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7/28/1950 – The Cubs played in Brooklyn in a game that started at 8:30pm. After a 30-minute rain delay in the third and another that lasted 1:20 in the eighth, the contest finally ended at 1:21am. The official lineup presented to the umpires by Cubs manager Frank Frisch showed Bob Borkowski batting second and Carmen Mauro third. In the first inning, they batted in reverse order but both made outs. They repeated the process in the fourth inning. However, in the fifth inning of the score less game, the Cubs started the scoring. With two out and a run in, Wayne Terwilliger reached on Pee wee Reese’s throwing error, scoring the second run for the Cubs. Mauro then singled to left, scoring Roy Smalley. Dodger coach Clyde Sukeforth then pointed out to Umpire Lou Jorda that Mauro was out of order. Borkowski, the proper batter, was called out, the run was nullified and the inning was over. The Cubs eventually won the game, 12-5.

ByThis Day in Baseball

7/28/1950 – The Cubs played in Brooklyn in a game that started at 8:30pm. After a 30-minute rain delay in the third and another that lasted 1:20 in the eighth, the contest finally ended at 1:21am. The official lineup presented to the umpires by Cubs manager Frank Frisch showed Bob Borkowski batting second and Carmen Mauro third. In the first inning, they batted in reverse order but both made outs. They repeated the process in the fourth inning. However, in the fifth inning of the score less game, the Cubs started the scoring. With two out and a run in, Wayne Terwilliger reached on Pee wee Reese’s throwing error, scoring the second run for the Cubs. Mauro then singled to left, scoring Roy Smalley. Dodger coach Clyde Sukeforth then pointed out to Umpire Lou Jorda that Mauro was out of order. Borkowski, the proper batter, was called out, the run was nullified and the inning was over. The Cubs eventually won the game, 12-5.

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6/24/1950 – The game between the Pirates and Dodgers in Brooklyn was stopped at 11:59 because of a curfew. When the contest was resumed on 8/1, two Pirates players, Dale Coogan and Earl Turner had left the team. Two players (Hank Schenz and George Strickland) replaced them and the bottom of the eighth inning continued. In the top of the ninth, Strickland should have batted but Schenz came to the plate and grounded out. The Dodgers, who won the game 21-12, did not object since the improper batter made an out. One amazing point in all of this is that the Pirates pitcher at the point of the suspension, Vic Lombardi, took the mound again when the game resumed six weeks later! Moreover, the actual batting out of turn took place over a month after the official date of the game.

ByTom

6/24/1950 – The game between the Pirates and Dodgers in Brooklyn was stopped at 11:59 because of a curfew. When the contest was resumed on 8/1, two Pirates players, Dale Coogan and Earl Turner had left the team. Two players (Hank Schenz and George Strickland) replaced them and the bottom of the eighth inning continued. In the top of the ninth, Strickland should have batted but Schenz came to the plate and grounded out. The Dodgers, who won the game 21-12, did not object since the improper batter made an out. One amazing point in all of this is that the Pirates pitcher at the point of the suspension, Vic Lombardi, took the mound again when the game resumed six weeks later! Moreover, the actual batting out of turn took place over a month after the official date of the game.

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9/16/1949 – The New York Giants were at Wrigley Field to play the Cubs. In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Cubs batted out of turn and, when the Giants did not realize the mistake, the Cubs scored the winning run! The Cubs had runners on first and third with two outs when relief pitcher Bob Rush, in the eighth spot in the order, should have come to the plate. There was a “double switch” after Emil Verban pinch ran for Smoky Burgess in the ninth and remained in the game at second base and in the ninth place in the order. Verban came to the plate to hit ahead of Rush and walked to load the bases. The Giants failed to speak up. Mickey Owen then pinch hit and singled in the winning run. Once a pitch was made to Owen, the Giants lost the ability to speak up about Verban. Due to not complaining about Verban, the #9 hitter, the correct next batter was the #1 hitter, Bob Ramazzotti, so Owen was hitting in the lead off slot. The cellar-dwelling Cubs won, 5-4.

ByTom

9/16/1949 – The New York Giants were at Wrigley Field to play the Cubs. In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Cubs batted out of turn and, when the Giants did not realize the mistake, the Cubs scored the winning run! The Cubs had runners on first and third with two outs when relief pitcher Bob Rush, in the eighth spot in the order, should have come to the plate. There was a “double switch” after Emil Verban pinch ran for Smoky Burgess in the ninth and remained in the game at second base and in the ninth place in the order. Verban came to the plate to hit ahead of Rush and walked to load the bases. The Giants failed to speak up. Mickey Owen then pinch hit and singled in the winning run. Once a pitch was made to Owen, the Giants lost the ability to speak up about Verban. Due to not complaining about Verban, the #9 hitter, the correct next batter was the #1 hitter, Bob Ramazzotti, so Owen was hitting in the lead off slot. The cellar-dwelling Cubs won, 5-4.

