All-Star Game
The first All-Star game would prove to be a close contest, with the American League jumping on top early with a run in the first. The AL would add runs in the 3rd and the 4th (the 4th, on a double by Chick Stahl). The NL cut it to two in the 6th, and made things interesting in the 8th. With 1 out, Duff Cooley walked. Sam Crawford followed with a single, sending Cooley to third. Another single, this one by Ed Gremminger, made it a one run game and send Crawford to third. The NL send in Pirates’ catch Jack O’Connor to try to bring Crawford home, and he succeeded, hitting the ball far enough into the outfield for a Sacrifice Fly. Rudy Hutswitt followed with a single, but that was finally it. The AL went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 8th. To open the NL 9th, P Ed Poole surprised everyone with a single. Now it was the position player’s turn to bunt him along, and Fred Clarke, and Fred Tenney did. But Honus Wagner grounded out and the threat was gone. The bottom of the ninth proved short and sweet for the junior circuit. Buck Freeman doubled down the left field line off Bill Phillips, was sacrificed to third, and reached on an error by Right fielder Sam Crawford. Final Score: AL 4. NL 3.
Line Score:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
NL Allstars 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 7 4
AL Allstars 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 7 1
W: George Winter
L: Bill Phillips
News and Notes
Major Trades
None, the closest thing to a major deal was when Ollie Pickering was sent from Boston to Cleveland for some no-name pitcher. Philly 1B Klondike Douglas batted .283 and was traded for Detroit RF Jim Jones, but I doubt Douglas will last long.
No-Hitters and Close Calls
Two no hitters were thrown in 1902. The first was by Noodles Hahn (CIN) on July 23 against Philadelphia, and the second was by Ed Siever (DET) against the White Sox on August 6. Hahn was the closer of the two to a perfect game, walking just 2 (his team made no errors).
1 Hitters
05/12/02-Jesse Tannehill (PIT) vs. BSN
06/03/02-Jack Chesbro (PIT) vs. BRO
09/08/02-Jack McGinnity (BAL) vs. BOS
09/24/02-Jack Malarkey (BSN) vs. CIN
Home Run Heaven
Buck Freeman (BOS, who finished 2nd in the AL with 12) hit 3 Home Runs on June 8, 1902. All 3 were off Baltimore Starter Frank Foreman, who would be victimized again the very next year by another slugger (see “Socks Seybold Goes Home Run Crazy” on this message board”). Foreman gave up by far the most dingers in the majors, 38. 17 more then Al Orth, who himself had 8 more then the next runner up.
Thank You Sir, Can I Have Another?
Happy Townsend and Brickyard Kennedy lost 30 and 32 games, respectively. Brickyard should get used to it. Frank Foreman (7-23, 7.36 ERA) might have if he had pitched a few more games.
This Doesn’t Fit into a particular topic but…
The American League hit .280 and hit 274 Home Runs. The National League hit .258 and hit 156 Home Runs. The leader in HR in the AL hit 16; the leader(s) in the NL hit 6.
Later this evening, the World Series....