For this week’s column, your correspondent was more lucky than good. It’s amazing what one can find by accident when one is looking up something else.
“One Great Fool”
August 16, 1911: The newspapers reported that left fielder Sherry Magee was back in the Philadelphia Phillies’ lineup “for the first time since he made one great fool of himself.” This naturally caught the attention of yours truly enough to send my crack research team (me) searching through the newspaper archives to learn more. The incident in question took place on July 10 at the Baker Bowl. When Magee came to bat in the bottom of the third inning, he was already upset over what he thought was an incorrect call when he was thrown out trying to steal second base in the previous inning.
This time, he was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Bill Finneran. Magee threw his bat in the air and was ejected by Finneran. Magee then rushed at Finneran and hit him in the mouth with a hard left, knocking him to the ground. Finneran then charged at Magee but was held back by several players. When they couldn’t stop the blood from flowing from his lip, Finneran was taken to a hospital, and base umpire Cy Rigler finished the game alone. Afterward, Magee claimed Finneran started the whole thing when he called him an “offensive name” as he ejected him. Finneran denied it to the Associated Press, saying, “I simply told him to get out of the game. I will leave it to [St. Louis Cardinals] catcher Roger Bresnahan, who stood near and heard all that was said.” The Phillies won the game without Magee, 4-2, behind the complete-game pitching of Grover Alexander.
Getting back to August 16, on his return from suspension, Magee helped Philadelphia to another victory over St. Louis at the Baker Bowl, this time by a score of 10-2. In five plate appearances, Magee hit a single, walked twice, stole two bases, and scored two runs.
The Letter
August 16, 1922: You’d think that if one wanted to commit a crime, one would be smart enough not to leave a paper trail. Then again, the criminal mind isn’t always that bright. A policeman I knew when I was a teenager once told me of a bank robber who wrote his hold-up note on personal stationery.
In this case, it was spitballer Phil Douglas who was forever suspended from the New York Giants by manager John McGraw when the latter learned of Douglas initiating a conspiracy to prevent his team from winning the National League pennant. Douglas wrote to a player who was believed to be a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, “If you fellows can raise the money to make it worth while [sic], I will quit and go fishing. If I remain with the Giants they’ll win the flag, but if I leave them they can’t win it.” The recipient of the letter informed McGraw about it. McGraw confronted Douglas, who confessed to writing the letter.
Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and NL president John Heydler upheld McGraw. Douglas’s final stats for 1922 indicate that he was doing a lousy job of trying to blow the pennant. He was 11-4 and led the NL with a 2.63 ERA, 1.199 WHIP, and 153 ERA+. I hope the fishing was good.
Farewells
August 16, 1948: Babe Ruth passed away at the age of 53 due to throat cancer. If I have to tell you about the Babe, you’re on the wrong site, but for the sake of completeness, I’ll note quickly that Ruth played for the Boston Red Sox (1914-19), New York Yankees (1920-34), and Boston Braves (1935). For his career, he hit .342/.474/.690, 714 HR, and 2,214 RBI. His slugging percentage, 1.164 OPS, and 206 OPS+ lead all of Major League Baseball to this day. As a pitcher, he was 94-46 with a 2.28 ERA, 1.159 WHIP, 2.81 FIP, and 122 ERA+ in 10 seasons. He won 12 home run titles, a batting championship, and one Most Valuable Player Award, which seems shockingly low. He was a two-time All-Star, and if that also strikes the reader as incredibly low, remember that there were no All-Star Games before 1933.
Headlines reporting his death were splashed on the front pages of newspapers all over the country. His lifetime home run record was broken by Henry Aaron, whose record was surpassed by Barry Bonds. Aaron’s death in 2021 wasn’t front-page news across the entire United States. Neither will Bonds’. Ruth was baseball.
Ruth died with a Catholic priest, who had administered the last rites, at his side. Reported the unnamed priest, “The Babe died a beautiful death. He said his prayers and lapsed into a sleep – and he died in his sleep.” The AP collected accolades for Ruth from all over the baseball world. Said NL president Ford Frick, who would become commissioner and invent the asterisk as far as the record book was concerned, “I knew the Babe well when I traveled with the Yankees as a baseball writer, and I never saw a man with more heart – and you can interpret that as meaning both courage on the field and consideration for others. Former player George Kelly chimed in, “All ball players owe Babe a debt of gratitude for the high salaries that have come into baseball.”
August 17, 1920: One day after being beaned by Yankees pitcher Carl Mays, fracturing his skull, Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died. He was 29 years old. He remains the only baseball player to die because of an injury sustained during a game. Mays was reportedly “grieving” over being the cause of Chapman’s death. “It was the most regrettable incident of my career,” said Mays, “and I would give anything if I could undo what has happened.” Several American League clubs called for Mays’ immediate expulsion from the game, but Cleveland manager Tris Speaker came to his defense, saying, “I do not hold Mays responsible in any way. I have been active in discouraging my players from holding Mays responsible, and, in respect of Chapman’s memory, and for the good of baseball, I hope all talk of this kind will stop. I can realize that Mays feels this as deeply as any man could, and I do not want to add anything to his burden.” In a nine-year career spent entirely with Cleveland, Chapman hit .278/.358/.377.
