» February 29, 1896: Western League president Ban Johnson asserts that "the Western League has passed the stage where it should be considered a minor league…it is a first-class organization, and should have the consideration that such an organization warrants." Four years later Johnson will act upon this belief, taking the first steps toward moving the WL—renamed the American League in 1900—to ML status.
» November 18, 1899: Ban Johnson, president of the new American League, contemplates exchanging players of equal ability with the National League and EL with a view to giving the public new attractions.
» January 12, 1900: John McGraw threatens that if the National League drops Baltimore, which is controlled by the owners of the Brooklyn Superbas, he will form an American League team. Two weeks later the NL Circuit Committee recommends buying out Baltimore, Washington, Cleveland, and Louisville and going to an 8-team league. McGraw then organizes a Baltimore club in the AL.
» February 15, 1900: Unable to get backers in Philadelphia, John McGraw withdraws Baltimore from American League, ending prospects for the league as a rival to the National League. Two weeks later McGraw will sign to manage Baltimore (NL).
» February 17, 1900: Mary Hamilton Von Derbeck is to become owner of the Detroit American League franchise and Bennett Park in lieu of unpaid alimony. However, her ex-husband George Von Derbeck files the required bond with a Michigan court to cover the alimony due, regains ownership of the club, and sells it to Tiger manager George Stallings on March 6th.
» March 16, 1900: At an American League meeting in Chicago Ban Johnson announces that an AL team will be placed in the Windy City, ensuring the stability of the league. Other franchises are in Kansas City, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo. In an agreement with Chicago National League officials, the AL club will be situated on the south side of the city and will be permitted to use the nickname "White Stockings," formerly used by the NL team. However, the White Stockings will not be able to use the word "Chicago" in their official name.
» April 21, 1900: The American League entry in Chicago opens with the Chicago White Stockings losing to the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4. Chicago will win tomorrow, 5-3, behind the pitching of Roger Denzer.
» April 26, 1900: The American League opener in Cleveland draws 6,500, a higher mark than the NL team drew there for the entire 1899 season.
» August 25, 1900: Criticism of administration in the National League continues. The Sporting News offers the new American League some editorial encouragement: "An organization opposed to the National League will be welcome because it will mean the elevation of the game if it is successful."
» November 14, 1900: The National League rejects the American League as an equal, declaring it an outlaw league outside of the National Agreement, thus inaugurating a state of war. This follows the AL's announcement two days ago tht it has made arrangements to go into Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Two weeks later the AA makes it a 3-way battle.
» November 19, 1900: At an American League meeting at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Chicago, Ban Johnson says the AL chose not to renew the National Agreement with the National League, but sees no need for friction between the two.
» November 21, 1900: Given a 10-year contract to control the Baltimore franchise, John McGraw says he intends to be in baseball a long time, and wants to lease grounds in Baltimore where he can stay. He'll be in baseball 32 more years, but not in Baltimore. Nick Young says the National League wishes success to the American League, but does not consider it a major league.
» December 10, 1900: At the National League meetings at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York, rumors fly. Ban Johnson says the American League has signed a lease on a park in Detroit. The Players Protective Association says its members will not sign with the NL.
» December 12, 1900: The National League considers going back to 12 teams to counter American League moves into some cities. They invite Ban Johnson to come to the NL meeting, but change their mind about compromise and leave the AL head outside the meeting room. The NL awards the AL's Minnesota and Kansas City territories to the new Western League, even before the AL officially abandons them. The NL agrees to hear the players in a public meeting, but rejects all their demands.
» January 4, 1901: The Baltimore American League club incorporates, with John McGraw as manager and part owner.
» January 28, 1901: The American League formally organizes: the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Athletics, and Boston Somersets are admitted to join the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago White Stockings. Three of the original clubs—Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Buffalo—are dropped. League power aggregates in Ban Johnson as trustee for all ballpark leases and majority stockholdings, and with authority to buy out refractory franchises. Player limit is 14 per team, and the schedule will be 140 games. AL contracts give the Players Protective Association what it asked for, with 5-year limits on the rights to player services.
» February 8, 1901: News leaks out that Napoleon Lajoie, the Phillies star 2B and leading National League hitter, has jumped to the new Philadelphia American League club, along with pitchers Chick Fraser and Bill Bernhard.
» February 26, 1901: National League officials meet with Charles "Chief" Zimmer, Pittsburgh catcher and the president of the PPA, and agree to contract concessions granted by the American League for NL players who will agree not to sign with AL clubs. Zimmer promises suspensions for PPA jumpers to the AL.
» February 27, 1901: The National League Rules Committee decrees that all fouls are to count as strikes, except after two strikes. To cut the cost of balls fouled and unrecovered, the committee urges that "batsmen who foul off good strikes are to be disciplined." The American League will not adopt this rule for several years. Other new rules: catchers must play within 10 feet of the batter; a ball will be called if the pitcher does not throw to a ready and waiting batter within 20 seconds; players using indecent or improper language will be banished by the umpire. One rule stating that a ball will be called when a batter is hit by a pitch but, in a mail vote, the owners will rescind this in April, and a HBP will earn a batter first base.
» March 2, 1901: Jimmy Collins, Connie Mack's choice for the all-time best third baseman, leaves the Boston National League club to manage the American League's new Boston Somersets. The Beaneaters also lose OF Hugh Duffy, who will manage Milwaukee (AL), and C Billy Sullivan, who signs with the Chicago White Stockings. More than half the AL rosters—a total of 185—will be filled by NL players.
» March 5, 1901: The American League approves a 14-player limit to go into effect 14 days after the start of the season. As noted by Cliff Blau, the limit is changed at the last minute, the deadline postponed for two weeks, and the limit increased to 15 by Ban Johnson, after six teams request the change.
» April 19, 1901:
In an exhibition game in Detroit, the Tigers beat Grand Rapids, 8-0. It is the first game ever between a National Agreement club and an American League team.
