IN THE NEWS: Tris Speaker is still a holdout as a reaction to Boston owner Joseph Lannin's proposal to cut his salary from $11,000 to $9,000. Speaker wants $15,000. The Red Sox, in anticipation of resolving the contract dispute by trading Speaker, purchase the hard-throwing OF Tilly Walker from the Browns.
IN THE NEWS: In an exhibition game against the Yale team in New Haven, Giants third sacker Hans Lobert snaps a cartilage in his left knee while sliding. The speedster will miss most of the 1916 season and will never be the same when he returns. He'll retire after the 1917 year.
The World Champion Boston Red Sox suffer an embarrassing 10 loss to Boston College.
IN THE NEWS: On Opening Day the Red Sox scratch Ernie Shore as their starter and Babe Ruth goes eight innings for a 21 win over the Athletics at Boston. The A's score their only run following Babe's throwing error, and Rube Foster gets the last three outs. The Babe hands the loss to poor Jack Nabors. A poor throw by Charlie Pick, A's 3B, is the first of his 42 errorsworst for any 20th-century 3B. This contributes to his overall .899 fielding average, a mark that Butch Hobson would equal in 1978.
The Red Sox trade star outfielder Tris Speaker, who did not take to the notion of his salary being cut, to Cleveland for two players -- Sam Jones and Fred Thomas -- and $50,000. Speaker will hold out for $10,000 of the purchase price: Ban Johnson will finally intervene and Speaker will collect. A few days earlier, the Yankees had turned down the offer of Speaker for cash and Fritz Maisel.
Harry Coveleski gives up just three hits, and collects four himself including a double and triple, as the Tigers beat the White Sox 40 in Chicago. Hundreds of fans complain that their clothes are ruined by fresh green paint recently applied to the grandstand seats.
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 32. 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.
In St. Louis, the Cardinals open with a 21 win over the Pirates Erv Kantlehner. "Spitting Bill" Doak scatters six hits -- three by Honus Wagner -- and SS Rogers Hornsby drives in both runs for St. Louis.
Phils righty Pete Alexander tops the Giants, 54. Benny Kauff, the star acquisition from the Federal League, goes hitless for New York.
In the opener at Cincinnati, the Cubs trounce the Reds, 71, behind the pitching of George McConnell. Fred Toney takes the loss.
IN THE NEWS: Babe Adams, the Pirates bellwether, pitches a one-hit 40 shutout against the Cardinals, the only safety coming when a ball squirts out of 2B Joe Schultz' mitt. He will win only one more game this season, and the Pirates will release him in August. They will then re-sign him during the 1918 season.
In a 42 loss to the Browns, Cleveland catcher Steve O'Neill completes a double play (with SS Ray Chapman), the first of 36, a ML season record for catchers that still stands.
IN THE NEWS: In a 94 win, White Sox C Ray Schalk steals twice against Detroit en route to a season total of 30. This is a record for catchers until 1982 when John Wathan nicks 36.
IN THE NEWS: 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, 43.
IN THE NEWS: At Fenway, Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson square off with the young Red Sox lefty emerging the winner, 51 over the Washington ace. Ruth scatters eight hits in six innings and strikes out 6, while Johnson gives up 11 hits. Rain starts falling in the 7th and the game is called.
Detroit scores a 12-inning 31 victory over Stan Coveleski, in his first year at Cleveland. Righthander George Cunningham fills in when Tiger ace Harry Coveleski refuses to take the mound against his younger brother. Sam Crawford's consecutive-game streak ends at 472. He played in every Tiger game in 1913 through 1915.
IN THE NEWS: Phillies star Pete Alexander blanks the Braves on five hits at Baker Bowl to win 40. Dick Rudolph takes the loss. It is Pete's first shutout of the year; 15 will follow.
The Nationals top the Red Sox, 42, for Washington's first win in Boston since 1914.
IN THE NEWS: The Cubs play their first game in the newly built Federal League park that will soon have its name changed to Wrigley Field. The stadium, minus the upper deck added later, seats 14,000, but 20,000 fans are on hand. Greeting fans on the Addison Street side is JOA, a bear cub owned by Cub's (partial) owner J. Ogden Armour. Everyone goes home happy as Vic Saier's 11th inning sac fly gives the Cubs 76 a win over the Reds.
Washington 3B Eddie Foster hits his only homer of the year, and the last he will hit. He ends his career in 1923 with six homers in 3,278 at bats.
Boston's Babe Ruth is 0-for-4 at the plate but whips the A's, 71, on five hits.
IN THE NEWS: The A's Jack Nabors tops the Red Sox, 62. His only victory of the season evens his record at 11. He will follow with 19 straight losses to set a major-league record. Teammate Tom Sheehan will be right behind him at 116.
IN THE NEWS: The Giants are saved from a humiliating exhibition loss to the Long Branch Cubans at West Side Park, Jersey City, when rain halts the game in the first inning with the Cubans leading, 81.
IN THE NEWS: At the Polo Grounds, Boston's Babe Ruth goes 10 innings to defeat the Yankees, 43. The Babe gives up two earned runs on eight hits, but is hitless at the plate.
IN THE NEWS: Yankee Fritz Maisel does his part to keep the score down by getting thrown out three times trying to steal against the A's.The Yankees still win, 90.
IN THE NEWS: Buck Weaver (3B) and Jack Fournier (1B) execute the season's first triple play in the 31 White Sox win at St. Louis.
Pirate SS Honus Wagner saves a 21 win over the Reds by making a sensational grab of Greasy Neale's line drive.
Innovative Cubs owner Charles Weeghman decides to let fans keep balls hit into stands. The decision follows an incident where a fan scuffles with park attendants when he refuses to give up a foul ball during the Cardinals' series. The Cards win today, 84.
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