Cubs had won 21 consecutive games in September, eventually taking the National League pennant by four games over the defending World Series champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. In Game 6, Tommy Bridges pitched a complete victory to win the Series for Detroit. With the score tied 3–3 in the top of the inning, Bridges gave up a leadoff triple to Stan Hack. In the bottom of the ninth, Goose Goslin drove in the run with two outs. After the game, manager Mickey Cochrane said the following of Bridges gutsy performance, A hundred, if there ever is a payoff on courage this little 150-pound pitcher is the greatest World Series hero. In addition to Bridges, the Tigers had a hitting hero, right fielder Pete Fox accumulated ten hits and an average of.385 for the Series. Fox hit safely in all six games, Detroit owner Frank Navin, then 64 years old, had been running the organization for 30 years and had seen four of his teams win American League pennants, only to lose four World Series. Six weeks after the Tigers finally won the World Series in October 1935, Navin suffered an attack while riding a horse. AL Detroit Tigers vs. Frank Demaree added a homer in the ninth for the visiting Cubs, Detroits first four batters got hits and Cub starter Charlie Root was pulled without recording an out. The Tigers scored four times in the first and pulled even in the series, Detroit brought back Game 1 starter Schoolboy Rowe in relief. He gave up a pair of Cub runs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings, but nailed down the victory after Jo-Jo Whites RBI single in the 11th. Alvin General Crowder did it all for Detroit, pitching a complete-game five-hitter, scoring his teams first run after a single, Chicago threatened against Crowder with a pair of one-out hits in the ninth, but Stan Hack grounded into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. Staving off elimination, the Cubs got a homer from Chuck Klein. They replaced Lon Warneke after six innings with right-hander Bill Lee and this was the first of three World Series games that the Cubs have won in Wrigley Field. The others were Game 6 in 1945, and Game 5 in 2016, Goose Goslins walk-off single won it in front of Detroits home fans, pitcher Tommy Bridges getting his second win of the Series
22.
1938 World Series
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Dizzy Dean, who had helped carry the Cubs to the National League pennant despite a sore arm, ran out of gas in the Series as the Yanks crushed the Cubs again, as they had in 1932. Yankee starting pitcher Red Ruffing won two games, although he allowed 17 hits in 18 innings pitched. After Game 2 of the Series, the Bronx Bombers would not return to Wrigley Field for nearly 65 years until a three-game interleague series with the Cubs beginning June 6,2003. This was the first World Series at Wrigley Field since the reconstruction of 1937 which had significantly shortened the left-center field power alley. AL New York Yankees vs. NL Chicago Cubs Game 1 of the Series matched the Yankees Red Ruffing, in the top of the second inning, Lou Gehrig walked and moved to third on a single by Bill Dickey. George Selkirk then reached on an error by Cub second baseman Billy Herman scoring Gehrig, in the bottom of the third, the Cubs cut the lead in half when Ripper Collins singled to lead off and moved to second on a groundout by Lee. Stan Hacks single to right scored Collins, Hack taking second on the throw home, but when he attempted to score on an infield single by Herman, he was gunned down at home. The top of the sixth saw New York extend its lead to 3–1 when Tommy Henrich belted a double to right and scored on a Dickey single. The Cubs could muster nothing further off Ruffing, who scattered nine hits over the course of the game, and the Yankees held on for the win and a 1–0 lead in the Series. Game 2 pitted the Yankees Lefty Gomez against the Cubs former St. Game 2 of the 1938 Series thus became known as Ol Dizs Last Stand. The Cubs gave Dean a 1–0 lead in the bottom of the first when Hack singled, advanced to third on a single by Frank Demaree, but the Bronx Bombers took the lead in the next half-inning when a Gordon double scored both DiMaggio and Gehrig. In the bottom of the third, the Cubs went back out in front by a run when Hack and Herman hit back-to-back singles, were sacrificed to third and second by Demaree, and scored on Martys double. Dean pitched effectively for the four innings, giving up only a single to Gehrig in the fourth. Johnny Murphy, in relief of Gomez, held Chicago at bay for the two innings for a 6–3 Yankee win as the Series moved east to New York with a 2–0 Series advantage for the Yankees. For Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, the Cubs threw Clay Bryant against the Bombers Monte Pearson, both pitchers matched zeroes for the first four innings. In the top of the fifth, the Cubs drew first blood when Hack doubled, moved to third on Gordons error on Phil Cavarretta and scored on Martys forceout of Cavarretta at second. In the bottom half of the inning, however, Gordon atoned for his mistake by walloping a solo home run off Bryant to tie the game. Pearson followed with a single to right, advanced to second on a Crosetti walk, in the bottom of the sixth, New York, tacked on two more runs with a two-run single by Gordon
23.