» August 7, 1901: Ban Johnson suspends Baltimore 1B Burt Hart for striking umpire John Haskell yesterday, stating "This is the first time a player in the American League has struck an umpire, and it is an offense that cannot be overlooked." The 31-year-old Hart will never play again.
» November 5, 1901: Sportsman's Park in St. Louis is leased for five years by Ban Johnson and Charles Comiskey for an American League team; two weeks later the Milwaukee franchise is officially transferred.
» December 3, 1901: At the league meeting, the Milwaukee franchise is officially dropped from the American League and is replaced by the St. Louis Browns.
» January 4, 1902: Bill Dinneen, winner of 36 games for the Beaneaters (National League) in the past two years, signs with the rival Boston Somersets (American League), for whom he will win 20 or more for the next three years.
» April 23, 1902:
Let the injunction wars begin: The Supreme Court of the District of Columbia issues a restraining order returnable May three against the National Baseball League stopping that organization from interfering with the four Washington AL ball players. In Chicago, Charles Comiskey comes to the defense of Eddie McFarland saying the White Stockings just won't play him in Pennsylvania. In St. Louis, lawyers for the NL Cardinals initiate proceedings in the circuit court of St. Louis to restrain Harper, Wallace, and Heidrick from playing with the St. Louis American League team. All three have signed contracts with the Cards. In Philadelphia, President Shibe of the AL Athletics says, according to his lawyers, the Supreme Court ruling applies only to Nap Lajoie and has no reference to any other player.
» July 8, 1902:
A rough outing as Boston righthander Doc Adkins faces 16 batters and gives up 12 hits and 12 runs in the 6th inning of a Philadelphia A's 22–9 win over the Somersets. Five players—Hartsel, Davis, Lave Cross, Seybold, and Murphy—collect two hits apiece in the frame. The A's new 2B Danny Murphy does not arrive until the 2nd inning and takes the field with no batting practice: he is 6-for-6, including a grand slam off Cy Young, while handling 12 chances flawlessly in a sensational debut. Teammate Harry Davis adds another grand slam to tie the major-league record for a game. The 45 hits —27 by the A's—by the two teams sets an American League record. Rube Waddell picks up the win, facing just three batters in relief, while singling in the big inning.
» December 9, 1902: The American League announces purchase of grounds for a stadium in NY, and the next day the National League declares its readiness to make peace.
» January 10, 1903: At Cincinnati peace talks, the National League proposes a consolidated 12-team league, which the American League rejects. An agreement is reached to coexist peacefully if the AL promises to stay out of Pittsburgh. In the awarding of disputed contracts, the most hotly contested case is that of Sam Crawford, Reds OF who batted .333 and led the NL with 23 triples in 1902. The future Hall of Famer, signed for 1903 by both Detroit and the Reds, is awarded to the Tigers, having signed with them first. He will lead the AL in triples this year with 25.
» April 22, 1903:
In the American League's formal Opening at Philadelphia, the Athletics top Boston, 6–1, before 13,578. Rube Waddell bests Bill Dinneen. AL President Ban Johnson presents the 1902 championship pennant to the A's.
» April 30, 1903: The new American League park opens in New York with an estimated crowd of 16,000 watching the home team beat Washington 6–2. Jack Chesbro, who lost to the Nats on Opening Day, is today's winner.
» December 18, 1903: At the league meeting, Ban Johnson is reelected American League president and given a raise to $10,000. Also, the AL votes to allow coaches at 3B and 1B at all times: till now, only one coach was permitted except if there were two or more base runners. The AL also institutes the "foul strike" rule, used by the National League since 1901: a foul will be counted as a strike unless there are already two strikes.
» December 20, 1903:
In an unpopular trade in Boston, the Pilgrims send Long Tom Hughes to the Highlanders for lefty Jesse Tannehill. Hughes, 20–7 for the champs, had jumped to the American League from the National League Chicago team in 1902. Hughes will come up short in New York and be shipped to Washington in July, while Tannehill will win 20 for the Hubmen.
» July 4, 1904: Jack Chesbro, the New York Highlanders spitballer, wins his 14th in a row, an American League record until Walter Johnson wins 16 straight in 1912. The A's lose both today, as the Highlanders sweep the three games series.
» July 8, 1904: In the fight for first place in the American League, Boston continues to roll, beating New York, 12–3, Kip Selbach has a single and triple.
» July 11, 1904: The Highlanders salvage the last game of the series with the Pilgrims, 10–1, but Boston leaves New York with a two 1/2 game lead in the American League. Patsy Dougherty has four of New York's 17 hits.
» July 27, 1904: John McGraw and John T. Brush say they have no intention of playing a post-season series with the American League champions. "The Giants will not play a post season series with the American League champions. Ban Johnson has not been on the level with me personally, and the American League management has been crooked more than once." says McGraw. "When we clinch the National League pennant, we'll be champions of the only real major league," Ban Johnson fires back, "No thoughtful patron of baseball can weigh seriously the wild vaporings of this discredited player who was canned from the American League." As the New York Highlanders battle for the AL pennant, local pressure mounts, but Brush, still angry over the inter-league peace treaty, and McGraw, who despises Ban Johnson, are adamant.
» August 5, 1904: The Highlanders beat Cleveland, 5–0, to send the American League into a virtual three-way tie. New York is first (.614) with Chicago (.613) and Cleveland (.611) close behind.
» August 6, 1904: Lefthander Nick Altrock of the White Sox (their new nickname), en route to the first of three 20-win seasons, handles 13 fielding chances—the modern major-league record for pitchers—in an 8–1 victory over the Athletics. He will finish the year with 49 putouts, an American League record for pitchers.
» August 8, 1904:
In Cleveland, with the Blues ahead of New York, 7–1 in the 4th, Dave Fultz and manager Griffith argue a strike call with umpire Silk O'Loughlin. When the refuse to go the bench, Silk orders a policeman to escort them off the field. Tomorrow, Silk will throw out pitcher Jack Powell and have the police escort Jimmy Williams off the field. Griffith and Williams will receive suspensions from the American League, and (according to The Year They Called Off the World Series) Highlander owner Frank Farrell vows O'Loughlin will not be allowed to enter Hilltop Park. He will, however.