#OTD in 1920, Indians shortstop Ray Chapman suffered a fractured skull when he was hit in the head by a Carl Mays fastball at the Polo Grounds. He would die at St. Lawrence Hospital early the next morning. Here’s my painting of him with Cleveland in the late 1910s. pic.twitter.com/CPOUoYCLQY
— Graig Kreindler (@GraigKreindler) August 16, 2026
What’s a Guy Gotta Do?
August 16, 1989: Chicago White Sox farmhand Tom Drees tossed his third no-hitter of the season for the Triple-A Vancouver Canadiens, defeating the Las Vegas Stars, 5-0. This one was a seven-inning first game of a doubleheader, making Drees the first pitcher ever to throw three no-hitters in a Pacific Coast League season. Yet, the White Sox had no plans to promote him to the majors; in fact, he was ticketed for the Florida Instructional League next month. Vancouver pitching coach Moe Drabowsky told the AP that Drees needed to strengthen his pitching shoulder and be more consistent.
Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Yankees outfielder Luis Polonia was arrested for allegedly engaging in sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. Why so many stories about ballplayers and minor-aged girls? Is it really that difficult for wealthy professional athletes to meet women? I’d like to see them try it the way I did, as a penniless grad student who drove a 1963 Oldsmobile F-85.
Bragan Passes Mack
August 16, 2005: At age 87 years and 290 days, Bobby Bragan became the oldest manager in a professional baseball game, beating the record of the legendary Connie Mack by eight days, when he managed the Fort Worth Cats of the independent Central League in a game against the Coastal Bend Aviators at LaGrave Field in Fort Worth. Bragan, who lived in Fort Worth, previously managed in the major leagues from 1956-66 and was known for his histrionic arguments with umpires that resulted in 19 career ejections and at least one stern admonition from NL president Warren Giles to “take the game seriously.” At the pregame meeting to exchange lineup cards, the colorful Bragan brought along a seeing-eye dog, probably offering its services to the umpiring crew.
Naturally, Bragan was ejected from this game as well. In the bottom of the third inning, home plate umpire Brandon Misun tossed Fort Worth shortstop David Keesee from the game for arguing a called third strike. When Bragan went out to ask Misun why he ejected Keesee, Misun said it was because Keesee told him he was calling a bad game. When Bragan said he agreed, Misun tossed him, too. His ejection must have been planned, right? “Sure wasn’t,” Bragan told the AP. If it was, Keesee knew nothing about it. He said, “But if it was planned, I’m glad I could be part of it.” Bragan spent the rest of the night at a table behind the stands, signing autographs alongside his first base coach, Maury Wills, who was in the coaching box for the first two innings. The Cats went on to win without them, 11-10.
The First
August 17, 1876: It’s carved into the gravestone of Pud Galvin at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Section D, Lot 167, Grave 3 (I’ve been there) in Pittsburgh: “FIRST PROFESSIONAL TO PITCH A PERFECT GAME (AUGUST 17, 1876).” However, MLB doesn’t recognize it as a perfect game. In 1876, Galvin pitched for the St. Louis Red Stockings, an unaffiliated team. But just the year before, they competed in the National Association, which was considered a major league, and played with substantially the same roster in 1876. The victims of Galvin’s perfection were the Cass Club of Detroit, who were thought to be, if not a major league team, then one of the same caliber for the period. Perhaps MLB should reconsider its stance on Galvin and the 1876 Red Stockings.
His Only Homer Helped Set a Record
August 17, 1950: As the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Giants, 5-1, in the second game of a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds, Giants rookie catcher Sam Calderone and Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese each hit inside-the-park home runs. The day before, Giants third baseman Hank Thompson hit two inside-the-park home runs in a wild, 16-7 victory. Those four homers set a record for the most inside-the-park home runs in a series. For Calderone, who hit 35 known home runs in the minor leagues, it was his only major league homer. The Giants used him primarily as the personal catcher for knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm to protect the throwing hand of the regular catcher, Wes Westrum. Calderone spent the rest of his life with gnarled fingers on his right hand.
Pine Tar Game Completed
August 18, 1983: The Kansas City Royals returned to Yankee Stadium to complete the “Pine Tar Game” after their protest of the July 24 game was upheld. That was the day that umpires disallowed a home run by George Brett because he had more than the legal limit of pine tar on his bat. AL president Lee MacPhail allowed the protest, reasoning that disallowing the home run wasn’t within the “spirit” of the rule because pine tar doesn’t give the batter an unfair advantage. Thus, the game was resumed with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Royals ahead, 5-4, and Brett having been ejected from the game for arguing the original call. When the game commenced, Yankees pitcher George Frazier appealed at all three bases, resulting in safe calls by each base umpire. Yankees manager Billy Martin then protested the game on the grounds that Brett didn’t touch all of the bases after his home run. Umpire Dave Phillips produced a notarized affidavit, signed by all four umpires of the July 24 contest, averring that Brett touched all the bases. “Whoever thought of that should be the next commissioner of baseball,” Kansas City reliever Dan Quisenberry told Jayson Stark of Knight-News-Tribune Service.
