Unusual Baseball Stories and Classic Games

[fan_since79]

I had never heard of this guy until stumbling upon his name a couple weeks ago while looking for something else.

One of the greatest months ever for a pitcher, in the midst of a tense pennant race, then soon after back to obscurity.

http://www.baseballroundtable.com/cleveland-indians-duster-mails-he-promised-he-delivered/

Edited July 4, 2017 by fan_since79

[fan_since79]

“Brooklyn will be lucky to get a foul off me today. If Spoke [Cleveland player-manager Tris Speaker] and the boys will give me one run, Cleveland will win.” — Cleveland pitcher Duster Mails

He shut out Brooklyn 1-0 on a three-hitter. Game Six of the 1920 World Series.

“All I can say about Walter Mails is that he is a wonderful pitcher,” said Speaker. “I do not know of a better left-hander in the business. His fastball is something that no hitter can fool with. He has been a great find for us and will be one of our best pitchers next season. It was a tough spot he was in this afternoon, the toughest of the Series and yet he came through. He was given the acid test if ever a young player was and proved 18 carats fine.”

http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-11-1920-duster-mails-shuts-out-brooklyn-bring-cleveland-verge-championship

 

Edited May 11, 2017 by fan_since79

[thebloob]

The fearful effect of the unibrow wore off. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

One of the oddest characters to play the game was former pitcher Bill Faul, A product of the University of Cincinnati, which a few years earlier had produced Sandy Koufax, Faul was nothing like that. Faul was branded a "flake", in the terminology of the time. Originally with the Detroit Tigers, he had talent but suffered from lapses in concentration, which ended up with balls in the stands. He consulted a hypnotist, who said that he could help him with keeping his curveball down. Faul eventually became a hypnotist himself, and he put himself into hypnotic trances before starts (I remember a Sports Illustrated article in the 1960s, written when Faul was pitching for the Chicago Cubs, that talked about his "hypnotist pitch"). In 1965 the Cubs turned three triple plays - all with Faul pitching.

Whatever became of Bill Faul, anyway?

 

[fan_since79]

Kansas City Journal. May 13, 1895:

[Stradling]

16 hours ago, fan_since79 said:

Kansas City Journal. May 13, 1895:

That is so awesome.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 5/13/2017 at 4:29 PM, fan_since79 said:

Kansas City Journal. May 13, 1895:

What impresses me is that Grand Rapids managed to blow a seven-run lead in half an inning and trailed by four after two. 

[fan_since79]

Ban Johnson, who is mentioned in that story, was the president of the Western League (minors), and later became the founder and first president of the American League. He is a member of the Hall of Fame.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dabf79f8

 

[fan_since79]

September 28, 1951. Allie Reynolds throws his second no-hitter of the season to help the Yankees clinch at least a tie for the pennant. Yogi Berra drops a routine fly off the bat of Ted Williams behind the plate which would have been the final out. On the very next pitch Reynolds gets Williams to hit another pop up which Berra holds on to this time, preserving the no hitter.

http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-28-1951-allie-reynolds-throws-his-second-no-hitter-season

[Angel Oracle]

In 1966, Cards' rookie LHP Larry Jaster was 5-0 against the Dogs, all shutouts.

In 45 innings, 24 hits (no XBH's), 31/8 Ks/BBs, 0.71 WHIP, 0.00 ERA

[fan_since79]

May 15, 1894 in Boston.

Game stopped in the third inning on account of fire. The stadium burned down and took 200 buildings in the neighborhood with it. The Great Roxbury Fire of 1894.

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-15-1894-it-was-hot-game-sure-enough

[Stradling]

Even though @Homebrewer hasn't posted in this thread, I truly value what he, @fan_since79 and @Vegas Halo Fan provide on the baseball history side of things here for this website.  

[fan_since79]

I think this will be a fun thread, as there are countless oddities in the history of baseball to choose from.

 

 

[fan_since79]

May 16, 1902.