» January 14, 1905: Giants owner John T. Brush, who refused to play the American League pennant winners in 1904, proposes rules governing future World Series.
» January 16, 1905: It seems simple enough on paper; the Red Sox buy OF George Stone from Washington. The Browns reclaim Frank Huelsman from the Senators, where he had been on loan, and send him along with OF Jesse Burkett to Boston for Stone. Boston then sends Huelsman back to Washington in payment for George Stone. This is Huelsman's 4th trade in eight months and his playing for four American League teams in one season will not be matched until Paul Lehner does it in 1951.
» June 9, 1905: Rube Waddell loses after 10 wins in a row; as the White Sox beat him 3–2 in 14 innings. Waddell will be 26–11 for the Athletics this year; his 1.48 ERA will be the American League's best.
» June 30, 1905: Nap Lajoie is sidelined by blood poisoning from neglect of a spike wound. He will play in only 65 games, losing a chance to lead the American League in batting for the 5th straight year.
» August 2, 1905: The Athletics go into first place as Rube Waddell beats the White Sox, 4–3, fanning 14. He will lead the American League with 287 strikeouts, the 4th of six straight seasons when he tops the league.
» December 12, 1906: The American League gives Ban Johnson a raise to $15,000 for the remaining four years of his contract.
» October 3, 1908:
The Tigers roll to their 10th straight win when Wild Bill Donovan shuts out the Browns, 6–0 while Cleveland loses, 3–2, to the White Sox. Detroit leads the American League by one 1/2 games.
» October 5, 1908: Ed Walsh of the White Sox tops Detroit 6–1 for his 40th victory and forces the American League pennant race to the final day. Detroit's 24-game winner Eddie Summers takes the loss. Walsh leads the league in games (66), IP (464), K's (269), complete games (42), saves (6), shutouts (11), and winning percentage (.727). His ERA is 1.42.
» October 6, 1908:
Detroit OF Sam Crawford leads the American League with seven home runs. Having led the National League with 16 in 1901, he becomes the first player to lead both leagues in that department. The Cardinals have scored 372 runs, the lowest season's total ever.
» July 7, 1909: In the Giants 3–1 win over the Phils, New York collects six straight walks in 6th. This is a a major-league record since tied in National League, but will be broken in the American League next month.
» July 16, 1909: At Bennett Field, Detroit and Washington play the longest scoreless game in American League history—18 innings. Ed Summers pitches the complete game, holding the Nationals to seven hits, two walks (one intentional), while fanning 10. The Nationals' 30-year-old rookie, Bill "Dolly" Gray, allows only one hit before leaving with an injury after eight innings. He is replaced by Bob Groom. Gray will put another entry in the record books next month when he walks seven straight batters.
» July 19, 1909: Cleveland SS Neal Ball executes the 20th century's first unassisted triple play in the top of the 2nd against the Red Sox. With Heinie Wagner on 2B and Jake Stahl on 1B, Amby McConnell hits a line drive to Ball, who steps on 2B and tags Stahl coming down from 1B. In the last of the 2nd, Ball hits his first American League homer, an inside-the-park shot, adds a double. Cleveland wins 6–1 behind Cy Young, but Boston wins the nitecap, 3–2.
» October 2, 1909:
In the first game of a season-ending doubleheader against Washington, Jim Curry plays second base for the Athletics and goes 1-for-4 against Walter Johnson. At 16 years, six months, and 22 days, Curry is the youngest player in American League history and the youngest major league position player in the 20th century (his birth date is reported as both 1889 and 1893). Walter Johnson's 6-5 loss to Philadelphia seals the last-place finish for Washington with 110 losses-Johnson and Bob Groom suffering 51 of them. Three years later, when Washington rises to 2nd place, Johnson and Groom will combine for 56 wins. Today, Groom and P Dolly Gray play the outfield for the Nationals. The last place finish costs Pongo Joe Cantillon his job. The new manager is Jimmy McAleer.
» February 15, 1910: Both major leagues adopt resolutions banning syndicate baseball, which allowed owners to have financial interests in more than one team. The National League votes for a 154-game schedule to open on April 12th, which the American League has already adopted. Other rules: umpires must announce all team changes to spectators; batting orders must be delivered to the umpire at home plate before the game; a batter is out if he crosses the plate from one batter's box to the other while the pitcher is in position to pitch; a base runner is out if he passes another runner before the latter has been put out.
» February 14, 1911: At the National League's annual meeting, the Giants and Phils get an okay for new home uniforms: white flannel with a fine stripe, an innovation that predates the famed Yankee pinstripes by four years. Reach introduces a cork centered ball and the number of .300 hitters will jump from eight in 1910 to 27 in 1911 in the American League. The ERA will go from from 2.53 to 3.34.
» May 20, 1911: The Tigers outslug the A's, 14–12, as Ty Cobb goes 3-for-4 against the loser Jack Coombs. Coombs, who will end up as the top winner in the American League for the 2nd year in row, but the starter yesterday when the Tigers won.
» September 7, 1911: The Cubs' Frank Schulte hits his 21st home run and brings in RBI No. 121 as the Cubs sweep the Reds, 3–0 and 4–2; he will lead the National League in both home runs and ribbies. He is the first player to have more than 20 doubles, triples, and home runs in one season. In the American League, Frank Baker's nine home runs will be tops. Ty Cobb hits eight home runs but leads in BA, RBI, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, and stolen bases.
» September 16, 1911:
For the second time in a week, an American League rookie debuts with a shutout; the Brown's Elmer Brown stops the Senators, 6–0.
» September 25, 1911: Washington's Wid Conroy, in his final season, sets an American League record for total chances by a 3B with 13 in a 3–2 loss to Cleveland.