1945 World Series
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The 1945 World Series matched the American League Champion Detroit Tigers against the National League Champion Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won the Series, four games to three, giving them their second championship and first since 1935, Paul Richards picked up four runs batted in in the seventh game of the series, to lead the Tigers to the 9–3 game win, and 4–3 Series win. The World Series again used the 3–4 wartime setup for home field sites, although the major hostilities of World War II had ended, some of the rules were still in effect. Many of the better players were still in military service. Warren Brown, author of a history of the Cubs in 1946 and he also cited a famous quote of his, referencing himself anonymously and in the third person. When asked who he liked in the Series, he answered, in a similar vein, Frank Graham jokingly called this Series the fat men versus the tall men at the office picnic. One player decidedly not fitting that description was the Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg and he hit the only two Tigers homers in the Series, and scored seven runs overall and also drove in seven. The Curse of the Billy Goat originated in this Series before the start of Game 4, the Series was a rematch of the 1935 World Series. In that Series final game, Stan Hack led off the top of the ninth inning of Game 6 with a triple but was stranded, and the Cubs lost the game, Hack was still with the Cubs in 1945. According to Warren Browns account, Hack was seen surveying the field before the first Series game, when asked what he was doing, Hack responded, I just wanted to see if I was still standing there on third base. AL Detroit Tigers vs. NL Chicago Cubs The visiting Cubs began with a bang, scoring four times in the first, a two-run Bill Nicholson double staked pitcher Hank Borowy to all the runs he needed, and Mickey Livingston added RBI singles in his first two at-bats. Future Hall of Famer Hal Newhouser didnt last three innings, after 13 innings without a run, Detroit finally got going in a big way. Hank Greenbergs three-run homer in the fifth off Cub starter Hank Wyse brought Briggs Stadium to life, virgil Trucks complete game tied the series at a game apiece. Claude Passeau pitched a complete game one-hitter, the only hit of the game came with two outs in the second inning off the bat of Rudy York. Other Series pitchers in the low-hit Complete Game Club are, The Series shifted to Wrigley Field, dizzy Trout went the distance for Detroit with a five-hitter. A four-run fourth against Cub starter Ray Prim gave Trout all the runs he needed, back in form, Newhouser went the distance for Detroit, striking out nine. Staving off elimination, the Cubs had things under control, 7-3, going into the eighth, in the 12th, after a one-out single by Frank Secory, pinch-runner Bill Schuster came all the way around on Stan Hacks walk-off double to left. The only other Wrigley victory was Game 5 in 1935, the Cubs went with the overworked Borowy, who lasted just three batters, each of whom singled
24.
Merkle's Boner
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Merkles Boner refers to the notorious base-running mistake committed by rookie Fred Merkle of the New York Giants in a game against the Chicago Cubs on September 23,1908. Merkles failure to advance to second base on what should have been a game-winning hit led instead to a forceout at second, the Cubs later won the makeup game, which proved decisive as they beat the Giants by one game to win the National League pennant for 1908. It has been described as the most controversial game in baseball history, the NL pennant race of 1908 was a three-team fight among the teams that dominated the league in the first decade of the modern era, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Giants, and the Cubs. When play began at the Polo Grounds in New York City on September 23,1908, the Cubs and Giants were tied for first place, Merkle was 19 years old in 1908, the youngest player in the National League. He played in only 38 games all year,11 of which were at first base as the backup for regular Giants first baseman Fred Tenney. Merkle was recovering from two foot surgeries in July following an infection that nearly caused his foot to be amputated and was unable to play for most of July. On the morning of September 23, Tenney woke up with a case of lumbago and it was the first big-league game Merkle had ever started. Future Hall-of-Famer Christy Mathewson started for the Giants, Jack Pfiester started for the Cubs, as was customary at the time, the game had only two umpires, Bob Emslie on the basepaths and Hank ODay behind the plate. The Giants were the home team, Mathewson and Pfiester both pitched shutouts through four innings. It was the first homer hit off Mathewson since a homer by Tinker on July 17. The Giants tied the score in the sixth when Buck Herzog singled, advanced to second on an error, advanced to third on a sacrifice by Roger Bresnahan, the game was still tied 1–1 when the Giants came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Pfiester remained on the mound for Chicago, cy Seymour led off with a groundout to second. Art Devlin singled, putting the winning run on first base with one out, moose McCormick grounded sharply to second, but Devlins aggressive slide prevented a double play and allowed McCormick to reach first base safely on a fielders choice. With two outs and McCormick on first, Fred Merkle came up to bat, Merkle, who only had 47 plate appearances in the entire 1908 season, singled down the right-field line. McCormick, the winning run, advanced to third base. Shortstop Al Bridwell came up to bat next with two outs and runners at the corners, Bridwell swung at the first pitch from Pfiester, a fastball, and drilled an apparent single into center field. McCormick ran home from third, and the game appeared to be over, Giants fans poured out of the stands and mobbed the field, fans sitting behind home plate customarily crossed the field to exit the ballpark via the outfield in this era. Merkle, advancing from first base, saw the fans swarming onto the playing field and he turned back to the dugout without ever touching second
25.
