1902 – Little Tommy Leach of Pittsburgh, hits two home runs at Boston. He will close out the season with only 6, all inside-the-park, but it is enough to give him sole leadership of the National League, which totals only 99. Leach’s leading number is the lowest since Paul Hines hit four in a 60-game schedule in 1878.
In the second game of a doubleheader in Boston, Pirate Honus Wagner steals second base, third base and home in the 7th inning. Wagner also did it in 1899.
In a 6 – 3 win against the Giants, the Pirates’ Lefty Davis, 26, in stealing second “broke his leg in the same manner George Van Haltren did two months ago on the same spot,” according to the Sporting Life. Davis, a .287 hitter with 45 steals in 171 big league games so far, is out for the season. He’ll return, but bat only .234 with 20 thefts in 177 more games.
1901 STANDINGS National League Pittsburgh Pirates 90 49 .647 — Philadelphia Phillies 83 57 .593 7.5 Brooklyn Superbas 79 57 .581 9.5 St. Louis Cardinals 76 64 .543 14.5 Boston Beaneaters 69 69 .500 20.5 Chicago Orphans 53 86 .381 37 New York Giants 52 85 .380 37 Cincinnati Reds 52 87 .374…
In a baseball rarity, the Pittsburgh Pirates score in every inning, a major-league record of course, defeating the Reds, 11 – 2. Deacon Phillippe is the winner over Jesse Tannehill, who will be his teammate next year.
At Brooklyn, the Pirates lose, 16 – 3. Tom Daly has five hits including four long hits for Brooklyn – 3 doubles and a triple. He adds a stolen base, one of seven in the game. In September he’ll have another five-hit game.
On June 20, 1901 – At the Polo Grounds with 5,000 in attendance, Pittsburgh Pirate Shortstop Honus Wagner becomes the first 20th Century player to steal home twice in a single game, as Jack Chesbro blanks the New York Giants, 7 – 0. Wagner will top off the day by going three for five with…
1901 – National League officials meet with Charles “Chief” Zimmer, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher and the president of the Players Protective Association, and agree to contract concessions granted by the American League for NL players who will agree not to sign with AL clubs. Zimmer promises suspensions for members of the union who jump to the new league.
1901 – Giants and Pirates outfielder Tom O’Brien, 28, dies in Phoenix, AZ. A popular player with the Giants, O’Brien played for Pirates in 1900, then accompanied the Giants and Superbas last fall on a trip to Cuba for a series of exhibition games. On the boat trip over, he was told that if he drank enough sea water he’d be sick, but would then be cured of any sea sickness. Both O’Brien and Kid Gleason became violently ill following the prescription, but O’Brien was so affected that all his internal organs were damaged, and he never recovered.
Rube Waddell of Pittsburgh strikes out a National League season-high 12 in a 2 – 1 win over Chicago. He will lead the league with 130 strikeouts and a 2.37 ERA.
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