» September 26, 1911: At Shibe Park, the A's clinch their 2nd straight American League pennant, defeating the Tigers, 11–5. Frank Baker leads the offense with a homer and two doubles. Detroit, which led the A's by 12 games in May, will finish 2nd, 13 1/2 games back.
» September 28, 1911: A scant few hundred fans see the worst game in American League history as the Highlanders trounce the Browns 18–12. The teams accumulate 29 hits, 20 walks, and 12 errors. New York scores in each of seven innings, steals a record 15 bases—7 off C Jim Stephens in two innings, eight off Nig Clarke. Hal Chase and Birdie Cree lead the thieves with four steals each. Five Highlanders runners are thrown out.
» December 12, 1911: A rift between the leagues develops over widespread charges of ticket speculation during the World Series, and accusations that officials of the Giants and A's were involved. The American League passes a resolution refusing to participate in another World Series until it has control of ticket sales in its own parks. The National Commission investigates the charge that speculators were given large blocks of tickets, but takes no action and releases no findings. The following spring, the Commission finds that much scalping occurred, but there is no evidence either team was involved, and peace is declared.
» December 14, 1911: Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss proposes that each team in the World Series be required to turn over one-fourth of its share of the gate to the league, to be divided among the other teams. Until now, 10 percent of the gross has gone to the National Commission, 60 percent to the players, and the rest to the two pennant-winning clubs. The National League will pass the resolution and send it to the American League. It marks the beginning of changes that ultimately give players of the first four clubs a percentage of the World Series money.
» September 10, 1912: Boston's Smoky Joe Wood wins his 15th straight, with 9th inning relief help from Sea Lion Hall, beating the White Sox, 5–4. He scatters 12 hits and strikes out 5. There is some question about which pitcher should receive credit for the win, but American League president Ban Johnson will rule in favor of Wood.
» November 2, 1913: Former St. Louis Browns manager George Stovall is the first ML player to jump to the Federal League, signing to manage Kansas City. With glib salesman Jim Gilmore as its president, and backed by several millionaires, including oil magnate Harry Sinclair and Brooklyn baker Robert Ward, the Feds declare open war two weeks later by announcing they will not honor the ML's reserve clause. It will prove a long, costly struggle, similar to the American League's beginnings, but with more losers than winners.
» February 3, 1914: A joint National League-American League rules committee decrees that: a runner touched or held by a coach while rounding 3B is out; coaches may now assist other members of their team, not just base runners; the frequently violated rule requiring pitchers to stand behind the rubber until ready to pitch is rescinded—they may now stand on the rubber; base runners are now not permitted to run on an infield fly. A move to eliminate the intentional walk is defeated.
» September 22, 1914: Boston (American League) P Ray Collins hurls two complete-game victories over the Tigers, winning by scores of 5–3 and 5–0.
» September 27, 1914: The Athletics clinch the American League pennant.
» February 3, 1915: The American League bans the emery ball, a pitch introduced by Russ Ford in 1910.
» July 17, 1915: The Cubs end Grover Cleveland Alexander's 9-game win streak 4–0. Chicago and Philadelphia are deadlocked for the National League lead. In the American League, the White Sox spend their last day on top. The Tigers will challenge Boston down the stretch.
» August 14, 1915: In the first matchup of Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson, the Babe comes away the winner, 4–3. He also goes 2-for-3 and scores a Boston run in the come from behind victory. Ruth is hitting .370, 2nd in the American League behind Ty Cobb.
» August 20, 1915: The White Sox obtain Joe Jackson from Cleveland in exchange for OF Braggo Roth, OF Larry Chappell, P Ed Klepfer, and $31,500. Roth will lead the American League in homers this year with 7.
» August 27, 1915:
Detroit snaps the Red Sox win streak, stopping Boston, 7–6 in 12 innings. Boston still leads the American League by four 1/2 games.
» December 22, 1915: Organized baseball and the Federal League sign a peace treaty at Cincinnati, ending their 2-year war. Feds agree to go out of existence, but the ML pay an enormous price: $600,000 for distribution to FL owners; amalgamation of two Fed franchises, one each into National League and American League; recognition of Fed players' eligibility, and agreement to bid for them in a Fed-controlled auction. Baltimore, hoping to get the Cardinals, balks, but conferees, eager for settlement, defer its claims—a decision they will repent at leisure.
» February 16, 1916: Energetic recruiting by Ban Johnson produces a pair of Chicago contractors to take over the Cleveland franchise from Charles W. Somers, a lavish spender at the American League's creation but now in financial difficulties. J.C. Dunn and P.S. McCarthy pay $500,000—$60,000 less than the asking price. E.S. Barnard will stay on as vice president; Lee Fohl, as manager.
» April 16, 1916: Now with Cleveland, Boston's Tris Speaker doubles against the Tigers Hooks Dauss, the first of 41 that will tie him with teammate Jack Graney for the American League lead, and one of an all-time career high of 792. The Indians top Detroit, 4–3.
» December 13, 1916: American League owners unanimously approve the sale of the Red Sox to Frazee and Ward.
» November 10, 1919: Clark Griffith becomes a club owner and president when he joins Philadelphia grain broker William Richardson in buying controlling interest in the Washington Senators for $175,000. Griffith, unable to get financial help from the American League, mortgages his Montana ranch to raise funds.
» December 10, 1919:
With the opposition led by New York, Boston, and Chicago owners, the American League directors pass a resolution accusing Ban Johnson of overstepping his duties. They demand that league files be turned over to them and that an auditor review all financial accounts.
» February 9, 1920: The Joint Rules Committee bans all foreign substances or other alterations to the ball by pitchers, including saliva, resin, talcum powder, paraffin, and the shine and emery ball. A pitcher caught cheating will be suspended for 10 days. The American League allows each club to name just two pitchers who will be allowed to use the pitch for one more season. The National League allows each club to name all its spitball pitchers. No pitchers other than those designated will be permitted to use it, and none at all after 1920. Other rules changes: the adoption of writer Fred Lieb's proposal that a game-winning home run with men on base be counted as a home run even if its run is not needed to win the game. Also, the intentional walk is banned, and everything that happens in a protested game will go in the records.
