This day in baseball: Athletics win the 1910 Series
Posted: October 23, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Eddie Collins, history, Jack Coombs, Major League Baseball, MLB, Philadelphia Athletics, sports, World Series Leave a commentOn October 23, 1910, before a crowd of 27,374, Philadelphia’s Jack Coombs won his third game of the World Series to defeat the Chicago Cubs, 7-2. The victory sealed the outcome of the Series, as the Athletics took the championship in five games. Eddie Collins had three hits, including two doubles, in that final game for the A’s.
Jack Coombs (Library of Congress)
This day in baseball: Connie Mack retires
Posted: October 18, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Connie Mack, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Philadelphia Athletics, sports Leave a commentHaving spent over five decades managing in the major leagues, Connie Mack retired as skipper of the Athletics on October 18, 1950. At the age of 87 years old , Mack left the game with the most wins and losses in the game’s history, compiling a 3731-3948 (.486) record during his 50+ years as a manager. At the time of his retirement, Mack stated, “I’m not quitting because I’m getting old, I’m quitting because I think people want me to.”
National Baseball Hall of Fame Library/Major League Baseball/Getty Images
This day in baseball: Bumpus Jones throws a no-hitter
Posted: October 15, 2021 Filed under: 19th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Bumpus Jones, Cincinnati Reds, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates, sports Leave a commentCharles “Bumpus” Jones of the Cincinnati Reds threw a no-hitter in his first major league appearance on October 15, 1892, which also happened to be the last day of the season. Jones’s performance came against the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the Reds were victorious, 7–1. Jones gave up four walks in the outing, and an error led to an unearned run to prevent a shutout. Nevertheless, Jones became the first major league rookie to throw a no-hitter.
Bumpus Jones, c.1897-1898 with the Columbus Senators (SABR)
“Lets Go, Go Go White Sox”
Posted: October 13, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century, Pop culture | Tags: ALCS, Baseball, Black Sox, Black Sox Scandal, Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers, Chicago White Sox, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, music, sports, World Series 2 CommentsI’m not a White Sox fan, but I admit I was lowkey hoping they’d at least advance to the ALCS, if only so that I could post this without it seeming awkward. But I also know that if I wait until after the end of the season, I run the risk of forgetting about this altogether, so here’s the White Sox fight song performed by Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers.
This song first appeared in 1959 during the White Sox’s run for the AL pennant, which was the team’s first league championship since the Black Sox Scandal of 1919. The song re-emerged and regained popularity in 2005, the year that the Sox swept the Astros in four games in the World Series.
This day in baseball: Mathewson wins Game 1
Posted: October 9, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Christy Mathewson, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Giants, Philadelphia Athletics, sports, World Series Leave a commentChristy Mathewson threw a shutout against Philadelphia in Game 1 of the World Series on October 9, 1905, leading New York to a 3-0 victory. The Giants hurler went on to shutout the Athletics twice more during the Series that year.
ESPN.com
This day in baseball: Addie Joss’s perfect game
Posted: October 2, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Addie Joss, American League, Baseball, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Naps, history, League Park, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports Leave a commentOn October 2, 1908, Addie Joss of the Cleveland Naps pitched a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox. Joss’s performance was the fourth perfect game in Major League Baseball history, and the second in American League history. Joss pitched in front of a crowd of 10,598 at League Park, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Addie Joss (Library of Congress)
This day in baseball: Black Sox admissions
Posted: September 28, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: 1919 World Series, Baseball, Black Sox, Black Sox Scandal, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Commissioner of Baseball, Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, history, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Lefty Williams, Major League Baseball, MLB, Shoeless Joe Jackson, sports, World Series Leave a commentOn September 28, 1920, Eddie Cicotte, Lefty Williams, Joe Jackson, and Happy Felsch admitted to a grand jury that they had thrown the 1919 series in return for a bribe. The grand jury would indict eight White Sox players on charges of fixing previous season’s World Series against the Reds. The eight members involved in the Black Sox Scandal would go on to be cleared of the charges, but they would be banned for life from baseball by Kenesaw Mountain Landis, baseball’s first commissioner.
1919 Chicago White Sox (umkc.edu)
Baseball 101: Road grays
Posted: September 24, 2021 Filed under: 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century, Baseball 101 | Tags: Baseball, Baseball equipment, Baseball uniforms, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports 4 CommentsMajor League Baseball fans watching a ballgame today can usually differentiate between the away team and the home team due to the color of the teams’ uniforms. Most teams will wear white uniforms (or team-colored jerseys with white pants) when playing at home, whereas when a team is playing on the road, uniforms are typically gray.
Much of this has to do with history. Looking back in baseball history, traveling teams did not have time or access to laundry service to wash their clothes in the late 1800s. As a means to hide the dirt and the mud that would accumulate on the road, teams opted to wear gray uniforms. Over time, with the expansion of the laundromat industry and the ability of teams to bring along multiple uniforms, hiding dirt became less of an issue. It became simply a matter of tradition for teams to wear gray for away games.
This day in baseball: Nick Maddox’s no-hitter
Posted: September 20, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn Superbas, Cliff Chambers, Exposition Park, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Nick Maddox, Pittsburgh Pirates, sports Leave a commentOn September 20, 1907 at Exposition Park, Pittsburgh pitcher Nick Maddox tossed a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers) to win, 2-1. At the age of 20 years and ten months, the Pirates hurler was the youngest pitcher and only the second rookie to throw a no-hitter. Maddox’s feat would also be the last no-hitter thrown by a Pittsburgh pitcher until 1951, when Cliff Chambers threw one against the Braves.
Nick Maddox, 1911 (Library of Congress)
Roberto Clemente Day
Posted: September 15, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Hispanic Heritage Month, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberto Clemente, Roberto Clemente Award, Roberto Clemente Day, sports 3 CommentsToday is Roberto Clemente Day in Major League Baseball. Roberto Clemente was the first player from Latin America inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but he is also remembered as a selfless humanitarian. When Clemente passed away on December 31, 1972, he was aboard a cargo plane that crashed on its way to Nicaragua. The plane had been carrying crucial supplies to the survivors of an earthquake in the area.
Roberto Clemente Day coincides with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States, and on this day, MLB takes the opportunity to remember both Clemente’s altruism and his prowess as a baseball player. The Roberto Clemente Award, which is awarded annually, recognizes players who exemplify good character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
The list of nominees for the 2021 Roberto Clemente Award can be found here.
Roberto Clemente (ESPN.com)
