Books and articles about Clyde Milan

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In 1912 Clyde Milan stole 88 bases to top Ty Cobb and lead the American League, breaking Cobb's single-season record of 83 stolen bases set the previous year. He beat Cobb and Eddie Collins again in 1913, leading with 75 stolen bases, but Cobb regained the title and the record with 96 steals in 1915. Milan stole 495 bases lifetime. According to longtime owner Clark Griffith, he was the best centerfielder the Senators ever had. He played shallow, using his speed to catch up with deep fly balls. He was signed on the same scouting trip that netted Washington Walter Johnson, and the pair were roommates - well matched because of their gentle temperaments - for the next 15 years. Milan was the Senators' player-manager in 1922 but was considered too easygoing. He managed in the minors until 1937, when he returned to Washington as a coach. He was 65 when, hitting fungos in the heat of spring training, he had a fatal heart attack. His brother Horace was also a Senators outfielder in 1915 and 1917. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 14, 1912: "Deerfoot" Clyde Milan steals five bases, including home, in three innings as the Nationals beat Cleveland for their 14th straight win, all on the road. » September 7, 1912: With Brad Kocher behind the plate, Eddie Collins steals six bases in the Athletics' 9–7 defeat of Detroit, a post-1900 record that is still unmatched. Remarkably, on the 22nd, he will repeat with six against the Browns. With 63 for the season, he will run 2nd to Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan's 88. » September 22, 1912: Eleven days after stealing six bases in a game, Eddie Collins does it again. Included in his six swipes are 3B and home, as the A's beat the Browns 8–2, in the first of two games. Collins has no steals in game 2. Collins will end the year with 63 steals, a distant second to Clyde Milan's 88. Browns' C Jim Stephens shared the backstop a year ago (September 28, 1911) when 15 stolen bases were racked up. » August 28, 1913: Walter Johnson's 14-game winning streak is ended, although it takes Boston 11 innings to beat him 1–0. Boston manages a 2nd inning single by Steve Yerkes and doesn't have another baserunner until Yerkes singles again in the 11th., and reaches 3rd on the ball goes through the legs of CF Clyde Milan. A fielder's choice, and single wins it. Johnson strikes out 10, five in a row, and walks none. » October 4, 1913: Washington manager Clark Griffith uses an unheard-of eight pitchers in an end-of-season farce game with Boston, including five in the 9th inning. At age 43, he pitches one inning himself, and coach John Ryan, also 43, catches. Griffith also plays RF, where he plays one off his head and misplays Hal Janvrin's liner into an inside-the-park homer. On the other end of the scale, 17-year-old Merito Acosta plays outfield alongside Walter Johnson in CF. Johnson then comes in the 8th inning to lob pitches to two hitters. Both batters, Clyde Milan and Steve Yerkes lace hits to send Johnson back to CF, and then, in relief, Nats catcher Eddie Ainsmith, in his only ML pitching appearance, gives up two triples to allow the base runners to score. The Sox score in the 9th on Janvrin's 2nd inside-the-park homer. Joe Gedeon, in his only pitching appearance, retires the last two batters as Washington wins, 10–9, beating Fred Anderson who goes the distance. The two runs "allowed" by Johnson will have historical repercussions: his ERA goes from 1.09 to 1.14, and Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968 will put Johnson's ERA in 2nd place on the all-time list. The eight pitchers sets a major-league record that won't be matched until the Dodgers, September 25, 1946. » July 17, 1914: Any pennant chances the Senators have go out the window when Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan and Danny Moeller collide in the outfield. Milan's jaw is broken in two places and he will miss 40 games. » July 19, 1915: The Nationals come out running, stealing a major-league record eight bases (tied in the National League in 1919) against the Cleveland Indians in the first inning. Sore-armed catcher Steve O'Neill is the victim of three SBs by Danny Moeller including 2B, 3B and home, two each by Clyde Milan and Ed Ainsmith, and one by George McBride in the 11–4 Washington win. Walter Johnson (15-8) allows just two hits in six innings before taking the afternoon off. Reliever Nick Altrock gives up the Cleveland scores. » July 27, 1915: The Senators score the games only run in the 1st when Clyde Milan swipes home against Cleveland pitcher Rip Hagerman. Hagerman allows just two hits in a losing effort, while Washington pitcher Bert Gallia gives up just one safety. » August 29, 1915: George Sisler again pitches against Walter Johnson and this time wins, 2–1. He will be 4–4 for the Browns and 1–2 next year before moving permanently to 1B. Sisler is helped in the 8th inning when Brownie 2B Del Pratt nabs pinch runner Horace Milan, in his ML debut, with a hidden ball trick. Horace is the brother of teammate Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. » April 12, 1916: Before 20,000 at the Polo Grounds, the Yankees and Nationals battle 11 innings before the Nats push across an unearned run against starter Ray Caldwell to win 3–2. Walter Johnson strikes out 10 and walks none in the win. Frank Baker, after sitting out last season in a salary protest, has two of the five hits for New York, while Clyde Milan homers for the Nats. » August 15, 1916: Boston's Babe Ruth outduels Nationals' ace Walter Johnson, winning 1–0 in 13 innings. Johnson allows just five hits through 12 innings, while Ruth surrenders just an infield single—by Clyde Milan in the 11th—from the 7th inning on. Milan also robs Ruth of a homer in the 12th by grabbing a ball heading into the RF stands. Ruth is now 3–0 in his meetings with Johnson. » January 14, 1922: OF Clyde Milan is named the manager of the Washington Senators. Milan took over for George McBride at the end of last season after McBride was hit in the face with a ball during batting practice. McBride began suffering vertigo and fainting spells and relinquished the manager's job. » April 12, 1922: President Warren Harding throws out the first ball in Washington, and the Senators beat the Yankees 6–5. Former Yank George Mogridge starts for the Nats against Sam Jones, making his Yankee debut, as rookie manager Clyde Milan passes over Walter Johnson as starting pitcher. The Nats star has been ill most of the spring. Both Babe Ruth and Bob Meusel are out of the Yankee lineup, suspended by the league for barnstorming, and the Babe watches the game from the presidential box. Washington outhits New York, 15–9, and comes from behind to win in the 8th.