» February 10, 1920: At a joint meeting in Chicago, all bleacher prices are raised to 50 cents, pavilion to 75 cents, and grandstand to $1.00. Clubs may set aside bleacher space for kids under 14 at 15 and 25 cents if they wish. The May 15th–August 30th player limits are raised from 21 to 25. The American League prohibits player transfers after July 1st; the National League, after August 20th.
» February 12, 1920:
In a defeat for American League president Johnson, Carl Mays is reinstated, and the Yankees' 3rd place finish is recognized. Furthermore, a two man committee is appointed to review all fines over $100 and suspensions of more than 10 days. Dissatisfaction with the National Commission system comes to a head. The National League votes 6–2 for a one-man commission; the AL votes 6–2 for the status quo. Chairman Garry Herrmann resigns, stating his belief that no club owner should serve on the governing board. When the two leagues cannot agree on a chairman, it is left to the league presidents to decide disputes.
» September 2, 1920: Jim Bagby wins his 31st game, clinching the pennant for the Indians with a 10–1 win over the Tigers. Tris Speaker contributes three hits to finish the year at .388, 2nd to George Sisler's .407. The Sox 10–7 victory over the Browns is not needed by the Indians. The Indians' victory is due primarily to a .303 team BA (the Browns lead the league at .308) and the pitching of Jim Bagby, 31-12, Stan Coveleski, 24-14, and Ray Caldwell, 20-10. A big boost came from Duster Mails, brought up from the Pacific Coast League at the end of August, who won seven without a loss on a 1.85 ERA. Despite the heavy hitting in the American League, there are ten 20-game winners; the White Sox have four of them—Red Faber, Eddie Cicotte, Dickie Kerr, and Lefty Williams.
» September 14, 1920: The Yankees increase their American League lead to one 1/2 games by topping the Tigers 13–3. Cleveland the Sox are both shut out, the A's beating the Indians 8–0 and Washington whitewashing the Sox 7–0. The Sox are now two 1/2 games back.
» September 17, 1920:
The first place Indians top the A's, 9–3, while the White Sox, behind Red Faber, are again beating the Yankees, 6–4. Faber gets first inning help from Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson, and Happy Felsch who all hit two-out triples: Collins and Jackson triple later as Chicago totals an American League record six triples. The 3rd place Sox are one 1/2 games back.
» September 18, 1920: National League directors meet in New York, joined by Jacob Ruppert, Cap Huston, Charles Comiskey, and Harry Frazee of the American League. They name a committee to draw up an agreement along the lines of Albert Lasker's proposal, and give the five AL clubs still backing Ban Johnson an ultimatum: come in by November 1st or the Yankees, White Sox, and Red Sox will pull out of the AL and join a 12-team NL (with a team in Detroit to complete the roster). The AL five turns it down, and bluff and counterbluff blow through the autumn air.
» September 20, 1920: Carl Mays stops the Yanks four game loss streak with a 4–3 win over the Browns. Ruth tallies the winning run in the 11th inning for NY, giving the Babe an American League-record 148 runs scored. Ty Cobb had 147 in 1911. Ruth doubled off Carl Weilman in the 11th after striking out twice on slow curves.
» November 8, 1920: At a meeting to depose Ban Johnson, a new 12-team National League, made up of the dissenting 11 teams plus one of the five teams loyal to Johnson, is agreed to. John Heydler will be its president and Judge Landis the proposed chairman of the new commission. With no stomach for another war, four of the five American League clubs still backing Johnson agree to a joint meeting November 12th in Chicago.
» December 17, 1920: The American League votes to allow pitchers who used the spitball in 1920 to continue using it as long as they are in the league. The National League will do the same. There will be 17 designated spitters in all, eight in the NL and nine in the AL. For the NL: Bill Doak, Phil Douglas, Dana Fillingim, Ray Fisher, Marvin Goodwin, Burleigh Grimes, Clarence Mitchell, and Dick Rudolph. For the AL: A.W. Ayers, Slim Caldwell, Stan Coveleski, Red Faber, H.B. Leonard, Jack Quinn, Allan Russell, Urban Shocker, and Allen Sothoron.
» August 8, 1921: In his first at bat, St. Louis Browns rookie Luke Stuart hits a home run, the first American League rookie to accomplish the feat. His 9th inning blast, good for two runs, comes off no less than Washington's Walter Johnson. Johnson, leading 16–3 at the time, cruises home with a 16–5 win. Stuart will play two more games and then leave the majors with this home run as his only hit. The next AL rookie to connect for a homer on his first at bat will be Earl Averill in 1929.
» August 9, 1921: The Browns go 19 innings with the Senators before topping Washington 8–6. Browns' star George Sisler is 6-for-9 in the game, while Brownie Dixie Davis pitches the distance allowing 13 hits. Nats star Joe Judge bangs an American League record-tying three triples in the game.
» August 28, 1921:
Jimmy Dykes handles an American League record 17 chances at 2B for the A's, as they beat St. Louis 12–4.
» September 5, 1921: In the Labor Day afternoon game at Boston, won by the Red Sox 8–2, the Yankees outfield makes a American League-record five assists, four by Bob Meusel. Meusel, with one of the strongest arms in baseball, will lead the AL in assists in 1921 and 1922.
» September 9, 1921: An American League record for total runs and hits is made when Chicago beats Detroit 20–15. Each team has 20 hits.
» September 14, 1921: Washington's Walter Johnson gives up three hits but still faces just 27 batters in edging the Browns 1–0. Following two singles in the 4th, George Sisler's line drive is turned into a triple play. Jack Tobin singles in the 7th, but Johnson picks him off. Tobin will set a American League record this year with 179 singles, a mark that Sam Rice will top in 1925.