Of course, Martin had to make a statement, inserting pitcher Ron Guidry in center field and moving left-handed-throwing first baseman Don Mattingly to second base. Luckily for Martin, these absurd moves didn’t hurt New York, as Frazier struck out Hal McRae to end the top of the ninth. Quisenberry earned a save when he retired all three Yankees he faced to end the game.
Tuthill Again
August 20, 1906: For one who writes a weekly column like this, it’s a blessing that there was once a Giants trainer named Harry Tuthill, who was an endless source of comic material. Tuthill, who felt that ballplayers drank too much water on hot days, was fired by McGraw for shooting his assistant trainer in the leg earlier in 1906. Somehow Tuthill got back in McGraw’s good graces and remained in his position. On this date, Chicago Cubs fans waited outside West Side Grounds for a game against the Giants, when Tuthill noticed they were flying kites with yellow streaks across them. Why Tuthill would find this offensive is lost to history, but Tuthill ran onto Lincoln Street and cut down some kites until the crowd let out a yell and began chasing him. Tuthill narrowly escaped the angry mob by leaping over the turnstiles and getting back inside the park. The kites flew anyway. The Cubs won the game, 3-0, behind Jack Pfiester’s complete game.
He Was No Sonny Boy Williamson
August 20, 1964: It was a grouchy bunch of Yankees who filed into the team bus after being swept by the White Sox in a four-game series at Comiskey Park. It dropped them into an unfamiliar third place, 4.5 games behind Chicago. Now the team bus was stuck in traffic on the way to O’Hare Airport. The last thing manager Yogi Berra was in the mood for was music. But that’s what utility infielder Phil Linz gave him.
Linz had started the first three games at shortstop and played well, going 3-for-11 with an RBI and two triples. He wasn’t happy that he didn’t start the fourth game. He had purchased a harmonica while the team was in Chicago and figured now was as good a time as any to practice. Why not? The other Yankees were seething, but as Linz told the AP, “I didn’t have anything to do with losing that game.” From the back of the bus, Linz played “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” not too well, according to pitcher/author Jim Bouton. From the front of the bus, as told by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show three nights later, “Yogi made a rather novel suggestion as to the disposal of Linz’s harmonica.” Linz didn’t hear him and asked Mickey Mantle what he said. Mantle said, “Play it louder.”
At once, Berra came charging at Linz, who flipped the harmonica at him. Berra swatted it out of the air, and the flying instrument hit Joe Pepitone in the knee. Pepitone suffered a minor cut, but that didn’t stop him from going into what Bouton called his “Oooooh, you hurt my little knee” act. The players completely lost it when coach Frankie Crosetti, a Yankee since 1932, rose from his seat and said, “This is the worst thing that’s ever happened in the history of the New York Yankees!” Remember, he was the Yankees shortstop when Lou Gehrig contracted ALS and died. Linz playing the harmonica was worse?
Linz was fined, and later he and Berra apologized to one another. Meanwhile, the incident was credited with loosening up the Yankees. After Linz’s serenade, the Yankees finished the season by winning 30 of their final 43 games and another pennant. Alas, they lost to the Cardinals in the World Series, after which Berra was fired. There was thought that the Yankees brass made up its mind to fire Berra after the harmonica incident, believing he’d lost control of the team.
Sometimes It Pays to Bat Out of Order
August 21, 1953: The Cardinals hosted the Cincinnati Redlegs at Busch Stadium when their big first baseman, Steve Bilko, batted to lead off the second inning. Bilko grounded out. Oops! It wasn’t his turn to bat. The scheduled hitter was third baseman Ray Jablonski, who was the Cards’ cleanup hitter. Bilko was actually fifth in the order. It wasn’t until Jablonski approached the batter’s box that St. Louis manager Eddie Stanky noticed the mistake. Had Jablonski reached base, the Redlegs would have informed the umpires of the violation, and Jablonski would have been declared out, so Stanky entered the field and informed the umpires himself. The umpires decided that Jablonski was out and Bilko should bat again. This time, Bilko hit a home run off Harry Perkowski. It was all St. Louis needed, as they won, 4-0, behind the complete-game pitching of Harvey Haddix.
Dog Helps Chicken
August 22, 1886: The Louisville Colonels defeated Cincinnati, 5-3, in 11 innings at Eclipse Park behind two home runs by Chicken Wolf. It was Wolf’s second home run that fans in attendance likely never forgot. That came in the top of the 11th when Wolf hit a long drive to the center field fence. As described by the uncredited wire service reporter, “In running after the second ball a small dog caught [center fielder Abner] Powell by the leg and held him [for] several seconds, while Wolf crossed the plate amid tremendous cheering.” Bill White followed with a triple and scored on a single by Jack Kerins. The two runs held up. You might say Wolf triggered a pup rally. Then again, you probably wouldn’t. I’ll show myself out now.