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9/6/1948 – The Dodgers were in Boston for a doubleheader. In the second game, Bill Salkeld and Mike McCormick of the Braves batted out of order the first two times through the lineup and the Dodgers did not realize it. McCormick was listed in the sixth position and Salkeld the seventh on the lineup handed to the umpires before the game. They produced two runs before the visitors realized there was a problem. In the first inning, Salkeld singled Jeff Heath home after the latter’s 2-RBI triple off the centerfield wall. Then in the third inning, Salkeld doubled to right and scored on Sibby Sisti’s single to left. After Salkeld made an out in the fifth inning, McCormick singled to left to advance a runner. Brooklyn coach Ray Blades then spoke to the umpires about the batting order and McCormick was called out for batting out of turn. The Braves swept the twin bill with Warren Spahn pitching a 14-inning complete game in the opener to win 2-1 and the second game called in the middle of the seventh due to darkness with the Braves ahead 4-0.

ByTom

9/6/1948 – The Dodgers were in Boston for a doubleheader. In the second game, Bill Salkeld and Mike McCormick of the Braves batted out of order the first two times through the lineup and the Dodgers did not realize it. McCormick was listed in the sixth position and Salkeld the seventh on the lineup handed to the umpires before the game. They produced two runs before the visitors realized there was a problem. In the first inning, Salkeld singled Jeff Heath home after the latter’s 2-RBI triple off the centerfield wall. Then in the third inning, Salkeld doubled to right and scored on Sibby Sisti’s single to left. After Salkeld made an out in the fifth inning, McCormick singled to left to advance a runner. Brooklyn coach Ray Blades then spoke to the umpires about the batting order and McCormick was called out for batting out of turn. The Braves swept the twin bill with Warren Spahn pitching a 14-inning complete game in the opener to win 2-1 and the second game called in the middle of the seventh due to darkness with the Braves ahead 4-0.

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9/23/1945 – The Browns were playing a late-season game in Detroit and were ahead, 5-0, after eight innings. In the top of the ninth, Browns Manager Luke Sewell intentionally skipped pitcher Nels Potter in the batting order. Don Gutteridge stepped to the plate a turn early but made an out so nothing was said by the Tigers. Sewell wanted Potter to have a bit more rest before the bottom of the ninth on the hot day in Michigan and Potter finished the complete game shutout.

ByTom

9/23/1945 – The Browns were playing a late-season game in Detroit and were ahead, 5-0, after eight innings. In the top of the ninth, Browns Manager Luke Sewell intentionally skipped pitcher Nels Potter in the batting order. Don Gutteridge stepped to the plate a turn early but made an out so nothing was said by the Tigers. Sewell wanted Potter to have a bit more rest before the bottom of the ninth on the hot day in Michigan and Potter finished the complete game shutout.

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9/15/1945 – Kermit Wahl of the Reds batted out of turn in the bottom of the second inning and singled to CF. When the mistake was pointed out to HP umpire Bill Stewart, the proper batter, Woody Williams, was called out. The Reds beat the Braves, 2-0, in 1:14 at Crosley Field.

ByTom

9/15/1945 – Kermit Wahl of the Reds batted out of turn in the bottom of the second inning and singled to CF. When the mistake was pointed out to HP umpire Bill Stewart, the proper batter, Woody Williams, was called out. The Reds beat the Braves, 2-0, in 1:14 at Crosley Field.

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5/24/1945 – The Athletics beat the Tigers, 7-2, in a wild game. In the fourth inning, pitcher Al Benton of the Tigers was hit by a line drive by Bobby Estalella. Benton suffered a fractured bone just above the right ankle and was carried off the field. The Philadelphia batting order turned in to umpire Eddie Rommel had Joe Burns batting fourth, Irv Hall fifth and George Kell sixth. However, on the scoreboard Hall and Kell were reversed. Burns struck out to open the bottom of the second inning. Kell, batting out of turn, also struck out. Hall then batted and, when he singled, the Tigers protested that he was out of order. Rommel declared Hall out, which was incorrect according to the rules. The proper batter in this case was Dick Siebert, who followed Kell in the lineup in the seventh spot, and he should have been declared out, not Hall. Rommel further declared that Kell should lead off the third inning, which is also incorrect. Since Siebert was the proper batter, Frankie Hayes (in the eighth spot) should have led off the third inning. Since Rommel had Kell lead off the third inning, it looks as if only five batters made six outs in the first two frames. One result of the confusion is that Kell’s strikeout disappeared from the official records. The confusion continued when the Tigers’ protest of the game based on Kell was not being the proper lead off batter was denied incorrectly by the AL president.