» September 17, 1921:
Spitballer Allen Sothoron runs his record to 12–4 as Cleveland beats Washington, 8–4. Sothoron, with his 3rd American League team this year, pitches 178 innings allowing no homers, the only post-dead ball pitcher to accomplish that. The Reds Eppa Rixey almost matches him, allowing one homer in 301 innings.
» September 24, 1921:
Harry Heilmann is 3-for-4 against Walter Johnson, but Washington wins the game over Detroit, 5–1. Ty Cobb is so incense by the umpiring of Billy Evans that he challenges him to a fight. The two future Hall of Famers go at it with Cobb getting the best of Evans. George Hildebrand, the 2nd ump assigned to the game, reports the incident to American League prexy Ban Johnson. When Johnson fails to act, Commissioner Landis steps in and suspends Cobb, but allows him to continue as a non-playing manager.
» October 1, 1921:
At Detroit, the Browns beat the Tigers, 11–6 in 11 innings. Detroit is without Ty Cobb who was suspended for an argument with an ump a week ago in Washington (though Detroit has not played since the 26th). Detroit's Harry Heilmann is 0-for-5 and down to .396. He'll go 1-for-4 tomorrow, but will lead the American League in hitting with a .394 average.
» December 20, 1921: At the ML meetings, the American League votes to return to the best-of-7 World Series; the National League votes to keep the 5-of-9. Judge Landis casts the deciding vote, and the 4-of-7 format is reinstated.
» December 22, 1921: Socks Seibold, the holder of the American League season home run record before Babe Ruth, dies at 51 when his car plunges over an embankment.
» January 14, 1922:
Ben Shibe, half-owner and president of the Athletics since their American League start in 1906, dies at 84. A partner in the A.J. Reach sporting goods company, Shibe invented the machinery that made possible the manufacture of standard baseballs.
» April 9, 1922: With a St. Louis record crowd of 29,000 on hand, the Browns top the Cardinals, 6–3, to win their city series. George Sisler, who will lead the American League in stolen bases, is thrown out at home three times.
» April 12, 1922: There are no playing managers in the National League for the first time since 1900. Long considered an economic necessity, the dual role is no longer essential. It will be 1930 before the American League has a year with all bench managers.
» April 22, 1922: The Browns' Ken Williams hits three home runs, and two singles, against the visiting White Sox, with George Sisler on base each time, to lead St. Louis to a 10–7 win. He's the first American League player to hit three round trippers in a game. Given a head start on the suspended Babe Ruth, he will take the home run and RBI titles and become the first 30-30 man, with 39 home runs and 37 SBs.
» April 30, 1922: Johnny Mostil, fleet-footed White Sox CF, moves over to LF for the only time in his career, and makes two outstanding catches to save Charlie Robertson's 2–0 perfect game over Detroit. Robertson is the 3rd pitcher in the 20th century to pitch a perfect game. Play is stopped twice after Ty Cobb and Harry Heilmann complain that Robertson is doctoring the ball. The losing pitcher is Herman Pillette, whose son Duane will pitch in the American League.
» May 5, 1922: The Giants evict their American League tenants as of the end of the year, so the Yankees sign a contract to build their own $750,000 stadium on a site they had held an option on since 1920.
» May 15, 1922: In a 4–1 win at New York, Ty Cobb beats out a grounder to SS Everett Scott. Veteran writer Fred Lieb scores it a hit in the box score he files with the Associated Press. But official scorer John Kieran of the New York Tribune gives an error to Scott. At the season's end, the American League official records, based on AP box scores, list Cobb at .401. New York writers complain unsuccessfully, claiming it should be .399, based on the official scorer's stats. Lieb will reverse himself at the end of the year, but Ban Johnson goes with the hit call.
» July 2, 1922: A's OF Tilly Walker hits two home runs, giving him four in two days, as the A's lose to New York 9–3. He will finish with 37 for the year, two ahead of Babe Ruth. The Athletics, with the American League's winningest pitcher in Eddie Rommel (27-13) and losingest in Slim Harriss (9-20) will lead the AL with 114 home runs and climb out of the cellar.
» July 5, 1922: The Cards' Rogers Hornsby hits his 20th home run, tying Ken Williams of the American League for home run leadership., and the Cards whip the Reds, 12–4.
» July 17, 1922: At Boston, Ty Cobb gets five hits (and a walk) in a game for the 4th time this year, setting an American League mark. His previous 5-hit contests were on May 7th, July 7th, and July 12th. Only Willie Keeler has done it before. The Tigers roar, 16–7. overcoming a 5–0 deficit after one inning.
» July 28, 1922: The American League announces plans to erect a $100,000 monument to baseball in East Potomac Park, Washington. It never gets built.
» September 2, 1922:
Carl Mays wins his American League record 23rd straight game over the Athletics, although the Mackman knock him out of the box for the first time in his win streak. He leaves with one out in the 6th and the Yankees winning, 7–2. New York prevails, 11–6, in game 1, but the A's win the nitecap, 4–0, behind Hasty.
» September 8, 1922:
Detroit beats the Browns, 8–3, on Bobby Veach's two homers off Urban Shocker. First baseman Lu Blue pulls off two unassisted DPs, tying the American League record, and both are off line drives by Johnny Tobin.
» September 10, 1922: The Yankees play their farewell home game in the Polo Grounds. An estimated 40,000 overflow the stadium with another 25,000 turned away. Joe Bush beats the Philadelphia A's 10–3 in the opener, and Waite Hoyt edges the A's in the second 2–1. Plans are in the works to expand the park to 56,000 capacity, but this is the last regular season American League game at the Polo Grounds. The Yanks will play their next 18 games on the road, and then open in Yankee Stadium next spring.
