1916 – Tris Speaker has three hits against lefty Babe Ruth to finally drive him from the mound in the 8th inning. Reliever Rube Foster wild pitches home a run and Braggo Roth’s second double gives Cleveland a 5 – 3 lead. The Tribe wins it, 5 – 4, with Ruth the loser. Ruth is 2 for 4 with a two-run single.
1916 – In Toronto, ON the Red Sox play a 5 – 5 exhibition tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Canada at war in Europe, two Sox players of German extraction anticipate possible adverse fan reaction; 1B Dick Hoblitzel sits out the game while Heinie Wagner plays under the name Richardson.
1916 – Christy Mathewson, in his first game as the Reds manager, puts Edd Roush in CF, and the future star responds with a two-run triple and goes 3 for 5. But the Phils top Cincy, 6 – 4.
7/21/1916: Brooklyn was rained out in Pittsburgh in the fourth inning. Billy Hinchman of the Pirates smashed a solo homer in the bottom of the third off Jack Coombs. In the bottom of the first frame, Max Carey was ejected by Al Orth over a call at first base.
The Reds acquire three future Hall of Famers when Christy Mathewson is traded to Cincinnati with Giants CF Edd Roush and 3B Bill McKechnie for former Giants Buck Herzogand Red Killefer. McKechnie will make it to Cooperstown as a manager, not as a player, but the 23-year-old Roush is a steal for the Reds. A longtime nemesis of the Reds, Mathewson will pitch one game and then manage, and a new team nickname will be coined: “Matties.” The Reds lose today, managing just two hits off Pete Alexander, who contributes two doubles himself to the Phils offense.
The Tigers beat the 2nd-place Red Sox, 3 – 2, in 13 innings when Ty Cobb scores on a Ralph Young single. Cobb reaches on an infield chop and a throwing error by Babe Ruth, who takes over for Rube Foster in the 9th with the score tied, 2 – 2.
1916 – At Chicago, the Giants edge the Cubs, 8 – 6, as New York CF Benny Kauff tags out two runners at second base for a double play. With one out the Cubs load the bases. Giant catcher Bill Rariden throws to second and catches the runner, Les Mann, off. In the rundown, the runner on third breaks for home and scores when the Giants fumble. But the ball is recovered and the throw to Kauff covering second gets the runner sliding back. Kauff then looks up and tags the runner trying to advance from first base to end the inning.
In Chicago, with the score tied 4 – 4 in the 10th, umpire Bill “Lord” Byron forfeits a game to Brooklyn when Hippo Vaughn, protesting alleged sign stealing by baserunners, refuses to pitch.
At Boston, Babe Ruth pitches the Red Sox to a 4 – 3 win over the Browns. In the 3rd, Ruth triples and then scores on a infield grounder, bowling over St. Louis C Hank Severeidand knocking him unconscious. Grover Hartley replaces the injured Severeid.
At Chicago, the Cubs and Brooklyn play a 16-inning, 7 – 7 tie, called on account of darkness. In the 10th inning, the Cubs’ George Cutshaw swipes home to knot the score.
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