1922

1922 – Against the Senators’ Walter Johnson, Ken Williams hit his 39th home run of the year in the 4th, and Pat Collins, subbing for George Sisler at 1B, adds another solo home run in the 7th to give the Browns a 2 – 1 lead. But the Senators rally to win, 4 – 3, with Johnson earning the win over Elam Vangilder. Sisler pinch hits and strikes out.

1922 – Whitey Witt, his head bandaged from being hit by a bottle two days before, drives in two in the 9th for a 3 – 2 New York win, and they leave St. Louis 1 1/2 in front. They will finish one game on top, clinching the pennant on the 30th with a 3 – 1 win in Boston. George Sisler’s 41-game hitting streak is stopped by New York’s Joe Bush, the same pitcher he had started the streak against on July 27th.

Browns southpaw Hub Pruett, who has fanned Babe Ruth 9 of 10 times over the season, is reached for a home run by the Bambino, but he still beats the Yankees, 5 – 1. One day after being clubbed on the head with an empty bottle, Yankee CF Whitey Witt receives an ovation, but the partisan crowd in CF is quick to wave white hankies in the 8th inning for Yanks pinch-hitter Norm McMillan. Police make them stop. George Sisler has a single to extend his hitting streak to 41 games.

1922 – Pennant fever rages in St. Louis, as the Yankees come to town with a half-game lead. Bob Shawkey outpitches Urban Shocker, 2 – 1, as George Sisler ties Ty Cobb’s 1911 record by hitting in his 40th straight game. While chasing a fly ball in the 9th, New York OF Whitey Witt is hit in the head and knocked cold by a soda bottle thrown from the bleachers. Ban Johnson will initially offer a $1,000 reward for the name of the bottle-thrower. Then, to calm the crowds, the American League offers the theory that Witt stepped on the bottle and it flew up and hit him. The incident leads to a ban on the sale of bottled drinks in ballparks.

After listening to excessive bench jockeying from the Giants dugout, Reds’ hurler Adolfo Luque becomes so enraged he throws down his glove and bolts into the New York dugout. The Cuban native, known for his fiery temper, punches Casey Stengel on the jaw and is ordered to return to his own bench by the police, who are busy trying to prevent the Polo Grounds crowd, which has overflowed onto the field, from rioting.

C Butch Henline is the first National League player to hit three homers in a game since 1897, as the Phils beat the Cards 10 – 9. Henline’s 3rd home run ties the game in the 9th inning and Cliff Lee then hits the game-winning home run. Lee ends the year with 17 homers – all at Baker Bowl. Only Gavvy Cravath, in 1914, and Mel Ott will have more homers in a season this century coming all at home.

The Browns pull to within a half game of the Yankees – losers to the White Sox – by rallying to beat the Red Sox, 7 – 1. St. Louis trails 1 – 0 after 6 1/2 innings before coming back.

The Browns announce that George Sisler has severely strained ligaments and cannot lift his right arm over his head. He might be out for the remainder of the season, jeopardizing the Browns’ pennant chances and Sisler’s 39-game hitting streak. Ironically, the injury occurred when Sisler tried to catch a throw on a hit by Ty Cobb, whose streak he is trying to break. Without Sisler, the Browns rally to beat the Tigers, 8 – 6. Baby Doll Jacobson, playing 1B, makes two errors.

The powerful Baltimore Orioles win their 4th straight International League pennant. The O’s are paced by Lefty Grove (18-8), in his third of five seasons (108-36) in Baltimore.