» September 16, 1922: Pennant fever rages in St. Louis, as the Yankees come to town with a half-game lead. Bob Shawkey outpitches Urban Shocker 2–1, as Sisler ties Ty Cobb's 1911 record by hitting in his 40th straight game. While chasing a fly ball in the 9th, New York OF Whitey Witt is hit in the head and knocked cold by a soda bottle thrown from the bleachers. Ban Johnson will initially offer a $1,000 reward for the name of the bottle-thrower. Then, to calm the crowds, the American League offers the theory that Witt stepped on the bottle and it flew up and hit him. The incident leads to a ban on the sale of bottled drinks in ballparks.
» September 21, 1922: The American League reinstates the MVP award, last given in 1914, appointing a committee of one writer from each city, headed by I.E. Sanborn of the Chicago Tribune. As a player-manager, Ty Cobb is not eligible, and the trophy goes to George Sisler. The National League will pick up the idea two years later.
» December 13, 1922:
Alarmed at the increase in home run hitting (1,054 in the major leagues, up from 936), some American League owners back a zoning system setting a minimum of 300 feet for a ball to be called a home run. The motion dies. In another action, the league requires each club to furnish two home uniforms per player, plus extra caps and stockings on the road, to improve the players' appearance. In National League meetings, Charles Ebbets proposes putting numbers on players' sleeves or caps. It's left to each club to do as it wishes.
» December 14, 1922: In a joint meeting, the ban on nonwaiver trades after June 15th is approved. The National League favors a 50-player limit until June 15th, the American League votes for 40. Judge Landis breaks the deadlock in favor of 40. Compensation of World Series umpires is changed from a percentage of the players' pool to a flat $2,000.
» May 2, 1923: Walter Johnson gets his 100th shutout, and New York SS Everett Scott gets a gold medal from the American League for playing in his 1,000th consecutive game. Scott's skein began on June 20, 1916. Washington defeats the Yankees 3–0, as Big Train allows just three hits.
» May 7, 1923: Tigers 3B Bob Jones ties an American League record with nine assists; Willie Kamm will match it for the White Sox on September 30th.
» May 14, 1923: Paced by Wally Pipp's grand slam, the Yankees score eight runs in the 12th against the Tigers, to put the game away. Detroit comes back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to set an American League mark (later tied) for most runs in that frame.
» September 21, 1923: Babe Ruth is the unanimous choice of the American League committee of baseball writers for the MVP award.
» September 28, 1923: Three weeks after both pitchers have thrown no-hitters versus the A's, Sam Jones of the Yankees and Howard Ehmke (20–17) of the Red Sox clash. It is not Ehmke's day; he is routed after facing a record 16 batters in an 11-run 6th inning, as manager Frank Chance declines to relieve his ace in mid-inning. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 24–4 with 30 hits in 55 at bats, both American League records. Ruth is 5-for-6 in the game with two doubles and his 28th home run, Wally Schang adds five hits, and Lou Gehrig four hits, including three doubles.
» October 4, 1923:
Tigers P Herman Pillette loses 9–6 to Chicago for his American League-high 19th loss of the season. His son Duane will tie for the lead the AL with 14 losses in 1951.
» October 5, 1923: In his season finale, Walter Johnson K's 12 Red Sox to win his 17th, 4–2. The 12 strikeouts are the highest in the majors this year and boosts Johnson's total to an American League-high 130.
» October 19, 1923: Citing the unsavory characters associated with the sport, American League president Ban Johnson persuades AL owners to prohibit boxing matches in their parks. The National League declines to go along with it.
» February 12, 1924: The National League decides to go along with the American League in offering a $1,000 prize to the player named MVP by a committee of writers.
» September 8, 1924: Washington, with a 2-game lead in the American League, beats the A's 8–4. Despite giving up solo home runs by Joe Hauser and Bing Miller, Walter Johnson's wins his 10th straight and his 20th of the year, For Hauser, trailing Babe Ruth in the home run race, it's his 3rd four bagger of the year off Johnson.
» September 30, 1924: In the only game scheduled, the Series-bound Senators lose a laugher 13–1 to the Red Sox. Coach Nick Altrock, 48, pitches the last two innings for the Nats and gives up a run, while driving in the lone tally with a triple. With the Red Sox outfielders making little attempt to run the ball down, Altrock is the oldest player in ML history to hit a triple. Howard Ehmke is the winning pitcher but still leads the American League in losses with 17, the same number of losses he's had the previous two years.
» December 12, 1924: The Senators pick up 35-year-old Stanley Coveleski from Cleveland in exchange for Byron Speece and Carr Smith. Coveleski, a future Hall of Famer, will go 20–5 and lead the American League in ERA.
» February 10, 1925: At the American League meeting, a plan is adopted to alternate the site of future World Series openers by league rather than deciding it by a coin toss, with games 1, 2, 6, and seven in one park and 3, 4, five in the other, unless a ban on Sunday baseball interferes in one city. The clubs finishing 4th in the AL will henceforth share in the World Series pool. World Series umps get a raise to $2,500, while umps in city series will earn $700. The plan was proposed in 1924, but formally adopted at this meeting.
» May 5, 1925: Ty Cobb is 6-for-6, including three home runs, in Detroit's 14–8 win over the Browns. All three homers are off different pitchers. Cobb's 16 total bases tops Joe Hauser's 14 of August 2, 1924 and sets a new American League record.
» May 17, 1925:
The Browns roll by the Red Sox, 11–6, behind the pitching of Milt Gaston. Red Sox P Buster Ross doesn't help his cause, committing four errors for an American League record.
» May 19, 1925:
Red Sox outfielder Ira Flagstead starts three DPs, an American League record, against the Browns, breaking the record held by Tris Speaker. Speaker's, in 1918, were unassisted. The Red Sox lost, 8–2.
» May 27, 1925:
The Browns have 26 assists in a 10-inning 4–2 loss to the Indians. They have 24 in the first nine innings for an American League mark.
