1912 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1912 throughout the world.

List of years in baseball
See also: 1912 Major League Baseball season

Champions

Awards and honors

MLB statistical leaders
American League National League
AVGTy Cobb DET.402Heinie Zimmerman CHC.372
HRFrank Baker PHA &
Tris Speaker BSR		10Heinie Zimmerman CHC12
RBIFrank Baker PHA130Honus Wagner PIT102
WinsJoe Wood BSR34Larry Cheney CHC &
Rube Marquard NYG		26
ERAWalter Johnson WSH1.39Jeff Tesreau NYG1.96
KsWalter Johnson WSH303Grover Cleveland Alexander PHP195

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings
American League W L Pct. GB Home Road
Boston Red Sox 10547 0.691 — 57–20 48–27
Washington Senators 9161 0.599 14 45–32 46–29
Philadelphia Athletics 9062 0.592 15 45–31 45–31
Chicago White Sox 7876 0.506 28 34–43 44–33
Cleveland Naps 7578 0.490 30½ 41–35 34–43
Detroit Tigers 6984 0.451 36½ 37–39 32–45
St. Louis Browns 53101 0.344 53 27–50 26–51
New York Highlanders 50102 0.329 55 31–44 19–58

National League final standings
National League W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Giants 10348 0.682 — 49–25 54–23
Pittsburgh Pirates 9358 0.616 10 44–31 49–27
Chicago Cubs 9159 0.607 11½ 46–30 45–29
Cincinnati Reds 7578 0.490 29 45–32 30–46
Philadelphia Phillies 7379 0.480 30½ 34–41 39–38
St. Louis Cardinals 6390 0.412 41 37–40 26–50
Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers 5895 0.379 46 33–43 25–52
Boston Braves 52101 0.340 52 31–47 21–54

Events
U.S. president Taft at a Washington-Chicago game, August 13

January
  • January 2 – Brooklyn Superbas president and architect Charles Ebbets announces the purchase of 4.5 acres to build a 23,000-seat concrete and steel stadium in the Flatbush Pigeon section of Brooklyn, New York. As a result, construction on the ballpark will start on March 4th. In addition, Ebbets decides to name the ballpark after himself, thus it is called Ebbets Field. Completed in just over a year, Opening Day will be on April 9, 1913.

February

March
  • March 9 – Arky Vaughan is born in Clifty, Arkansas. Vaughan, a hard-hitting shortstop, will make his major league debut in 1932 and will go on to hit for a .318 batting average during a 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Brooklyn Dodgers, while appearing in nine All-Star Games and winning a National League batting title in 1935. In 1985, Vaughan will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

April
  • April 9 – In the first game ever played at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox defeat the Harvard University team in an exhibition game played in a snow storm.
  • April 11 :
    • The New York Highlanders, predecessors of the New York Yankees, wear pinstripes uniforms for the first time while facing the Boston Red Sox in Opening Day at Hilltop Park. In the first inning, Boston scores a run against pitcher Ray Caldwell‚ while New York respond with two runs in the bottom against Smoky Joe Wood. That is all the scoring until the ninth inning‚ when the Sox score four runs‚ including two on a Wood single. Boston wins‚ 5–3‚ on Wood's seven hitter.
    • New York Giants pitcher Rube Marquard begins a 19-game winning streak with an 18–3 triumph over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • April 17 – The New York Giants and the New York Highlanders met at the Polo Grounds to play an unscheduled charity game to raise money for the survivors of the RMS Titanic, which had sunk three days earlier. The Giants prevailed, 11–2.
  • April 20 – The Boston Red Sox play their first home game in the history of Fenway Park, which was built at a cost of $350,000. The Red Sox open up with an 11-inning, 7–6 victory over the New York Highlanders. Boston outfielder Tris Speaker delivers the game-winning RBI before a crowd of 27,000 fans. Minutes later, the Detroit Tigers christen their Navin Field with a 6–5 victory over the Cleveland Naps.
  • April 26 – Hugh Bradley of the Boston Red Sox became the first player to hit a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. It was his only home run of the 1912 season, and one of only two he hit in his five-season career.

May
  • May 17 – Fenway Park is officially dedicated, almost one month after hosting its first game, as the Boston Red Sox host the Chicago White Sox playing in front of an overflow crowd. Nevertheless, the home town fans had their day spoiled as the White Sox trimmed the Red Sox, 5–2.
  • May 18 – The Cincinnati Reds play the first game in the history of Crosley Field.
  • May 31 – The St. Louis Cardinals ended the 14-game winning streak of the New York Giants after a 5-1 effort. The Giants incredible start of 43-11 remained the best of the century and stood unmatched until 1939, when the New York Yankees tied the mark.