History of the New York Giants (baseball)
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The San Francisco Giants existed in the New York metropolitan area from 1883–1957. Prior to the start of the 1958 season, the moved to San Francisco, California. During the clubs tenure in New York, it won five of the franchises eight World Series wins and 17 of its 24 National League pennants, for most of that time, the Giants played home games in the Polo Grounds in the Upper Manhattan region of New York City. The Giants had intense rivalries with their rivals, the New York Yankees. The New York-Brooklyn rivalry soon evolved into the Los Angeles-San Francisco rivalry, numerous inductees of the Baseball Hall of Fame played for the New York Giants, including John McGraw, Mel Ott, Bill Terry, Willie Mays, Monte Irvin, and Travis Jackson. The Giants began as the baseball club founded by millionaire tobacconist John B. Day and veteran amateur baseball player Jim Mutrie, the Gothams, as the Giants were originally known, entered the National League in 1883, while their other club, the Metropolitans played in the American Association. Nearly half of the original Gotham players were members of the disbanded Troy Trojans, louis Browns in an early incarnation of the World Series. They repeated as champions the year with a pennant and World Series victory over the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. It is said that one particularly satisfying victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Mutrie stormed into the dressing room and exclaimed. From then on, the club was known as the Giants, the Giants original home stadium, the Polo Grounds, also dates from this early era. It was originally located north of Central Park adjacent to Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 110th and 112th Streets, the Giants were a powerhouse in the late 1880s, winning their first two National League Pennants and World Championships in 1888 &1889. But nearly all of the Giants stars jumped to the upstart Players League, whose New York franchise was named the Giants. The new team built a stadium next door to the Polo Grounds. With a decimated roster, the NL Giants finished a distant sixth, attendance took a nosedive, and the financial strain affected Days tobacco business as well. The Players League dissolved after the season, and Day sold a minority interest in his NL Giants to the defunct PL Giants principal backer, as a condition of the sale, Day had to fire Mutrie as manager. Although the Giants rebounded to third in 1891, Day was forced to sell a controlling interest to Talcott at the end of the season. Four years later, Talcott sold the Giants to Andrew Freedman, when Freedman offered Rusie only $2,500 for 1896, the disgruntled hurler sat out the entire season
26.
San Francisco Giants
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The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball franchise based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, and renamed three years later to the New York Giants, the team moved to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division. As one of the longest-established and most successful baseball teams. The team was the first major team based in New York City. They have won 23 NL pennants and have played in 20 World Series competitions – both NL records, the Giants eight World Series championships rank second in the National League and are tied for fourth overall. The Giants have played in the World Series 20 times –14 times in New York, six in San Francisco –, the Giants franchise has the most Hall of Fame players in all of professional baseball. The Giants rivalry with the Dodgers is one of the longest-standing, the teams began their rivalry as the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, respectively, before both franchises moved west for the 1958 season. The Giants have won six pennants and three World Series championships since arriving in San Francisco and those three championships have come in 2010,2012, and most recently in 2014, having defeated the Kansas City Royals four games to three during the 2014 World Series. The Giants began as the baseball club founded by millionaire tobacconist John B. Day and veteran amateur baseball player Jim Mutrie, the Gothams, as the Giants were originally known, entered the National League in 1883, while their other club, the Metropolitans played in the American Association. Nearly half of the original Gotham players were members of the disbanded Troy Trojans, Louis Browns in a pre-modern-era World Series. They repeated as champions the year with a pennant and Championship victory over the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. It is said that one particularly satisfying victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Mutrie. From then on, the club was known as the Giants, the Giants original home stadium, the Polo Grounds, dates from this early era. It was originally located north of Central Park adjacent to 5th and 6th Avenues and 110th and 112th Streets, the Giants were a powerhouse in the late 1880s, winning their first two National League Pennants and World Championships in 1888 and 1889. But nearly all of the Giants stars jumped to the upstart Players League, whose New York franchise was named the Giants. The new team built a stadium next door to the Polo Grounds
27.
Detroit
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Detroit is the most populous city in the U. S. state of Michigan, the fourth-largest city in the Midwest and the largest city on the United States–Canada border. It is the seat of Wayne County, the most populous county in the state, the municipality of Detroit had a 2015 estimated population of 677,116, making it the 21st-most populous city in the United States. Roughly one-half of Michigans population lives in Metro Detroit alone, the Detroit–Windsor area, a commercial link straddling the Canada–U. S. Border, has a population of about 5.7 million. Detroit is a port on the Detroit River, a strait that connects the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The Detroit Metropolitan Airport is among the most important hubs in the United States, the City of Detroit anchors the second-largest economic region in the Midwest, behind Chicago, and the thirteenth-largest in the United States. Detroit and its neighboring Canadian city Windsor are connected through a tunnel and various bridges, Detroit was founded on July 24,1701 by the French explorer and adventurer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and a party of settlers. During the 19th century, it became an important industrial hub at the center of the Great Lakes region, with expansion of the American automobile industry in the early 20th century, the Detroit area emerged as a significant metropolitan region within the United States. The city became the fourth-largest in the country for a period, in the 1950s and 1960s, suburban expansion continued with construction of a regional freeway system. A great portion of Detroits public transport was abandoned in favour of becoming a city in the post-war period. Due to industrial restructuring and loss of jobs in the auto industry, between 2000 and 2010 the citys population fell by 25 percent, changing its ranking from the nations 10th-largest city to 18th. In 2010, the city had a population of 713,777 and this resulted from suburbanization, corruption, industrial restructuring and the decline of Detroits auto industry. In 2013, the state of Michigan declared an emergency for the city. Detroit has experienced urban decay as its population and jobs have shifted to its suburbs or elsewhere, conservation efforts managed to save many architectural pieces since the 2000s and allowed several large-scale revitalisations. More recently, the population of Downtown Detroit, Midtown Detroit, paleo-Indian people inhabited areas near Detroit as early as 11,000 years ago. In the 17th century, the region was inhabited by Huron, Odawa, Potawatomi, for the next hundred years, virtually no British, colonist, or French action was contemplated without consultation with, or consideration of the Iroquois likely response. When the French and Indian War evicted the Kingdom of France from Canada, the 1798 raids and resultant 1799 decisive Sullivan Expedition reopened the Ohio Country to westward emigration, which began almost immediately, and by 1800 white settlers were pouring westwards. By 1773, the population of Detroit was 1,400, by 1778, its population was up to 2,144 and it was the third-largest city in the Province of Quebec
28.
