1901 MAJOR EVENTS
- January 1 - World celebrates what is regarded as the start of the new century.
- January 7 - Alferd Packer is released from prison after serving 18 years for cannibalism
- January 22 - After reigning for almost 64 years, longer than any other British monarch, Queen Victoria died at the age of 81. Her eldest son, Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales becomes King, reigning as King Edward VII
- March 6 - In Bremen an assassin attempts to kill Wilhelm II of Germany.
- March 15 - Fuller Johnson, widely regarded as the best 3b in the game, jumps from the Boston Beaneaters of the National League to sign with the Baltimore Orioles of the American League for a guaranteed $4,000
- March 20 - AL teams announce their rosters. Of the 185 players, 111 have jumped from NL. Included are such stars as Arch Murtaugh, Bongo Smith, Rodney Chadwick, Champ Keenan, Pierre Coquillou, Ed Gomer, Mick Rooker and Billy Bacon
- April - Renowned batmaker J.F. Hillerich makes a bat for Philadelphia Athletic Fibber Paine with two knobs, enabling him to hit for power while keeping his trademark split-hands grip.
- April - Polo Grounds concessionaire Harry Steven introduces franfurters to New York baseball fans. Cartoonist Tad Dorgan provides a newspaper sketch, dubbing them "hot dogs"
- June 12 - Cuba becomes a US protectorate.
- August 21 - In a game against Detroit, the Oriole's starter Ed Jarlsen is ejected for spitting in the face of umpire Tommy Connolly. In the ensuing chaos, Detroit's ace Roy Ballantyne tries to play peacemake and is laid out by a right hook from Baltimore's slugger Ned Bigelow. Ballantyne, Bigelow, Jarlsen and an overzealous fan are arrested.
- September 2 - Vice President Theodore Roosevelt utters the famous phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick" at the Minnesota State Fair.
- September 6 - American anarchist Leon Czolgosz shoots and fatally wounds US President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley dies there eight days later.
- September 11 - Milwaukee Brewer shortstop Clarence Snyder has his hitting streak snapped at 32 games.
- September 14 - With the death of William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt succeeds him as President of the United States.
- September 21 - Michel Hays of the New York Giants goes 4 for 4, smacking two homers in a game against the Pirates where he knocks in all 6 of their runs.
- October 29 - Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of US President William McKinley, is executed by electrocution.
- November 28 - The new state constitution of Alabama disenfranchises black voters via literacy tests and the grandfather clause.
- December 3 - US President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a 20,000-word speech to the House of Representatives asking Congress curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits".
- December 12 - Guglielmo Marconi receives the first trans-Atlantic radio signal in Newfoundland, Canada; it is Morse code for the letter "S."
1901 FINAL STANDINGS
Code:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Team W L PCT GB
Detroit 78 61 .561 -
Washington 76 63 .547 2.0
Chicago (A) 74 65 .532 4.0
Philadelphia (A) 70 69 .504 8.0
Boston (A) 66 73 .475 12.0
Baltimore 65 74 .468 13.0
Cleveland 65 74 .468 13.0
Milwaukee 62 77 .446 16.0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Team W L PCT GB
Brooklyn 90 49 .647 -
Cincinnati 78 61 .561 12.0
Boston (N) 70 69 .504 20.0
Pittsburgh 69 70 .496 21.0
Chicago (N) 68 71 .489 22.0
St. Louis 66 73 .475 24.0
