This day in baseball: Carl Weilman strikes out 6 times

On July 25, 1913, Carl Weilman became the first player ever recorded to strike out six times in a single game. The St. Louis Browns’ 23-year-old lefty entered the game in relief with one out in the first inning, pitching the rest of the contest. Weilman accomplished the dubious strikeout feat over the course of 15 innings at Griffith Stadium against the Senators, and the game ended in an 8-8 tie.

Carl Weilman, 1915 (public domain)

This day in baseball: Walter Johnson loses congressional bid

On November 5, 1940, Election Day in America that year, former pitcher Walter Johnson lost to William D. Byron, the Democrat incumbent, in a bid to represent Maryland’s sixth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Hall of Fame right-hander had been elected as a Montgomery County Commissioner in 1938 but lost this election to Byron by a total of 60,037 (53%) to 52,258 (47%).

1200px-Walter_Johnson_and_Calvin_Coolidge_shake_hands_FINAL
US President Calvin Coolidge and Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson shake hands, 1924 (National Photo Company collection, Library of Congress)

This day in baseball: Walter Johnson’s 36-win season

Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson defeated the Philadelphia Athletics, 1-0, on September 29, 1913 to record his final decision of the season. Johnson would appear in only one more game in 1913 and finished the season with an impressive 36-7 record and a mind-boggling 346.1 innings pitched. Over the course of the season, Johnson also notched two saves, 243 strikeouts, and only gave up 9 home runs and 40 walks. He concluded 1913 with an ERA of 1.14.

Walter Johnson (Library of Congress)

This day in baseball: Walter Johnson pitches three consecutive shutouts

On September 7, 1908, Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators pitched the third of three consecutive shutouts against the New York Highlanders at Hilltop Park. Johnson threw a six-hit shutout on Friday, September 4th, followed by a four-hitter with no runs on Saturday, then concluded with a two-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader on Labor Day.

617px-Walter_Johnson_by_Charles_Conlon,_1910s
Walter Johnson, 1910 (Charles Conlon/public domain)

This day in baseball: Sisler drives home 7 in two innings

On July 11, 1925, St. Louis Browns first basemen George Sisler hit a triple with the bases loaded in the third inning and then followed it up with a grand slam in the fourth. Sisler’s phenomenal offensive performance led the Browns to a 10-5 victory over the Washington Senators in front of 15,000 fans at Sportsman’s Park.

The full box score from the game can be found here.

George Sisler 1924 - LoC
George Sisler, 1924 (Library of Congress)

This day in baseball: The first American League shutout

On May 15, 1901, Washington Senators pitcher Watty Lee threw the first shutout in American League history, blanking the Boston Americans, 4-0. Lee, a 21-year-old southpaw, would finish the season with a 16-16 record and would be responsible for two of the eight shutouts to occur in the AL’s opening season.

The game’s complete box score can be found here.

Watty Lee with Newark Indians in 1911
Watty Lee with Newark Indians, 1911 (Library of Congress)

This day in baseball: Sam Rice signs with the Indians

On February 14, 1934, Edgar Charles “Sam” Rice signed with the Cleveland Indians. Rice had played 19 seasons with the Washington Senators prior to this year, and would go on to retire at the conclusion of the 1934 season. Rice batted .293 in 335 at-bats for the Indians in his final season, but fell 13 hits shy of the 3,000 career hit mark before calling it quits. Rice would be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1963.

Sam_Rice - loc
Sam Rice in 1924 (Library of Congress)