Chicago
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Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the state of Illinois, and it is the county seat of Cook County. In 2012, Chicago was listed as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Chicago has the third-largest gross metropolitan product in the United States—about $640 billion according to 2015 estimates, the city has one of the worlds largest and most diversified economies with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. In 2016, Chicago hosted over 54 million domestic and international visitors, landmarks in the city include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Campus, the Willis Tower, Museum of Science and Industry, and Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicagos culture includes the arts, novels, film, theater, especially improvisational comedy. Chicago also has sports teams in each of the major professional leagues. The city has many nicknames, the best-known being the Windy City, the name Chicago is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, known to botanists as Allium tricoccum, from the Miami-Illinois language. The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as Checagou was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir, henri Joutel, in his journal of 1688, noted that the wild garlic, called chicagoua, grew abundantly in the area. In the mid-18th century, the area was inhabited by a Native American tribe known as the Potawatomi, the first known non-indigenous permanent settler in Chicago was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Du Sable was of African and French descent and arrived in the 1780s and he is commonly known as the Founder of Chicago. In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn, which was destroyed in 1812 in the Battle of Fort Dearborn, the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribes had ceded additional land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the Treaty of Chicago in 1833, on August 12,1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200. Within seven years it grew to more than 4,000 people, on June 15,1835, the first public land sales began with Edmund Dick Taylor as U. S. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4,1837, as the site of the Chicago Portage, the city became an important transportation hub between the eastern and western United States. Chicagos first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, and the Illinois, the canal allowed steamboats and sailing ships on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River. A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants from abroad, manufacturing and retail and finance sectors became dominant, influencing the American economy. The Chicago Board of Trade listed the first ever standardized exchange traded forward contracts and these issues also helped propel another Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the national stage
29.
Bennett Park (Detroit)
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Bennett Park was a ballpark, named after Charlie Bennett, that formerly existed in Detroit, Michigan, at Michigan and Trumbull. It was home to the Detroit Tigers, the ballclub began play here in the minor Western League with a 17-2 win over the Columbus Senators on April 28,1896. That league was renamed the American League in 1900 but was officially a minor league. The AL declared itself a major starting in 1901. Bennett Park was home to the first nighttime game in Detroit. On September 24,1896, the Tigers played their last game of their first season at Bennett Park, Tigers owner George Arthur Vanderbeck had workers string lights above the stadium for the nighttime game. Nighttime baseball wouldnt return to Detroit until June 15,1948, the ballpark sat 5,000 when opened in 1896 and was gradually expanded to 14,000 by the time it was closed after the 1911 season. That did not count the wildcat bleachers that were built on the rooftops of houses behind the left field fence and this small ballpark enjoyed some big success, as the Tigers and their young sensation Ty Cobb won three consecutive pennants during 1907–1909. Unfortunately, their success ran out in the post-season on each occasion and this ballpark is hallowed ground to fans of the Chicago Cubs, as it was on this site in both 1907 and 1908 that the Cubs clinched their first two World Series championships. Baseball-Almanac. com Past Tigers Venues A New Field of Dreams for Detroit
30.
West Side Park
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West Side Park was the name used for two different baseball parks that formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois. They were both home fields of the now known as the Chicago Cubs of the National League. Both ballparks were what are now called wooden ballparks, the initial stadium was the clubs home beginning in 1885, succeeding Lakefront Park. The park was located on a block bounded by Congress, Loomis, Harrison and Throop Streets. The elongated shape of the block lent a bathtub-like shape to the park, the stadium held roughly 10,000 fans. In addition to the diamond, the park held a track which encircled the playing field. The Cubs had had to secure a new property after 1884, the season began on April 30, a month later than it does today, for a 112-game schedule,50 fewer games than todays major-league schedule. The club spent the first five-plus weeks of the 1885 season on the road, despite being wanderers early in the season, the powerful Chicago club, under player-manager Cap Anson, came home with an 18-6 record. They would sweep a four-game set in their first homestand and romp through the league schedule, the only team that gave them any problem was the New York Giants, who won 10 of the clubs 16 meetings and finished just two games behind Chicago in the standings. If projected to a modern 162-game schedule, that translates to 125 and 123 wins, respectively, Chicago captured the National League pennant that season and also went on to win the league crown in 1886. The championships of the 1880s were disorganized in comparison to the modern World Series, exemplified by the 1885 contest, the 1886 World Series was more conventional, and was won by the Browns. Those matchups were the first on-field confrontations of the Cubs and Cardinals clubs, the site also saw bonus baseball in 1887, as a neutral site for Game 14 of that years unique 15-game traveling World Series between the Browns and the Detroit Wolverines. In 1891 the team split its schedule between West Side Park and South Side Park, the first West Side Park was abandoned after the 1891 season, with the team playing at home exclusively on the South Side in 1892. The site of the first West Side Park is now occupied by the Andrew Jackson Language Academy, left field – unknown Center field –560 ft. Right field –216 ft. In May 1893, the club opened the second West Side Park a few blocks west-southwest of the first one, on a block bounded by Taylor, Wood, Polk. It was located at 41°52′13″N 87°40′21″W, during May and June, they split their 1893 schedule with South Side Park, playing Sunday games on the West Side and weekday games on the South Side. By mid-summer they had abandoned the South Side park and moved into the West Side park full time, home plate for this ballpark was in the northwest corner of the property, toward the Polk and Lincoln intersection. The right field fence paralleled Taylor, with flat apartments between the alley behind the field area, and Taylor itself
31.