Philadelphia (N) 58 81 .417 32.0
New York 57 82 .410 33.0
AL LEADERS
TOP 5 Batting Average
1 Billy Bacon (MLA) .379
2 Ned Bigelow (BLA) .375
3 Fibber Paine (PHA) .370
4 Rodney Chadwick (DET) .359
5 Big Jim Creighton (BOS) .347
TOP 5 Homers
1 Ned Bigelow (BLA) 14
2 Fibber Paine (PHA) 8
2 Mick Rooker (CLE) 8
2 Tate McDonald (PHA) 8
5 Carl Gallagher (CHA) 7
TOP 10 RBI
1 Ned Bigelow (BLA) 90
2 Fibber Paine (PHA) 86
3 David Maxwell (WS1) 77
4 Lucas Milk (WS1) 76
5 Carl Gallagher (CHA) 75
TOP 10 Stolen Bases
1 Emory Casey (BOS) 58
2 John Cotchery (CHA) 54
3 Everett Gaffney (DET) 47
3 Carl Gallagher (CHA) 47
3 Garrett Gray (CLE) 47
TOP 10 Wins
1 Arch Murtaugh (CHA) 23
2 Deiter Vogel (WS1) 22
3 Ed Gomer (PHA) 21
3 Bongo Smith (BOS) 21
5 Dick Rickey (DET) 19
TOP 10 ERA
1 Dick Rickey (DET) 2.20
2 Arch Murtaugh (CHA) 2.23
3 Deiter Vogel (WS1) 2.60
4 Robert Crouch (CHA) 2.69
5 Ed Jarlsen (BLA) 2.69
TOP 10 Strikeouts
1 Arch Murtaugh (CHA) 262
2 Ed Jarlsen (BLA) 169
3 Ed Gomer (PHA) 152
3 Ridley Yearwood (MLA) 152
5 Bill Pritchard (CHA) 143
NL LEADERS
TOP 5 Batting Average
1 Caesar Geist (BRO) .391
2 Clancy Yarborough (PHI) .372
3 Wilbur Whaley (SLN) .362
4 Patrick O'Hara (CIN) .354
5 Milton Shifman (BSN) .350
TOP 5 Homers
1 Bob Rooney (CHN) 10
1 Caesar Geist (BRO) 10
1 Jeff Packard (CHN) 10
4 Stanley Dodge (CHN) 8
4 Ronan Keough (CIN) 8
TOP 10 RBI
1 Nero Stevens (BRO) 88
2 Gavin Coker (PIT) 85
3 Reginald Magruder (BRO) 81
4 Connie Mahoney (CIN) 80
5 Caesar Geist (BRO) 77
TOP 10 Stolen Bases
1 Darby Hoffman (NY1) 70
2 Gavin Coker (PIT) 57
3 James Bostater (CIN) 52
4 Miles Parsons (BSN) 45
5 Skipper Quincy (CHN) 44
TOP 10 Wins
1 Jim Joy (BRO) 30
2 Jim Brush (BRO) 25
3 Champ Keenan (NY1) 22
4 Jarvis Pope (CIN) 21
4 Harris Hungerford (SLN) 21
TOP 10 ERA
1 Jim Joy (BRO) 2.21
2 Jim Brush (BRO) 2.35
3 Zeb Gouliet (BRO) 2.56
4 Michael Van Wyck (PIT) 2.59
5 Champ Keenan (NY1) 2.65
TOP 10 Strikeouts
1 Jim Joy (BRO) 276
2 Jim Brush (BRO) 251
3 William O'Brien (BSN) 185
4 Jarvis Pope (CIN) 145
5 Avery Luck (CHN) 137
******************
Brooklyn's Joy named PITCHER OF THE YEAR
The 1901 AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE YEAR winner is from Chicago (A) this year.
Arch Murtaugh put together impressive numbers on the mound this season. Arch has a record of 23-15 this season, with an ERA of 2.23. In 343 Innings he was able to strike out 262 batters. He has 36 complete games and 9 shutouts. He's 2nd in the AMERICAN LEAGUE in ERA and 1st in wins!
Brooklyn's right-hander
Jim Joy was untouchable all year long. His work paid off today as the NATIONAL LEAGUE named him the PITCHER OF THE YEAR winner! In 41 starts this year Jim struck out 276 batters in 361.2 innings of work. His ERA is 2.21, his record 30-9. Jim has pitched 9 shutouts and 35 complete games. He's 1st in the NATIONAL LEAGUE in ERA and 1st in wins!
Bigelow (BLA) and Geist (BRO) win BATTER OF THE YEAR
Baltimore's first baseman
Ned Bigelow will never forget this day. A great season convinced the voters that he is the worthy AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTER OF THE YEAR winner. Ned is hitting .375 this year, with 197 hits in 526 at bats. He has driven in 90 runs, slugging .561. He's 2nd in the AMERICAN LEAGUE in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI!
The 1901 NATIONAL LEAGUE BATTER OF THE YEAR winner has been announced as well. It's Brooklyn's leftfielder
Caesar Geist who really had a great offensive year. This year Geist drove in 77 and scored 96 runs while batting .391 with 10 homeruns. He's 1st in the NATIONAL LEAGUE in batting, 1st in homeruns and 5th in RBI!