1927 – Mel Ott, 18 years old, hits his first major-league home run, an inside-the-park round-tripper. It is the only inside-the-park homer he will hit of his 511 career homers.
7/26/1927 – In the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, the Browns sent four batters to the plate in the first inning. Then in the next frame the number five and six batters made outs. The next scheduled hitter was catcher Steve O’Neill but Wally Gerber, in the number eight spot in the lineup, came to the plate and ended the inning with a fly out. The fact that Gerber batted out of turn was discovered before the Browns came to the plate in the third inning. The next proper hitter according to the rules would be the ninth person in the order, pitcher Milt Gaston. However, the umpires told Gerber to bat again at his “proper” time. This time Gerber grounded out and Gaston followed him to the plate. The Browns then proceeded through the lineup in proper order. The Yankees won the game, 15-1, led by Babe Ruth’s two home runs off Gaston.
Max Carey, who played 17 years with the Pirates before he was dismissed, returns to Pittsburgh in a Robins uniform and makes a clean steal of home in the 6th inning. It is his 33rd and last steal of home, a National League record.
1927 – Red Lucas of the Reds pitches a 3 – 0 one-hitter against Dazzy Vance and the Robins. The “hit” is a 6th-inning grounder by Hank DeBerry which goes between the legs of Cincinnati 2B Hughie Critz.
The Giants honor John McGraw, the team’s manager since 1902, with a Silver Jubilee celebration, showering ‘Mugsy’ with gifts that include a huge silver loving cup, a silver platter, and a silver cane for his 25 years of service to the club. The rain during the pregame ceremony at the Polo Grounds doesn’t dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic crowd of 25,000 fans, which includes Mayor Jimmy Walker, many former players, Commissioner Landis, George M. Cohan, and Commander Richard E. Byrd.
1927 – The Philadelphia A’s Ty Cobb makes what is celebrated at the time as his 4,000th hit, a double off Sam Gibson of Detroit. Detroit wins, 5 – 3, over Lefty Grove. Research will later reveal that he had two fewer hits than was thought at the time, and that number 4,000 actually three days later, on July 21st.
Pete Mann, an infielder with the Macon Peaches, is killed by a pitch from Tom Farrell of the Asheville Tourists. Asheville skipper Larry Gardner, in a second sad note, had been a teammate of Ray Chapman when he died from a pitch.
Chicago admirers present Eddie Collins, now with the A’s, with a new automobile. The A’s send out a lineup featuring Collins, Ty Cobb and Zack Wheat, all of whom have at least 2,500 hits entering the game. The next team to that will be the 2012 Yankees.
The White Sox tie a major-league record with eight sacrifice bunts in a 7 – 6 win over the Boston.
Cubs righthander Charlie Root’s one-hitter drops the Pirates into second place, with the Cubs on top. In the second of his 16 years with the Cubs, Root will lead the National League with 26 wins and 309 innings pitched.
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