Run (baseball)
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A player may score by hitting a home run or by any combination of plays that puts him safely on base as a runner and subsequently brings him home. The object of the game is for a team to score more runs than its opponent. But if the out is not a force out, but a tag out, then if that other baserunner crosses home plate before that tag out is made. Example 1, With a runner on third and two outs, batter hits a ball to the second baseman. The runner on third races home, the second baseman fields the ball and throws on to the first baseman in time to get the batter on the force out at first for the third out of the inning. Even if the runner on third had touched home plate before that force out was made at first, example 2, With a runner on third and two outs, batter hits a fly ball over centerfielders head. It bounces several times as it rolls to the wall, the runner on third runs safely home and easily scores a run. Meanwhile, the batter reaches first, then tries to advance to second. The centerfielder, having retrieved the ball, throws the ball to the second baseman, since the runner stepped on home plate before the batter was tagged out at second for the third out of the inning, his run will count. In baseball statistics, a player who advances around all the bases to score is credited with a run, while runs scored is considered an important individual batting statistic, it is regarded as less significant than runs batted in. Both individual runs scored and runs batted in are heavily context-dependent, for a more sophisticated assessment of a contribution toward producing runs for his team. If the inning is reconstructed without the error, and if that third batter, instead of reaching on an error, registered an out, thus, the two runs that did score will be classified as unearned, and will not count in the pitchers personal statistics. Be advised though that unearned runs are a statistical animal only, all runs count the same in the score, whether they are earned or unearned. The career record for most runs scored by a player is 2,295. The season record for most runs scored is 198, set by Billy Hamilton of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1894, the so-called modern-day record is 177, achieved by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees in 1921. The record for most seasons leading one of the leagues in runs scored is 8. The record for most consecutive games with at least one run scored is 18, shared by the Yankees Red Rolfe and the Cleveland Indians Kenny Lofton. The record for most runs scored by a player in a game is 7
32.
Hit (baseball)
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If a batter reaches first base because of offensive interference by a preceding runner, he is also credited with a hit. A hit for one base is called a single, for two bases a double, and for three bases a triple, a home run is also scored as a hit. Doubles, triples, and home runs are also called extra base hits, an infield hit is a hit where the ball does not leave the infield. Infield hits are uncommon by nature, and most often earned by speedy runners, a no-hitter is a game in which one of the teams prevented the other from getting a hit. Throwing a no-hitter is rare and considered an accomplishment for a pitcher or pitching staff. In most cases in the game, no-hitters are accomplished by a single pitcher who throws a complete game. A pitcher who throws a no-hitter could still allow runners to reach safely, by way of walks, errors, hit batsmen. If the pitcher allows no runners to reach base, the no-hitter is a perfect game, in 1887, Major League Baseball counted bases on balls as hits. The result was skyrocketing batting averages, including some near.500, Tip ONeill of the St. Louis Browns batted.485 that season, the experiment was abandoned the following season. There is controversy regarding how the records of 1887 should be interpreted, the number of legitimate walks and at-bats are known for all players that year, so computing averages using the same method as in other years is straightforward. In 1968, Major League Baseball formed a Special Baseball Records Committee to resolve this issues, the Committee ruled that walks in 1887 should not be counted as hits. Most current sources list ONeills 1887 average as.435, as calculated by omitting his walks and he would retain his American Association batting championship. However, the variance between methods results in differing recognition for the 1887 National League batting champion, cap Anson would be recognized, with his.421 average, if walks are included, but Sam Thompson would be the champion at.372 if they are not. The official rulebook of Major League Baseball states in Rule 10, Rule 10.05 Comment, In applying Rule 10.05, the official scorer shall always give the batter the benefit of the doubt. Runner is called out for interference with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball, unless in the scorers judgment the batter-runner would have been safe had the interference not occurred
33.
Error (baseball)
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The term error can also refer to the play during which an error was committed. In that case, the play will be scored both as a hit and an error. Similarly, a batter does not receive credit for a run batted in when runs score on an error, passed balls and wild pitches are separate statistical categories and are not scored as errors. There is a loophole in the rules on errors for catchers. There is therefore a no fault condition for the attempting to prevent a steal. However, when considering that the majority of stolen base attempts are successful, if the runner takes an additional base due to the wild throw, an error is charged for that advance. However, if the catchers glove is hit by the bat, it is counted as a catchers interference, traditionally, the number of errors was a statistic used to quantify the skill of a fielder. However, fans and analysts have questioned the usefulness and significance of errors as a metric for fielding skill, notably, mental misjudgments, such as failure to cover a base or attempting a force out when such a play is not available, are not considered errors. A more subtle, though more significant objection to the error, in order for a fielder to be charged with an error, he must have done something right by being in the correct place to be able to attempt the play. A poor fielder may avoid many errors simply by being unable to reach batted or thrown balls that a fielder could successfully reach. Thus, it is possible that a poor fielder will have fewer errors than any fielder with higher expectancies, however, this still leaves statistics, such as fielding percentage, that are based on errors as a way to compare the defensive abilities of players. Errors also hold significance in calculating the earned run average of a pitcher, runs scored due to an error are unearned, and do not count toward a pitchers ERA. In Major League Baseball, Herman Long holds the Major League records with 1096 errors in his career between 1889 and 1904, bill Dahlen, Deacon White and Germany Smith are the only other players to make 1,000 errors during their MLB careers. All of these players played at least one season before 1900, the 20th century record is held by Rabbit Maranville with 711 errors. Among active players, Adrián Beltré leads with 275 errors over 2475 career games as of June 14,2015, the major league record for errors by a pitcher in a career is held by Hippo Vaughn, with 64 errors. That also is the National League record, the American career mark is held by Ed Walsh. The most errors made by a pitcher in a season is 28 by Jim Whitney, the American League record of 15 is held by three pitchers, Jack Chesbro, Rube Waddell, and Ed Walsh. The record for most errors made by a pitcher in one inning is three, first set by Cy Seymour in 1898, the record was tied by Tommy John in 1988, Jaime Navarro in 1996 and Mike Sirotka in 1999
34.
