1929 – Trying to curb the hitters, National League president John Heydler orders umpires to rub up new balls before each game to remove the gloss.
1927 – The Philadelphia A’s Ty Cobb makes what is celebrated at the time as his 4,000th hit, a double off Sam Gibson of Detroit. Detroit wins, 5 – 3, over Lefty Grove. Research will later reveal that he had two fewer hits than was thought at the time, and that number 4,000 actually three days later, on July 21st.
On July 18, 1922, Eleven-year-old fan Bob “Tuffy Reds” Cotter catches a foul ball during the Philadelphia Phillies game at Baker Bowl. He keeps the ball instead of returning it, as was common at the time. Stadium ushers catch him and he is arrested and sent to jail. The next morning, a judge frees him,…
1922 – Ray Grimes celebrates his return to the Cubs’ lineup with a home run, double, and two singles as Chicago thrashes the Phils, 6 – 3. Grimes, who missed 10 days with an injury, has now driven in runs in 12 consecutive games.
The Black Sox trial begins in Chicago.
At Navin Field in Detroit, Babe Ruth becomes the all-time home run leader when he hits his 139th career blast as a major leaguer. The Yankee slugger’s 36th homer of the season, a mammoth shot that travels over 500 feet, puts him ahead of Roger Connor, who connected for 138 round-trippers during his 18 years in the National League.
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.
In Chicago, the Red Sox top the White Sox, 6 – 2, to move back into first place. Boston will win four out of five in the series with their rivals. In the American League, the White Sox spend their last day on top. The Tigers will challenge Boston down the stretch.
1913 – At the Polo Grounds, the Cards win the opener of two, 4 – 3, with help from the error-prone Giants. In blanking the Cards, 5 – 0, in the nitecap, Christy Mathewson finally yields a base on balls, ending a record string of 68 walkless innings pitched. Ed Konetchy draws the pass in the 8th. Matty’s record won’t be topped until Bill Fischer in 1962.
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