1907 in Baseball - Events

Events

• February 27 - The New York Highlanders acquire catcher Branch Rickey from the St. Louis Browns in exchange for infielder Joe Yeager. As a condition, Rickey spicifies that he will not play on Sundays, while new catcher Fritz Buelow will do him.

• April 11
  • Boston's American League team plays its first game with the name Red Sox. They beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 8–4, at Columbia Park.
  • On Opening Day, New York Giants catcher Roger Bresnahan wears shin guards for the first time in a major league game. The leg guards, usually used in cricket, come in handy, protecting Bresnahan from a fifth-inning foul tip. Other catchers will soon follow Bresnahan's lead and wear similar shin guards.

• April 26 - Boston Doves outfielder Johnny Bates hits for the cycle in a 4-2 Boston victory over the Brooklyn Superbas.

• May 8 - Big Jeff Pfeffer tosses a no-hitter as the Boston Doves defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 6–0.

• June 28 - The last-place Washington Senators steal a record 13 bases off catcher Branch Rickey in a 16–5 victory over New York Highlanders. Rickey, acquired last February from the St. Louis Browns, is pressed into service despite a bad shoulder because of an injury to starting pitcher Red Kleinow. Rickey's first throw to second base ends up in right field and the subsequent tosses are not much better. He almost nips Jim Delahanty on a steal of third base. In his eight innings, relief pitcher Lew Brockett helps Washington with a deliberate windup. Only pitcher Long Tom Hughes and second baseman Nig Perrine are steal-less, while Hal Chase swipes one for New York.

• August 2 - Walter Johnson made his major league debut with the Washington Senators and lost to the Detroit Tigers, 3–2. The first hit Johson yielded was a bunt single by Ty Cobb.

• August 11 - In the second game of a doubleheader, shortened by agreement, Ed Karger of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched a seven-inning perfect game, beating the Boston Doves, 4–0.

• September 20 - One week after recording a shutout in his major league debut, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Nick Maddox hurled a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Superbas in a 2–1 Pirates win. At the age of 20 years and ten months, Maddox becomes (and still is) the youngest pitcher to throw a no-hitter in major league history.

• September 25 - Honus Wagner steals four bases, including second base, third base and home plate in the second inning against the New York Giants. Not to be outdone, his teammate Fred Clarke also swipes four bases for the only time in his career.

• October 12 - In Game 5 of the World Series the Chicago Cubs would win their first World Championship by defeating the Detroit Tigers, 2–0. The Cubs would take the final four games of the series after Game 1 was declared a tie due to darkness with the score knotted at 3–3 in the 12th inning.

• November 7 - The Tigres del Licey club is founded in the Dominican Republic