June
  • June 9 – Boston Red Sox outfielder Tris Speaker hits for the cycle, leading his team to a 9–2 victory over the St. Louis Browns.
  • June 10 – New York Giants catcher Chief Meyers hits for the cycle against the Chicago Cubs. Chicago wins, however, 9-8.
  • June 28 – Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants becomes the eighth pitcher to record 300 career wins.

July

August
  • August 15 – Guy Zinn, a little-known New York Highlanders outfielder, steals home twice in a 5–4 win over the Detroit Tigers at Navin Field. This will add to last-place New York's major-league record of 18 steals of home for a single season.
  • August 22 – Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Honus Wagner hits for the cycle against the New York Giants.
  • August 30 :
    • The Boston Red Sox run their record to 87-37 with a 2–1 win over the Philadelphia Athletics. Following the game, Athletics' manager Connie Mack says he never realized how strong the Red Sox were, and concedes the pennant to them. There are 30 games left for the Boston club, who will finish with a 105-47 record, 14 games over the Washington Senators and 15 over Philadelphia.
    • St. Louis Browns pitcher Earl Hamilton returns the favor to the Detroit Tigers, as he tosses a no-hitter in a 7–1 Browns victory.
  • September 17 – Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder Casey Stengel makes an impressive major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, collecting four hits with two RBI and two stolen bases in the Dodgers 7–3 win.

September
  • September 14 – Former major league catcher and manager and current president of the Connecticut League, Jim O'Rourke, catches a complete game for the New Haven Blues club at age 60. O'Rourke, who spent 32 seasons in the majors from 1872–1904, will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum 1n 1945.

October
  • October 16 – The Boston Red Sox defeat the New York Giants, 3–2, in Game 8 of the World Series, ending one of the most exciting Series in Major League history. The Red Sox win the World Championship four games to three, with Game 2 being declared a tie. Nearly all of the contests were close, as four games in this series were decided by one run, a fifth ended in a tie, and a sixth was decided by two runs. Game 7 was the only one with a margin greater than three runs. Two games, including the decisive Game 8, went to extra innings. In Games 1 and 3, the losing team had the tying and winning runs on base when the game ended. This was the first time in which a World Series was decided in the last inning of the final game, in sudden death, or sudden victory fashion. It was also the first Series where a team within one inning of losing came back to win. The next time a team that close to elimination recovered to win was in Game 6 of the 1986 Series.[1]

November

December

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January
  • January 11 – Lefty Marr, 49, outfielder/third baseman who hit .289 in 363 games for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, Columbus Solons, and Cincinnati Kelly's Killers from 1886 to 1891.
  • January 18 – John Russ, 53, outfielder/pitcher for the 1882 Baltimore Orioles of the American Association.
  • January 31 – Ed Taylor, 34, pitcher for the 1903 St. Louis Cardinals.

February
  • February 1 – Jim Doyle, 30, third baseman who hit .278 in two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (1910) and Chicago Cubs (1911).
  • February 11 – Jimmy Knowles, 55, Canadian infielder who .241 in 357 games with six different teams in two leagues between 1884 and 1892.

March
  • March 6 – Pembroke Finlayson, 23, who pitched from 1908 through 1909 for the Brooklyn Superbas of the National League.
  • March 9 – Doc Amole, 33, National League pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles (1897) and Washington Senators (1898).
  • March 22 – Ed Kenna, 34, pitcher for the 1902 Philadelphia Athletics of the American League.
  • March 25 – Harry Keener, 40, pitcher who posted a 3–11 record and a 5.88 ERA for the 1896 Philadelphia Phillies.

April
  • April 17 – Ace Stewart, 43, second baseman for the 1895 Chicago Colts of the National League.
  • April 18 – Hank Gehring, 31, pitcher who posted a 3–7 record and a 3.91 ERA for the Washington Senators from 1907 to 1908.
  • April 20 – Sam Barkley, 53, American Association second baseman who played from 1884 through 1889 for the Toledo Blue Stockings, St. Louis Browns, Pittsburgh Alleghenys and Kansas City Cowboys.
  • April 28 – Josh Bunce, 64, left fielder for the 1877 Brooklyn Hartfords of the National League.