Ed Summers
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Oron Edgar Summers, nicknamed Kickapoo Ed, due to his Kickapoo ancestry, was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers. Summers was born in Ladoga, Indiana and attended Wabash College in Crawfordsville and he began his playing career in the American Association before joining the Tigers in the American League in 1908. In his rookie season, Summers emerged as the Tigers best pitcher, finishing with a 1.64 ERA in 301 innings pitched and a 24–12 win-loss record. On September 25,1908, the Tigers were two back of the Cleveland Naps for the AL pennant and were scheduled to play a doubleheader. Summers threw two complete game victories, winning the second game 1–0 after throwing 10 shutout innings, Summers is still the only player to have pitched a pair of complete game victories and throw more than eighteen innings. The Tigers went on to win the pennant and returned to the World Series for a rematch against the Chicago Cubs, in the 1908 World Series, Summers pitched in Games 1 and 4, losing both times to Three Finger Brown. That season his 24 wins tied for place in the AL behind Ed Walshs 40. On July 16,1909, Summers pitched 18 scoreless innings of a tie game against the Washington Senators at Bennett Park and he finished the 1909 season at 19–9 and the Tigers recaptured the pennant. In the 1909 World Series, he started Game 3, and he returned for Game 5 but lost to Babe Adams. Summers played three seasons before rheumatism ended his playing career at age 27. In 138 career games, he had a 68–45 record with a 2.42 ERA and he died from a cerebral hemorrhage at age 68 in 1953 in Indianapolis. Best pitching seasons by a Detroit Tiger Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
35.
Orval Overall
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Orval Overall was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was a member of the Chicago Cubs dynasty of the early 1900s, Overall was born in Farmersville, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of Sigma Nu and he was named an All-American in football. Overall started his baseball career in 1904. With the Pacific Coast Leagues Tacoma Tigers, he pitched 510.2 innings and he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in September. In 1905, his season, he was the ace of the Reds pitching staff. He struggled early in 1906, though, and was traded to the Chicago Cubs, in 18 games for Chicago, Overall went 12–3 with a 1.88 ERA. The 1906 Cubs set a league record for wins in a season and won the National League pennant. Overall pitched even better in 1907 and he went 23–7 with eight shutouts and a 1.68 ERA. He also won a game in the 1907 World Series, in 1908, Overall slumped to just 15 wins but also won twice in the 1908 World Series as Chicago repeated as champions. In that Series, Overall set a Cubs record for most strikeouts in a World Series game by a single pitcher, in the series-clinching game, he shut out the Detroit Tigers on three hits. In the first inning of game, he became the first pitcher to strike out 4 hitters in one inning in a post season game In 1909, he won 20 games. He also led the NL in strikeouts, with 205, Overall retired after the 1910 season. He made a comeback in 1913. He played seven years in the leagues in total, compiling a record of 108–71 with a 2.23 lifetime ERA. He was the vice-president and manager of a bank after his career ended. com 1907 cartoon of Overall from the Los Angeles Examiner
36.
Wild Bill Donovan (baseball)
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William Edward Donovan, nicknamed Wild Bill, was an American right-handed pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball. He played eighteen seasons with the Washington Senators, Brooklyn Superbas, Detroit Tigers, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Donovan won his Wild Bill nickname while playing for Hartford in the minors. When Hartford teammate Cy Seymour was returned to the Major Leagues after throwing wildly over a fence behind home plate, Donovan received a $10 fine and a new nickname. Donovan served as the football coach at Georgetown University in 1898. Donovan made his league debut on April 22,1898. During his first three seasons, he was a seldom used reliever on Superbas teams that won consecutive National League pennants, in 1899 and 1900. Donovan moved to the American Leagues Detroit Tigers in 1903, where he would continue his pitching success alongside teammates George Mullin, Sam Crawford, appearing in three World Series, he went 1–4 with a 2.88 ERA. Donovan also became the first pitcher to lose consecutive deciding games in the World Series in 1908–09, on May 7,1906, Donovan accomplished a rare feat even for the best base stealers. He stole second base, third, and on the front end of a double steal and he also hit a triple in the same game. An arm injury ended Donovans career in 1912, Donovan was player–manager for the Yankees from 1915 to 1917 and a coach for the Tigers in 1918. He made several appearances for the Yankees and Tigers, including one final start on the last day of the 1918 season. He later served as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies for part of the 1921 season, being replaced after 44 games by Kaiser Wilhelm. In December 1923, while traveling on the 20th Century Limited train to Chicago for Major League meetings, Donovan, New Haven president George Weiss had swapped berths with Donovan and escaped with a minor injury. Phillies owner William F. Baker was also on the train, in 378 career games, Donovan had a 186–139 won–loss total and threw 2964⅔ innings with 289 complete games and a 2.69 ERA
37.
