1915 – The New York Yankees purchase Wally Pipp and Hugh High from the Detroit Tigers for a reported $5,000 each. Baseball historian Lyle Spatz (Yankees Coming, Yankees Going) writes that this was the first of some promised funneling of ball players to the recently-sold Yankees franchise.
1915 – In a retreat in the face of competition from the Federal League, the Orioles of the International League move to Richmond, VA. With the demise of the FL, the Orioles will return to Baltimore in 1916.
1915 – Chalmer Luman Harris is born in New Castle, AL. He would become the first manager of an indoor baseball team when the Colt .45s move into the Astrodome and become the Houston Astros in 1965.
1915 – According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the American League hometown franchise will now be known as the Indians replacing the nickname the Naps – a change due to Napoleon Lajoie, the player-manager for whom the team is presently named, leaving for the Philadelphia Athletics. Team owner Charles W. Somers asked the city’s baseball writers, who in turn asked their readers for suggestions. A false rumor claims that the origin of the name was former Cleveland Spiders outfielder, Chief Sockalexis.
1915 – The Detroit Tigers waive Wally Pipp to the New York Yankees. Pipp hit .161 in 12 games, but he’ll eventually anchor first base in New York for a decade until Lou Gehrig’s appearance.
1914 – Charles Comiskey pulls a surprise, reaching down to Peoria and naming Clarence “Pants” Rowland, scout and minor league executive, to manage his White Sox.
1914 – Former New York Giants mascot (and “pitcher”) Charlie (Victory) Faust is confined to the Western Hospital for the Insane. He will die there of pulmonary tuberculosis on June 15, 1915.
The National League votes to hold the 1915 player limit to 21 per team. They also create the disabled list (DL) which allows a player to be kept out of play for 10 days and another player substituted for him.
1914 – Chief Bender signs a two-year deal with the Federal League; he will be assigned to Baltimore.
1914 – In a vision of things to come, an indoor baseball game is played in Chicago, IL to raise money for the family of recently deceased Chicago Cubs third baseman Jim Doyle.
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