May
  • May 7 – Gus Alberts, 51, third baseman/shortstop for the Blues/Brewers/Nationals/Alleghenys from 1884 to 1891.

June
  • June 11 – Leonidas Lee, 51, outfielder for the 1877 St. Louis Brown Stockings of the National League.
  • June 29 – Harry Lyons, 46, outfielder who hit .234 and stole 120 bases in four different leagues with the Giants, Broncos, Browns and Quakers between 1887 and 1893.

August
  • August 6 – Dick Van Zant, 47, third baseman for the 1888 Cleveland Blues of the American Association.
  • August 10 – Ed Sales, 51, for the 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the National League.
  • August 15 – Lou Polchow, 32, pitcher for the 1902 Cleveland Bronchos of the American League.

September
  • September 5 – Tug Arundel, 50, catcher who played with four teams in two leagues from 1882 to 1888.
  • September 7 – Bugs Raymond, 30, pitcher who posted a 45–57 record and a 2.49 ERA in 136 games for the Tigers, Cardinals and Giants between 1904 and 1911.
  • September 15 – Al Barker, 73, who pitched one game for 1871 Rockford Forest Citys of the National Association.
  • September 26 – Cherokee Fisher, 67, star pitcher before and after the official beginning of professional baseball, known for his blazing fastball, who led the National Association in 1872 with a .909 W-L% and a 1.80 ERA.

October
  • October 1 – Bill Boyd, 59, National Association IF/OF/P and manager between the 1872 and 1875 seasons.
  • October 4 – George Knight, 56, pitcher for the 1875 New Haven Elm Citys of the National Association.
  • October 6 – Bill Finley, 49, National League catcher/outfielder for the 1886 New York Giants.
  • October 8 – Heinie Heitmuller, 29, outfielder who played from 1909 to 1910 for the Philadelphia Athletics.
  • October 10 – Bill Tobin, 58, National League third baseman for the Troy Trojans and Worcester Ruby Legs during the 1880 season.
  • October 20 – John Skopec, 32, American League pitcher for the Chicago White Sox (1901) and Detroit Tigers (1903).
  • October 21 – Charlie Waitt, 59, outfielder/first baseman for the Orioles/Browns/White Stockings/Quakers from 1875 to 1883.
  • October 24 – Piggy Ward, 45, OF/IF who hit .286 with 172 runs and 90 RBI in 221 games with the Senators/Orioles/Reds/Quakers/Pirates from 1883 to 1894.

November
  • November 1 – Ed Green, 52, pitcher/infielder for the 1890 Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association.
  • November 4 – Frank Murphy, 36, National League OF/IF who hit a combined .219 average in 80 games for the Boston Beaneaters and New York Giants in 1901.
  • November 8 – Cupid Childs, 45, second baseman for the Spiders/Orphans/Stars/Perfectos/Quakers from 1888 to 1901, a .306 career hitter with 1214 hits, who topped the American Association in doubles (1890) and the National League in runs (1892), while ranking third all-time in walks (991) upon retirement.
  • November 11 – John Rainey, 48, OF/IF for the New York Giants of the National League (1887) and the Buffalo Bisons of the Players' League (1890).
  • November 15 – Dennis O'Neill, 45, first baseman for the 1893 St. Louis Browns of the National League.
  • November 26 – John T. Brush, 67, owner of the New York Giants from 1890 until the time of his death, who also owned the Indianapolis Hoosiers in the late 1880s and the Cincinnati Reds from 1891 to 1902.
  • November 27 – Fred Corey, 57[?], 3B/P/OF who posted a 27–46 record and hit a .246 average for the Providence Grays, Worcester Ruby Legs and Philadelphia Athletics between 1878 and 1885.

December
  • December 12 – Jim Green, 58, third baseman for the 1884 Washington Nationals of the Union Association.
  • December 21 – Jim Conway, 54, American Association pitcher who posted a 22–29 record and a 3.64 ERA in 56 games with the Brooklyn Atlantics (1884), Philadelphia Athletics (1885) and Kansas City Cowboys (1889).
  • December 21 – Jim Gilman, 42, third baseman the 1893 Cleveland Spiders of the National League.
  • December 22 – Ed Kennedy, 51, third baseman for the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union Association in 1884.
  • December 31 – Charlie Sprague, 48, pitcher who went 10–7 with a 4.51 ERA in three seasons with the Chicago White Stockings (1887), Cleveland Spiders (1889) and Toledo Maumees (1890).

Sources
  1. Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 41–47. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
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