ByTom

5/24/1945 – The Athletics beat the Tigers, 7-2, in a wild game. In the fourth inning, pitcher Al Benton of the Tigers was hit by a line drive by Bobby Estalella. Benton suffered a fractured bone just above the right ankle and was carried off the field. The Philadelphia batting order turned in to umpire Eddie Rommel had Joe Burns batting fourth, Irv Hall fifth and George Kell sixth. However, on the scoreboard Hall and Kell were reversed. Burns struck out to open the bottom of the second inning. Kell, batting out of turn, also struck out. Hall then batted and, when he singled, the Tigers protested that he was out of order. Rommel declared Hall out, which was incorrect according to the rules. The proper batter in this case was Dick Siebert, who followed Kell in the lineup in the seventh spot, and he should have been declared out, not Hall. Rommel further declared that Kell should lead off the third inning, which is also incorrect. Since Siebert was the proper batter, Frankie Hayes (in the eighth spot) should have led off the third inning. Since Rommel had Kell lead off the third inning, it looks as if only five batters made six outs in the first two frames. One result of the confusion is that Kell’s strikeout disappeared from the official records. The confusion continued when the Tigers’ protest of the game based on Kell was not being the proper lead off batter was denied incorrectly by the AL president.

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9/15/1944 – The announced lineup for the White Sox in St. Louis had Eddie Carnett batting fifth and Guy Curtwright following Carnett. However, the official lineup card handed to HP Umpire Joe Rue showed the two players reversed. In the top of the first, Wally Moses singled, Roy Schalk sacrificed Moses to second and Ralph Hodgin flied out. Hal Trosky was walked intentionally and Carnett singled to left, scoring Moses. On the throw home, Hodgin advanced to third and Carnett to second. Browns manager Luke Sewell talked to umpire Rue, with the latter calling out Curtwright and nullifying the run. The Browns won the game, 5 to 1.

ByTom

9/15/1944 – The announced lineup for the White Sox in St. Louis had Eddie Carnett batting fifth and Guy Curtwright following Carnett. However, the official lineup card handed to HP Umpire Joe Rue showed the two players reversed. In the top of the first, Wally Moses singled, Roy Schalk sacrificed Moses to second and Ralph Hodgin flied out. Hal Trosky was walked intentionally and Carnett singled to left, scoring Moses. On the throw home, Hodgin advanced to third and Carnett to second. Browns manager Luke Sewell talked to umpire Rue, with the latter calling out Curtwright and nullifying the run. The Browns won the game, 5 to 1.

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5/30/1944 – In the first game of a double header, catcher Spud Davis and pitcher Joe Vitelli were inserted into the game in a double switch in the bottom of the sixth inning. In the top of the eighth, Davis batted in Vitelli’s spot and singled. However, when the Dodgers pointed out the mistake, Vitelli was called out and Davis batted again. This time he grounded out.

ByTom

5/30/1944 – In the first game of a double header, catcher Spud Davis and pitcher Joe Vitelli were inserted into the game in a double switch in the bottom of the sixth inning. In the top of the eighth, Davis batted in Vitelli’s spot and singled. However, when the Dodgers pointed out the mistake, Vitelli was called out and Davis batted again. This time he grounded out.

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6/25/1943 – In a game in Boston, the Yankees batted out of turn twice. In the top of the third, the New Yorkers had a run across when Joe Gordon doubled in the second run on the inning. Sox manager Joe Cronin came out and told plate umpire Bill Summers that Gordon had batted out of turn. In the initial frame, Gordon had struck out so Cronin wisely let the infraction pass. Gordon was listed seventh on the official batting order but had been listed sixth on the lineup given to the press. The proper batter, Rollie Hemsley, was called out and Nick Etten was returned to the base paths and his run negated. Gordon hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 2 runs each. The contest was eventually called for darkness at 7:50pm after the eleventh inning. Etten’s run in the third would have allowed the Yankees to win the game.

ByThis Day in Baseball

6/25/1943 – In a game in Boston, the Yankees batted out of turn twice. In the top of the third, the New Yorkers had a run across when Joe Gordon doubled in the second run on the inning. Sox manager Joe Cronin came out and told plate umpire Bill Summers that Gordon had batted out of turn. In the initial frame, Gordon had struck out so Cronin wisely let the infraction pass. Gordon was listed seventh on the official batting order but had been listed sixth on the lineup given to the press. The proper batter, Rollie Hemsley, was called out and Nick Etten was returned to the base paths and his run negated. Gordon hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 2 runs each. The contest was eventually called for darkness at 7:50pm after the eleventh inning. Etten’s run in the third would have allowed the Yankees to win the game.