Home run
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In modern baseball, the feat is typically achieved by hitting the ball over the outfield fence between the foul poles without first touching the ground, resulting in an automatic home run. There is also the home run, increasingly rare in modern baseball. When a home run is scored, the batter is credited with a hit and a run scored. Likewise, the pitcher is recorded as having given up a hit, a batted ball is also a home run if it touches either foul pole or its attached screen before touching the ground, as the foul poles are by definition in fair territory. A batted ball that goes over the wall after touching the ground is not a home run. A fielder is allowed to reach over the wall to attempt to catch the ball as long as his feet are on or over the field during the attempt. If the fielder successfully catches the ball while it is in flight the batter is out, however, since the fielder is not part of the field, a ball that bounces off a fielder and over the wall without touching the ground is still a home run. A home run accomplished in any of the above manners is a home run. This stipulation is in Approved Ruling of Rule 7.10, an inside-the-park home run occurs when a batter hits the ball into play and is able to circle the bases before the fielders can put him out. Unlike with a home run, the batter-runner and all preceding runners are liable to be put out by the defensive team at any time while running the bases. This can only happen if the ball does not leave the ballfield, with outfields much less spacious and more uniformly designed than in the games early days, inside-the-park home runs are now a rarity. They are usually the result of a ball being hit by a very fast runner, either way, this sends the ball into open space in the outfield and thereby allows the batter-runner to circle the bases before the defensive team can put him out. The speed of the runner is crucial as even triples are relatively rare in most modern ballparks, all runs scored on such a play, however, still count. An example of an unexpected bounce occurred during the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at AT&T Park in San Francisco on July 10,2007, by the time the ball was relayed, Ichiro had already crossed the plate standing up. This was the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history, Home runs are often characterized by the number of runners on base at the time. A home run hit with the bases empty is seldom called a one-run homer, with one runner on base, two runs are scored and thus the home run is often called a two-run homer or two-run shot. Similarly, a home runs with two runners on base is a three-run homer or three-run shot, the term four-run homer is seldom used, instead, it is nearly always called a grand slam. Hitting a grand slam is the best possible result for the turn at bat
38.
George Mullin (baseball)
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Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers franchise record for innings pitched and has the second most wins in the teams history. Yet, as one author noted, The pitching prowess and significant achievements of George Mullin seem to have faded away on the pages of baseball history. Not even in the Motor City, is the name of George Mullin, the burly right-hander from Wabash, Indiana, mentioned. Mullin was a powerfully built right-hander with a fastball. He was known to try to keep opposing batters off balance by talking to them when they came to bat, and with a runner on third base at Bennett Park, Mullin was known to fake a throw over the head of catcher Boss Schmidt. Schmidt would then fake an attempt to run after the errant pitch, Mullin would then toss the ball to Schmidt for an easy out. He compiled a record of 228–196, ranking 65th in wins in major league history. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Mullin played semi-pro baseball in Wabash, Indiana, in 1901, at age 20, Mullin signed with both the Brooklyn Superbas and Detroit Tigers. Mullin chose the Tigers, wishing to stay closer to his home in Indiana, Mullin played his first twelve seasons with the Tigers. In his rookie season,1902, Mullin won 13 games for the 7th place Tigers, the following season, Mullin won 19 and reduced his ERA to 2.25. In 1903, Mullin was among the American League leaders with 6 shutouts,170 strikeouts, in 1904, Mullin had another strong year, pitching a club record 42 complete games with a 2.40 ERA and 161 strikeouts. However, the Tigers in the era were a weak-hitting team that remained mired in 7th place. In 1905, Mullin won 21 games for his first 20-win season and he started in a career-high 44 games and pitched in a club record 382-1/3 innings. He continued to remain below the average with an ERA of 2.51. The Tigers finished in 6th place in 1906, but Mullin had another year with a record of 21–18 and 35 complete games. Mullin had remarkable stamina as a pitcher and he started 428 games and had 353 complete game—25th highest total in major league history. He was among the American League leaders in complete games nine straight years and his career highs were 42 complete games and 382⅓ innings, both Tigers team records. To this day, Mullin is the Tigers all-time innings pitched leader, Mullin was a powerfully built pitcher with an intimidating fastball, perhaps even more so due to his imperfect control
39.
Jack Pfiester
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John Albert Pfiester, was a professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1903 to 1911. Pfiester finished with a 1.51 ERA in 1906, and his career ERA is 2.02, 3rd lowest among pitchers with 1, 000+ innings thrown, and he had a.617 winning percentage. On September 23,1908 against the New York Giants he pitched a game, allowing five hits. He had to be assisted off the field a few times after throwing curve balls, and as soon as the game ended he went to Ohio to be treated, his tendon snapped back into place by trainer Bonesetter Reese. Although Bonesetter got Pfiester throwing again, it would prove to be only a matter of time before the wear and tear got to Pfiester, in 1909, Pfiester posted 17 wins and a 2.43 ERA in his last full season. Over the next two years he would make 20 more appearances as a major league pitcher, and by the age of 33 he was done. After Pfiesters playing career ended, he and his wife settled in Ohio with their son, Jack Jr. Pfiester died in Loveland, Ohio, Pfiester was the starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the 1908 World Series, the teams last championship until 2016. He was also the pitcher of Game 2 of the 1907 World Series. List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference
40.
