1902 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1902 throughout the world.
Champions
Major League Baseball
1902 World Series: Not played due to AL-NL war over player contracts.
Other champions
Statistical leaders
American League
National League
Major league baseball final standings
American League final standings
Note: The Baltimore Orioles of 1902 became the New York Highlanders in 1903.
National League final standings
Events
January-March
April
May
June
- June 2 - The Cleveland Bronchos commit 6 errors in one inning against the Baltimore Orioles. It will be the most errors by a team in one inning for the entire 20th century.
- June 3 - Mike O'Neill of the St. Louis Cardinals connects for the first ever pinch-hit grand slam home run.
- June 15 - Future major leaguer Nig Clarke goes 8-8, all home runs, as his Corsicana team blasts Texarcana 51-3 in a Texas League game. Corsicana collects 53 hits, including 21 homers, in playing the game in a park where right field is only 210' from home plate.
- June 30 - The Cleveland Bronchos becomes the first American League team to hit three consecutive home runs in one inning, as Nap Lajoie, Charlie Hickman and Bill Bradley connect in the sixth off St. Louis Browns pitcher Jack Harper, with all the homers landing in the left field bleachers at St. Louis. The last two come on the first pitch thrown, while Cleveland win the game 17–2. The feat was last done in the National League on May 10, 1894.
July
- July 1 - Rube Waddell of the Philadelphia Athletics faces the minimum 27 batters in pitching a two-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles. Waddell strikes out the side three times in the game, once on nine pitches. Billy Gilbert, Harry Howell and John Cronin are the strikeout victims in all three innings.
- July 8 - John McGraw signs a contract to become the manager of the New York Giants. McGraw will remain as the Giants manager for the next 30 years, winning ten National League pennants and three World Series.
- July 8 - In his first game for the Philadelphia Athletics, Danny Murphy arrives late in the second inning and is immediately put in the game. He proceeds to go 6-for-6 at the plate, which includes a grand slam off of Cy Young, and handles 12 chances without committing an error at second base.
- July 17 - The Baltimore Orioles, with only five available players, are forced to forfeit a game to the St. Louis Browns and the American League takes over control of the team for the remainder of the season. The Orioles will move to New York for the 1903 season.
- July 25 - At West Side Park, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Cy Seymour sets a major-league record by hitting four sacrifice flies in a 6–1 victory over the Chicago Orphans. Seymour will be tied but never topped.
August
- August 13 - Harry Davis of the Philadelphia Athletics steals second base with teammate Dave Fultz on third in an attempt to score Fultz. When he draws no throw, Davis then steals back to first base on the next pitch. He then steals second again, this time drawing the throw, scoring Fultz.
- August 14 - Tommy Leach of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit only 13 home runs over the fence in a career of over 2100 games. On this day, however, he does it twice against the Boston Beaneaters. Leach will go on to win the National League home run crown in 1902 with 6.
- August 18 - Hal O'Hagan, of the Rochester Broncos, turns professional baseball's first unassisted triple play against Jersey City in a minor league game.
- August 19 - Kip Selbach of the Baltimore Orioles ties a record by committing 5 errors from the outfield in one game.
September
October-December
- October 2 - The Boston Beaneaters defeat the New York Giants 2-1 in 14 innings. The game produces 8 runners thrown out attempting to steal, 3 pick-offs, 3 double-plays and 2 runners thrown out at the plate.
Births
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Deaths
- March 7 - Pud Galvin, 45, pitcher who amassed record 361 victories, including two no-hitters, primarily with Buffalo and Pittsburgh; career marks in games (697), innings (5941) and shutouts (57) were all records as well.
- May 2 - Bill Greenwood, 45, second baseman for five teams from 1882 to 1890.
- December 1 - Fred Dunlap, 43, second baseman who played from 1880 to 1891 for six different teams and managed three of them, who led the National League in doubles in 1880 and the Union Association in batting average, home runs, hits and runs scored during the 1884 season, while leading the St. Louis Maroons to the championship title.
- December 4 - Mike Mansell, 44, left fielder who hit .239 in 371 games for six teams from 1879 to 1884, who led the American Association in doubles and triples during the 1884 season.
|
|
|
| Early years |
|
|
| 1870s–1880s |
|
|
| 1890s–1900s |
|
|
| 1910s–1920s |
|
|
| 1930s–1940s |
|
|
| 1950s–1960s |
|
|
| 1970s–1980s |
|
|
| 1990s–2000s |
|
|
| 2010s |
|
|
| See also |
|
|
| Sources |
|
|