IN THE NEWS: In the fight for 2nd place, Chicago tops the Pirates, 6–5, despite Cubs C Dick Cotter batting out of turn. Pirates manager Fred Clarke doesn't realize it until the game is over, but then protests. His protest is later upheld by NL President Lynch.
IN THE NEWS: In Philadelphia, the Red Sox roll over the A's, 17–3, as Joe Wood coasts to his 34th win of the year. Smoky Joe strikes out six and scatters eight hits. Duffy Lewis homers for the winners.
In New York, the Senators clinch 2nd place, a game ahead of the A's, by edging the Highlanders, 4–3. Walter Johnson's notches his 33rd win (or 32nd by some counts).
IN THE NEWS: After playing an exhibition game in Ray Chapman's hometown of Herrin, Illinois, the Cleveland Naps board a train for the season finale in St. Louis. The train is in an accident in Southwick, MO and, while no players are injured, the engineer is killed.
IN THE NEWS: The Red Sox defeat the A's 3–0 for their 105th win of the season, an AL record until the 1927 Yankees reach 110.
In their last game at Washington Park, the Superbas lose to the Giants, 1–0. Pat Ragan takes the loss before 10,000 fans. Brooklyn will open next season at Ebbets Field.
The Highlanders also play their last game at their field, Hilltop Park, beating the Senators, 8–6, on the strength of Hal Chase's 3-run home run. Next year the team will play at the Polo Grounds. Homer Thompson, in his only game in the majors, is behind the plate for New York; pitching is his brother Tommy, the first brother battery in AL history.
IN THE NEWS: In Cincinnati, Pirates OF Owen "Chief" Wilson hits a 9th inning 3-run triple off the Reds' Frank Gregory, but trying to stretch it into a home run, he is nipped at the plate. Wilson's 36 triples is a still-standing record not topped in the majors or minors.
Cubs 3B Heinie Zimmerman, 0-for-3 in a 4–3 win over St. Louis, has just two hits in the last week. But he holds on to seemingly win the Triple Crown, leading by one in home runs and RBI. Years later, a recount of the totals will drop Zim from 103 RBIs to 99, and cost him the triple crown.
At the Remington Arms Company in Bridgeport Connecticut, Walter Johnson and Nap Rucker fire fast balls through a tunnel of fine wires in an attempt to clock their fastballs. In street clothes, both throw three pitches. The rudimentary test clocks Johnson at 122 feet per second (82 mph) and Rucker at 113 feet per second, both on their 3rd throw.
IN THE NEWS: The World Series opens. Giants manager John McGraw goes with rookie Jeff Tesreau, his most effective late-season pitcher, against the Red Sox. Smoky Joe Wood fans 11 and wins 4–3 before 35,730 at New York.
IN THE NEWS: Three errors by Giants SS Art Fletcher help put Christy Mathewson behind 4–2 until the team rallies for three in the 8th when Duffy Lewis muffs a fly ball by Fred Snodgrass. Boston ties it in the last of the 8th. The Giants push across a run in the 10th off reliever "Sea Lion" Hall, but Tris Speaker blasts a triple to deep center. Apparently out at home trying to stretch it into a home run, he is safe when C Art Wilson, who has just entered the game, drops the throw for New York's 5th error. Darkness ends the game at 6–6 after 11 innings.
In the opener of the Windy City Series, Jimmy Lavender and Ed Walsh allow no runs as the Cubs and Sox play to a 0-0 tie. The Cubs will win the next three decisions of the best-of-7 series.
IN THE NEWS: In game 3, New York evens the Series behind Rube Marquard, who blanks the Red Sox until the 9th. A spectacular catch in deep LF by Josh Devore with two men on saves a 2–1 victory.
IN THE NEWS: In Boston for game 5, the Red Sox scratch only two runs off Christy Mathewson on five hits, but 18-game winner Hugh Bedient holds the Giants to three hits. The 2–1 win gives Boston a 3–1 Series edge.
IN THE NEWS: The Giants come out swinging against Bucky O'Brien: four singles, two doubles, three stolen bases, and a balk produce five runs. New York's Rube Marquard gives up two in the 2nd, and that's all the scoring for the day.
IN THE NEWS: In game 7 on a cold day in Boston, the Giants catch up with Joe Wood’s smoke, teeing off for 6 runs on 7 hits before the 32,694 fans have settled down. Jeff Tesreau wobbles to an 11–4 win and the Series is tied at 3 all. The only Boston bright spot is Tris Speaker’s unassisted double play in the 9th, the only one by an outfielder in WS play. Before the game, Red Sox management release the Royal Rooters' block of tickets to the general public, and when the Rooters march on to the field shortly before game time, they find "their" seats taken. The Rooters refuse to leave the field and the club resorts to using mounted policemen to herd them behind the left-field bleacher rail or out of the park. When the Red Sox win the coin flip after today's game to determine the site for the deciding match, the upset Royal Rooter boycott the finale, lowering the attendance.
IN THE NEWS: In the Series finale, Christy Mathewson squares off against Hugh Bedient in quest of his first win of the Series. He takes a 1–0 lead into the 7th, but with one out, Boston manager Jake Stahl hits a pop-up to short LF. The ball drops among Art Fletcher, Josh Devore, and Fred Snodgrass. Heinie Wagner walks, and with two outs, pinch hitter Olaf Henriksen doubles home the tying run. Smoky Joe Wood relieves Bedient, and the two aces match zeroes until Red Murray doubles and Fred Merkle singles in the 10th to give New York a 2–1 lead. In the last of the 10th, pinch hitter Clyde Engle lifts a can of corn to CF Snodgrass, who drops the ball. Snodgrass then makes a great catch of a long drive by Harry Hooper. Steve Yerkes walks, bringing up Tris Speaker, who pops a high foul along the 1B line. C Chief Meyers chases it, but it drops a few feet from 1B Merkle, who could have taken it easily. Reprieved, Speaker then singles in the tying run and sends Yerkes to 3B. After Duffy Lewis is walked intentionally, 3B Larry Gardner hits a long sac fly to a retreating Devore that scores Yerkes with the winning run. This World Series was the most butterfingered in history, with thirty-one errors recorded, seventeen for The Giants. The Red Sox earn $4,024.68 each; the Giants' share is $2,566.47 each.
IN THE NEWS: Phils owner Horace Fogel will be tried by the NL directors for his charges against Cardinals manager Roger Bresnahan and the NL umps. In November he is found guilty on five counts and barred from the NL forever. Bresnahan will be released by St. Louis next week with four years remaining on his contract.
IN THE NEWS: In the rubber match of the 7-game Windy City series, the White Sox score three runs in the 1st two innings and keep going to win, 16–0. The Sox lost the first three games of the series. Ed Walsh shuts out the Cubs, allowing no hits after the 5th and pitching 42 innings against the Cubs in 10 days. Sox catcher Ray Schalk later tells Lloyd Lewis this was the greatest game he ever caught.
IN THE NEWS: The Cubs name Johnny Evers to manage the team in 1913. Between 1912 and 1916, each member of the Tinker-Evers-Chance infield will manage the team.
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