The New York Clipper states that “an attempt will be made to change the rules so as to compel outfielders to discard gloves.”

ByTom

The New York Clipper states that “an attempt will be made to change the rules so as to compel outfielders to discard gloves.”

1893 – The Cuban Giants, perhaps the nation’s best black baseball team, announce their desire to join the proposed Middle States League. Their application is rejected.

ByTom

1893 – The Cuban Giants, perhaps the nation’s best black baseball team, announce their desire to join the proposed Middle States League. Their application is rejected.

1893 – National League owners, led by Pittsburgh Pirates manager Al Buckenberger, form the National Cycling Association, hope to build bicycle tracks in at least eight of the twelve NL parks.

ByTom

1893 – National League owners, led by Pittsburgh Pirates manager Al Buckenberger, form the National Cycling Association, hope to build bicycle tracks in at least eight of the twelve NL parks.

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10/7/1892 – The St. Louis Browns were playing in Cleveland against the Spiders when this puzzling one happened. We have found only a brief story that said with Cleveland ahead 8-3 in the fifth inning and it was starting to rain, the Spiders George Davis intentionally batted out of turn in order to make the third out of the inning quickly. The game ended after five innings because of the rain. There are a couple of reasons for it being puzzling. We don’t know if Cleveland was batting last since in those days the home teams sometimes elected to bat first so they could hit against the new ball in the first. If they were batting last, it was already an official game due to a rule revision for the 1892 season. The original 1876 rule required five full innings to be played for a game to count. However, the Spiders may not have known about the new rule. The batting out of turn rule in effect was the original one from 1876, and it said in effect that the improper batter would not be out until his plate appearance was completed. So a Cleveland hitter could have just swung and missed at the first three pitches to make a quick out. The umpire of the game was John Gaffney, who was quite experienced. However, perhaps he was not fully versed on the rule and ruled Davis out after a pitch had been thrown and maybe Davis pointed out that he was not the proper batter. We will try to get more information about the game.

ByTom

10/7/1892 – The St. Louis Browns were playing in Cleveland against the Spiders when this puzzling one happened. We have found only a brief story that said with Cleveland ahead 8-3 in the fifth inning and it was starting to rain, the Spiders George Davis intentionally batted out of turn in order to make the third out of the inning quickly. The game ended after five innings because of the rain. There are a couple of reasons for it being puzzling. We don’t know if Cleveland was batting last since in those days the home teams sometimes elected to bat first so they could hit against the new ball in the first. If they were batting last, it was already an official game due to a rule revision for the 1892 season. The original 1876 rule required five full innings to be played for a game to count. However, the Spiders may not have known about the new rule. The batting out of turn rule in effect was the original one from 1876, and it said in effect that the improper batter would not be out until his plate appearance was completed. So a Cleveland hitter could have just swung and missed at the first three pitches to make a quick out. The umpire of the game was John Gaffney, who was quite experienced. However, perhaps he was not fully versed on the rule and ruled Davis out after a pitch had been thrown and maybe Davis pointed out that he was not the proper batter. We will try to get more information about the game.

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10/3/1892 – The Louisville Colonels visited Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. Sometime during the game, Lou Bierbauer of the Pirates was called out for batting out of turn. No further details are known.

ByTom

10/3/1892 – The Louisville Colonels visited Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. Sometime during the game, Lou Bierbauer of the Pirates was called out for batting out of turn. No further details are known.

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7/4/1892 – In the first game of a holiday double header in Chicago, the Giants catcher, Jack Boyle has hurt by a foul tip in the first inning and had to leave the game. The starting shortstop, Jack Doyle, who was batting in the number five spot took over as catcher while Abram Hardy Richardson went to short and hit in Boyle’s number seven slot. In the second game, Richardson and Doyle reversed with the former hitting fifth and the latter seventh. Apparently, they did not pick up on the switch because Doyle came up in the first with two outs and flied out. Richardson was called out since he was the proper batter. We do not know how it was pointed out the Doyle was out of order. The Colts had no reason to do it since Doyle had made an out. The umpire, Tom Lynch who had more than four years of experience might should not have acted on his own, but perhaps he did. According to the Chicago Tribune, Doyle batted first in the next inning. However, the proper batter to lead off once Richardson is ruled out is the number six hitter, Denny Lyons.

ByTom

7/4/1892 – In the first game of a holiday double header in Chicago, the Giants catcher, Jack Boyle has hurt by a foul tip in the first inning and had to leave the game. The starting shortstop, Jack Doyle, who was batting in the number five spot took over as catcher while Abram Hardy Richardson went to short and hit in Boyle’s number seven slot. In the second game, Richardson and Doyle reversed with the former hitting fifth and the latter seventh. Apparently, they did not pick up on the switch because Doyle came up in the first with two outs and flied out. Richardson was called out since he was the proper batter. We do not know how it was pointed out the Doyle was out of order. The Colts had no reason to do it since Doyle had made an out. The umpire, Tom Lynch who had more than four years of experience might should not have acted on his own, but perhaps he did. According to the Chicago Tribune, Doyle batted first in the next inning. However, the proper batter to lead off once Richardson is ruled out is the number six hitter, Denny Lyons.

Jack Doyle becomes the first player to collect a pinch hit when he singles, coming off the bench to bat for Cleveland hurler George Davies in the Spiders’ 2-1 loss to the Grooms at Brooklyn’s Eastern Park. The 22 year-old utilityman will finish his 17-year career going 3-for-5 (.600) as a pinch-hitter.

ByTom

Jack Doyle becomes the first player to collect a pinch hit when he singles, coming off the bench to bat for Cleveland hurler George Davies in the Spiders’ 2-1 loss to the Grooms at Brooklyn’s Eastern Park. The 22 year-old utilityman will finish his 17-year career going 3-for-5 (.600) as a pinch-hitter.

Benjamin Harrison became the first U.S. President to attend a major league game as he watches the Cincinnati Reds defeat the hometown Washington Senators

At Washington, D.C.’s Boundary Field, Benjamin Harrison becomes the first U.S. president to attend a major league baseball game. The Commander in Chief watches Cincinnati defeat the Senators, presently the last-place team in the National League, 7-4 in 11 innings.

ByTom

At Washington, D.C.’s Boundary Field, Benjamin Harrison becomes the first U.S. president to attend a major league baseball game. The Commander in Chief watches Cincinnati defeat the Senators, presently the last-place team in the National League, 7-4 in 11 innings.

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4/30/1892 – In a game in Louisville, in the first Brooklyn had three runs in with one out and the bases empty with the number five hitter due up. However, William Darby O’Brien, number six in the order hit. He walked, stole a base, and scored on a passed ball. At that point, his batting out of turn was discovered (we don’t have the details), and he was called out.

ByTom

4/30/1892 – In a game in Louisville, in the first Brooklyn had three runs in with one out and the bases empty with the number five hitter due up. However, William Darby O’Brien, number six in the order hit. He walked, stole a base, and scored on a passed ball. At that point, his batting out of turn was discovered (we don’t have the details), and he was called out.