oscar charleston
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Oscar CharlestonĀ runs in from his position and decks the official with one punch, starting a huge brawl that engulfs players, fans and police officers alike.

1915 – In a game between theĀ Indianapolis ABCsĀ and a team of white ā€œAll-Starsā€ from the city, trouble breaks out in the 5th inning when All-Stars baserunnerĀ Donie BushĀ is declared safe by (white) umpire Jimmy Scanlon on an attempted steal of second base, while most observers contend he was out. ABCs second basemanĀ Bingo DeMossĀ objects vehemently and starts to fight the umpire, at which point 19-year-old CFĀ Oscar CharlestonĀ runs in from his position and decks the official with one punch, starting a huge brawl that engulfs players, fans and police officers alike. After order is restored, both DeMoss and Charleston are arrested, although they will be let out on bail and allowed to accompany their team on a planned barnstorming tour ofĀ Cuba. When they return to face trial onĀ December 7th, Charleston is fined $10 and DeMoss $5, but the police use the fight as a pretext to ban any further games between teams of different races in the city.

Detroit Tigers christen Navin Field with a 6-5 win
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Detroit Tigers christen Navin Field with a 6-5 win

On April 20, 1912, the Detroit Tigers host their first game at Navin Field. The original opening day was to be April 18th but it was delayed, as was Fenway Park’s by multiple days of heavy rain. The starting lineups included three future members of Baseball’s Hall of Fame: charter member Ty Cobb, Wahoo Sam…