William "Dummy" Hoy of the Cincinnati Reds, the first deaf MLB player, faces Luther "Dummy" Taylor, a pitcher for the New York Giants who is also deaf. I believe it's the only time that's ever happened in the majors.

[fan_since79]

May 18, 1897. Bill Joyce of the NY Giants hits four triples in one game, an all-time major league record.

[fan_since79]

Ever wonder how the Pirates got their name?

On May 23rd, 1890, the Pittsburg Alleghenys and the New York Giants set the MLB record for most Stolen Bases in a single game with the Giants at 17 and the Alleghenys with 3. The Pittsburg Alleghenys lost the game with a score of 17 to 10 and would later finish their worst season to date with a record of 113 losses and only 23 wins,

Between the 1890 and 1891 seasons, the president of the Alleghenys snatched up a player for Philadelphia whose name had been left off that team’s roster. The player, (2nd baseman Louis Bierbauer) was offered, and accepted, a contract with the Alleghenys. Others called the president’s actions unethical, saying he had taken advantage of a clerical error. A spokesman for the American Association, which owned the Philadelphia team, said: “The action of the Pittsburgh Club is Piratical!” The president was labeled a “pirate” and the nickname stuck. From the 1891 season on, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys became known as the Pittsburgh Pirates.

https://www.facebook.com/OddPittsburgh/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

[Blarg]

On 5/16/2017 at 0:23 PM, fan_since79 said:

May 16, 1902.

William "Dummy" Hoy of the Cincinnati Reds, the first deaf MLB player, faces Luther "Dummy" Taylor, a pitcher for the New York Giants who is also deaf. I believe it's the only time that's ever happened in the majors.

Half of the Angels players look like they are vision impaired at the plate, does that count?

[Angel Oracle]

On ‎5‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 5:10 PM, Vegas Halo Fan said:

What impresses me is that Grand Rapids managed to blow a seven-run lead in half an inning and trailed by four after two. 

I liked the 11 errors between the two teams in just 7 innings.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

[fan_since79]

On this date, 120 years ago. Most runs scored by a team in a major league game. Cap Anson had only one hit for the Cubs.

At that time, the home team had the option of hitting first, and Chicago elected to do so. Leading by 21 runs in the ninth, they scored eight more.

Edited June 29, 2017 by fan_since79

[Angel Dog and Beer]

On 5/13/2017 at 4:29 PM, fan_since79 said:

Kansas City Journal. May 13, 1895:

I'm laughing at that Callopy fellow who threw a stone at the umpire during a game. Ha, that's great. 

[Angel Oracle]

The Cubs' pitcher in that 36 runs game actually had 5 hits?   No wonder he was hitting 8th instead of 9th.

Heck, Louisville lost by more runs than Detroit did back in that 1912 game (24-2 loss) where their players boycotted that one game due to a Cobb suspension.

[Jobu]

On 5/16/2017 at 0:23 PM, fan_since79 said:

May 16, 1902.

William "Dummy" Hoy of the Cincinnati Reds, the first deaf MLB player, faces Luther "Dummy" Taylor, a pitcher for the New York Giants who is also deaf. I believe it's the only time that's ever happened in the majors.

Remember when you could nickname a guy "Dummy" his whole life because he can't hear? Political correctness has gone mad, I tell ya.

[fan_since79]

The 4th of July, 1905. One of the greatest pitching battles of all time. Rube Waddell of the A's and Boston's Cy Young each go 20 innings and throw between 250 and 300 pitches. The A's finally prevail 4-2.

http://baseballhall.org/archive-collection/short-stops/a-game-for-the-ages

[fan_since79]

The 20-inning marathon was the second game of a doubleheader that 4th of July day in 1905.

A's catcher Ossee Schrecongost (how's that for a baseball name!) caught all 29 innings that day, an all-time major league record. He also went by the name of Osee Schreck.

Edited July 4, 2017 by fan_since79