» September 19, 1925:
In the 2nd game of a twinbill, the White Sox take a 15–0 lead against Washington after five innings, but Chicago P Ted Lyons will have to pitch to 18 different batters as Senators manager Bucky Harris juggles his lineup and sends in pinch hitters. With a no-hitter going, Lyons continues to bear down. Finally, with two out in the 9th, Washington's Bobby Veach gets a base hit to break the no-hitter. The final is 17-0 for Lyons with Tom Zachary taking the loss. Washington outfielder Sam Rice's streak of nine hits in a row is stopped, but he will end the season with 182 singles, an American League record until 1980. Washington takes the opener, 3–2, behind Dutch Ruether.
» October 15, 1925:
When the Senators arrive in Washington, a telegram is waiting from American League president Ban Johnson, who boycotted the series again because of his feud with Landis. In a veiled criticism of Bucky Harris's decision to keep Johnson in the game, Johnson wire reads: "This I admire. Lost the Series for sentimental reasons. This should never occur in a world series." Bucky Harris calls the words, "gratuitous."
» December 9, 1925: The American League extends Ban Johnson's contract to 1935 and gives him a raise to $40,000.
» December 10, 1925:
The American League goes on record as opposing the use of resin by pitchers, but the joint rules committee finally votes it in. The committee also agrees that future World Series games are set to start at 1:30 P.M.; 2nd-place money withheld from the eight Black Sox in 1920 is distributed to the other 1920 White Sox; and players signed by August 31st are declared eligible for World Series play. Finally, no times at-bat will be charged in a fly ball advances a runner to 2B or 3B, as well as home.
» January 30, 1926: The ML Rules Committee agrees that pitchers may have access to a resin bag. On February 8th the American League will refuse to permit its use: but on April 28th the league will give in and allow a resin bag on the field, but discourage its use by players. The Committee also discusses the elimination of the intentional walk, a topic that has come up before, by making the pitcher throw to the batter. Calling a catcher balk has not eliminated the intentional walk as intended. No action is taken.
» September 18, 1926: At Dunn Field, the Indians win their 4th in a row, defeating the Yanks 3–1, behind George Uhle. The win cuts the Yankees American League lead to two 1/2 games over the Tribe.
» September 25, 1926: The Yankees take two from the Browns to nail down the American League flag, winning the opener 10–2 behind Herb Pennock. Ruth's grand slam is the big blow. In the nitecap, Lou Gehrig homers in the 3rd inning, off Milt Gaston, while Ruth matches him with a 2-run home run in the 6th off Win Ballou. Ruth adds a solo shot in the 9th, his 46th, off Joe Giard to seal the Waite Hoyt 10–4 victory. Despite the score, the game is played in a new AL record 55 minutes. The National League record is 51 minutes, on September 28, 1919.
» September 26, 1926: The Browns beat the Yankees twice, 6–1 and 6–2, in a total time of two hours, seven minutes, a major-league record for a twinbill. The 2nd game is the fastest in American League history: 55 minutes. The Yanks total 19 hits, while the Browns collect 26 in the two games. Ruth has one at bat, then sits, and misses reliever George Sisler, who tosses two scoreless innings to finish for the Browns in game two and, when the Browns score four in the 8th, picks up the victory. Ruth has 47 homers—twice the runnerup, and also leads the AL with 139 runs, 155 RBI, and 144 bases on balls. Ruth is batting .372, 2nd to Detroit's Heinie Manush, who will go 6-for-9 on the last day to end at .378. Browns coach Jimmie Austin, 46 years old, participates in the nitecap and contributes to the win by knocking in a run with a double and then stealing home. He is not the oldest to steal a base (Arlie Latham, 50, in 1909), but he is the oldest to steal home. The Yankees use Fred Merkle in his final game. Merkle replaces Lou Gehrig at 1B in the 6th.
» September 27, 1926: Cleveland 1B George Burns hits his 64th double of the year, as the Indians down Philadelphia 5–4. Indians righthander George Uhle gives up nine hits in winning his 27th against 11 losses. He leads the American League, despite giving up a league-high 300 hits and 118 walks, and posts a 2.83 ERA. It is his best record in a 17-year, 200-win career.
» November 3, 1926: Ty Cobb resigns as Tigers manager and announces his retirement from the game. American League umpire and former Tigers IF George Moriarty replaces him. Moriarty is the only man to hold baseball's four principal jobs: player, umpire, scout, and manager.
» November 29, 1926: Tris Speaker resigns as Indians manager. Stories of a thrown game and betting on games by Ty Cobb and Speaker gain momentum when Judge Landis holds a secret hearing with the two stars and former pitcher-OF Joe Wood. The story and testimony will not be released until December 21st. Former Tiger P Dutch Leonard wrote to Harry Heilmann that he had turned over letters written to him by Joe Wood and Ty Cobb to American League president Ban Johnson, implicating Wood and Cobb in betting on a Tiger-Cleveland game played in Detroit, September 25, 1919. He charged that Cobb and Speaker conspired to let Detroit win to help them gain 3rd-place money. At a secret meeting of AL directors, it was decided to let Cobb and Speaker resign with no publicity. But, as rumors spread, Judge Landis takes charge of the matter and holds the hearings, at which Leonard refuses to appear. Cobb and Wood admit to the letters, but say it was a horse racing bet, and contend Leonard is angry for having been released to the Pacific Coast League by Cobb. Speaker, not named in the letters, denies everything. Public sympathy is with the stars, but the matter will remain unresolved until January of next year.
» January 23, 1927: In the continuing clash between Judge Landis and Ban Johnson, the American League owners are prepared to censure Johnson. But his serious health problems convince them to change their stance and Ban Johnson is given an indefinite leave of absence instead. Detroit's President Frank Navin is named acting AL president and the owners adopt a resolution repudiating the charges that Johnson made against Landis.
» June 15, 1927: At Philadelphia, Ted Lyons overcomes a 1st inning grand slam by Al Simmons to beat the A's, 6–4. The Chicago ace wins his 12th, tops in the American League, and his 9th straight. Lyons hits a two run triple in the 8th to break a 4–4 tie.
»
BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