Harry Steinfeldt
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Harry M. Steinfeldt was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman, Steinfeldt played in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Steinfeldt was the starting third baseman for the Cubs in the final game of the 1908 World Series, the teams last championship until their victory in 2016. He was the fourth infielder on a team that gained fame for a combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance. Steinfeldt was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 29,1877 and his family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, when he was five years old. He initially pursued a theatrical career, while touring Texas in a minstrel show, Steinfeldt played baseball in a town where his show was performing. His success at baseball led him to sign his first professional contract, the next year, he played for the Galveston Sandcrabs and Fort Worth Panthers of the Class C Texas Association. In 1897, Steinfeldt played for the Detroit Tigers of the Class A Western League, in October 1897, the Cincinnati Reds of the National League purchased Steinfeldt from Detroit. Debuting in the leagues for the Reds in 1898, he filled in for Bid McPhee, Tommy Corcoran. When the Reds released Irwin during the 1901 season, Steinfeldt became the Reds starting third baseman and he led the NL in doubles in 1903 with 32. On October 24,1905, the Reds traded Steinfeldt with Jimmy Sebring to the Chicago Cubs for Jake Weimer and he led the NL in hits in 1906 with 176 and tied with Jim Nealon for most runs batted in with 83. His.327 batting average finished second, behind Honus Wagner, Steinfeldt set a major league record with three sacrifice flies in a game in 1909. Ernie Banks tied the record in 1961, Steinfeldt is the only member of the Cubs infield, which also included Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance, who was left out of Franklin Pierce Adams famous poem Baseballs Sad Lexicon. On April 5,1911, the St. Paul Saints of the American Association purchased Steinfeldt from the Cubs, on May 25,1911, St Paul traded Steinfeldt to the Boston Rustlers for Art Butler and Josh Clarke. Steinfeldt fell ill in July 1911, leaving the team and it was later identified as a nervous breakdown. The Rustlers released Steinfeldt after the season, in 1912, Steinfeldt returned to minor league baseball. He managed the Cincinnati Pippins of the United States Baseball League and he also played for the Louisville Colonels of the American Association, but was released in May. In June, he became the manager of the Meriden Metropolitans of the Cotton States League, Steinfeldt died in Bellevue, Kentucky after a long illness, at the age of 36, and is interred at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. The death certificate of the 37-year-old indicates that he died of a cerebral hemorrhage
41.
Solly Hofman
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Arthur Frederick Solly Hofman was a Major League Baseball player from 1903 to 1916. He played the majority of his 1,175 professional games in the outfield, some attribute this name to a comic strip of the era, while others attribute it to spectacular catches while fielding. In the 1906 World Series, Hofman batted leadoff and played center field for the Chicago Cubs against their crosstown rivals and he had seven hits and three walks during the Series, batting.304. Hofman also was the Cubs center fielder on Oct.14,1908 when they defeated the Detroit Tigers 2-0 to win the 1908 World Series and it was the Cubs last championship until 2016. He is considered by some to be the first great utility player in baseball due to his versatility and he was the uncle of Bobby Hofman of the New York Giants. List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference SABR biography
42.
Boss Schmidt
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Charles Boss Schmidt was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers. Schmidt was born in Coal Hill, Arkansas and began his playing career in the Missouri Valley League in 1902. Joining the Tigers in 1906, Schmidt shared playing time with two catchers on the teams roster, John Warner and Fred Payne, in baseballs first season-long platoon arrangement. The following season, he became the starting catcher as the Tigers won three consecutive American League pennants from 1907 to 1909. Schmidt had 6 hits and 5 RBIs in three World Series from 1907 to 1909 and he also holds the dubious distinction of having committed five errors and allowed 16 stolen bases during the 1908 World Series—both records which still stand today. Schmidt also made the last out in consecutive World Series in 1907-08, both World Series were won by the Chicago Cubs—the last World Series the Cubs won until 2016. Schmidt also let the 3rd strike with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth of Game 1 of the 1907 Series get away, allowing a run to score, after 12 innings the game was called on account of darkness and the game was ruled a tie. Also, in the 1907 World Series, Schmidt gave up a record 7 stolen bases in Game 3, Schmidts best season was 1908, in which he had career highs in hits, runs batted in, walks, and batting average. In 477 career games, Schmidt batted.243 with 360 hits and 3 home runs and he also served as a base umpire in three games in 1906-07, as active players were often used as substitute umpires. As a young man, Schmidt worked in the mines and developed a muscular. According to the Detroit Tigers information office, Schmidt beat Ty Cobb in several fights, in the second fight, Schmidt knocked Cobb unconscious but admired Cobbs resiliency while fighting and stayed to revive Cobb as he lay motionless on the Tiger dressing room floor. Despite their clashes, Schmidt and Cobb became close friends until Schmidts death in 1932, Schmidt also played a role in Cobbs March 1907 fist fight with an African American groundskeeper. When the groundskeeper tried to shake Cobbs hand, Cobb slapped him, the groundskeepers wife yelled at Cobb, and Cobb began to choke her. Schmidt intervened and stopped Cobb from hurting her further, Cobb and Schmidt then got into a fight and had to be separated by their teammates. Schmidt was a skilled brawler who reportedly even fought a match with the heavyweight champion. He felt that he was the best fighting baseball player in the league, aside from his prowess as a fighter, Schmidt was also known for other displays of his physical toughness. As a catcher, Schmidt never wore shinguards and he could force nails into the floor with his bare fists. He once visited a carnival with some of his teammates
