Christy Mathewson defeats the Cardinals again, beating Harry Sallee, 1 – 0. Sallee allows four hits, but the one run scores on an error and passed ball.
Rube Waddell fans sixteen of his former teammates when the Browns defeat the A’s at Sportsman’s Park, 5-4. During the off-season, a frustrated Connie Mack, Philadelphia’s owner and manager, traded his talented but free-spirit hurler to St. Louis.
Walter Johnson’s recuperation from his operation from an infection behind the right ear seems complete as he pitches 15 innings against the Browns with neither team scoring. Washington pulls out a 2 – 1 victory in the 16th as Johnson strikes out 15, the Big Train’s highest strikeout total for his career. He will win 11 of his next 13 decisions.
Hooks Wiltse and Vic Willis lock horns and the Giants and Pirates duel for 16 innings before the game is called, 2 – 2, because of darkness. Honus Wagner is 0 for 6 but drives home a run with a sacrifice fly.
1908 – Following the Sunday off, Honus Wagner hits doubles in his first two at bats to again lead the Pirates to a 4 – 3 win over New York. Nick Maddox, with relief help from Irv Young, is the winner over Doc Crandall. Both Maddox and Young plunk two Giant batters.
Future Red Sox pitcher Hugh Bedient, pitching for a semi-pro Falconer, NY team, strikes out 42 batters in what is heralded as a world’s record. He does it in 23 innings against Corry, PA, finally winning, 3 – 1. He is matched all the way by Charles Bickford. When the wire services pick up the story, Bedient will receive 19 pro offers.
Before an overflow crowd of 30,000 in New York, the Pirates’ Lefty Leifield tops the Giants and Christy Mathewson, 7 – 2. The loss drops New York to 3rd place. Two errors by Larry Doyle in the 7th open the gates for five Pirate runs. Pittsburgh is led by Honus Wagner who goes 5 for 5 to take over the batting lead from a hitless Mike Donlin. After each hit, Wagner holds up a finger to show the number of safeties to the RF Donlin.
With the Highlanders leading the Tigers, 3 – 2, in the 8th, Detroit scores two runs on a Ty Cobb triple. With lefty Claude Rossman the next hitter, New York’s new manager Kid Elberfeld moves righty pitcher Jack Chesbro to 1B and replaces him with first baseman Hal Chase. Chase allows a fly ball that scores Cobb, then goes back to 1B and Chesbro resumes his spot on the mound. It is Chase’s only pitching appearance as the Tigers win, 5 – 3.
1908 – In Pittsburgh, Brooklyn first sacker Tim Jordan hits an over-the-fence home run, the first in nine years, but it’s all the scoring his team can muster. The Pirates prevail, 2 – 1.
According to a Chicago newspaper contest, the Giants’ Mike Donlin, the National League’s leading hitter, is baseball’s most popular player. Turkey Mike tops Honus Wagner by a wide margin and will be awarded a trophy cup. Donlin was involved in a car accident on the 18th when the car he was riding in on Michigan Avenue collided with another vehicle driven by Chicago Mayor Fred A. Busse.
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