RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
April 7 - A broken wrist that refuses to heal compels Louisville first baseman Pete Cassidy to be the first MLB player to try a newfangled medical breakthrough called the "x-ray".
May 9
Shortstop Herman Long hits for the cycle to give the Boston Beaneaters a 17–5 victory over the Louisville Colonels.
The Washington Senators defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 14–9, in a beanball battle. Senators pitcher Win Mercer hits three Pittsburgh batters while Pirate Pink Hawley plunks three Washington batters in a disastrous 11-run seventh inning, tying a mark he set on July 4, 1894. Hawley retires in 1900 after nine seasons of play with a still-standing National League record of 195 hit batters. All told, eight batters are plunked in the contest, a National League-record five by Hawley. The five Washington batters hit by pitches ties the NL mark and won't be matched until July 2, 1969.
Hughie Jennings of the Baltimore Orioles knocks down Cincinnati Reds third baseman Charlie Irwin before he can catch Bid McPhee's throw. Jennings scores afterward to give the Orioles a controversial 6–5, 10-inning win over Cincinnati. Umpire Bob Emslie is escorted out of the ballpark by Cincinnati police.
May 30 – Washington Senators third baseman Bill Joyce hits for the cycle in an 8–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
July 13 – Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Ed Delahanty becomes the second Major Leaguer to hit four home runs in a game, two of them being inside-the-park home runs. It wasn't enough, as the Phillies lose to the Chicago Colts, 9–8. He is the only member of the "four home runs in a game" club to have an inside-the-park home run as part of his feat, and he is the first player to do so in a losing effort.
The 1959 All-Star game was the first year the MLB held an All Star Game Double Header. The first game of 1959 was held at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The second game would be played a month later in Los Angeles. The experiment of two All-Star Games continued for four seasons; the league returned to just one annual game in 1963. In this first game of 1959, the American League started the 39 year old veteran Early Wynn while the National League went with 22 year old Don Drysdale.
In today's simulated matchup, we're going back to the roots of baseball, as the 1880s...
MLB 19th Century Baseball All Star Game - 1880s vs 1890s Simulation / In today's simulated matchup, we're going back to the roots of baseball, as the 1880s All-Stars face off against their counterparts from the 1890s. The 1880s was a transformative decade for baseball, with the establishment of the National League and the American Association, the first professional baseball league. The 1890s, on the other hand, was a time of consolidation and growth, with the National League absorbing the American Association and expanding to 12 teams. The 1890s also saw the emergence of some of the game's first true superstars, including Cy Young, who will be pitching for the 1890s team in this simulation.
Young, who made his debut in 1890, is one of the most decorated pitchers in baseball history, with his record 511 career wins still standing today. His presence on the mound will certainly add an extra layer of intrigue to this historic matchup. It'll be interesting to see how the 1880s team, featuring hitters more accustomed to the "dead-ball" era, will fare against Young's dominant pitching.
1 Comment
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.