1915 in Baseball - Events

Events

• January 2 - The St. Louis Cardinals try to prevent outfielder Lee Magee from playing for the Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the Federal League. Like most such suits, it will fail. Magee will play and manage in the rival major league.

• January 4 - Infielder Hans Lobert, well known as the fastest man in the National League, is traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Giants in exchange for pitcher Al Demaree, infielder Milt Stock, and catcher Bert Adams.

• January 17 - Cleveland newspapers reported that the Indians had been chosen to replace the previous nickname of the Naps local team. They became the Bronchos in 1902 before taking on the name Naps the following year in honour of their player-manager Nap Lajoie, who was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics at beginning of the year. A false rumor claimed that the origin of the Indians name was former Cleveland Spiders outfielder Chief Sockalexis, regarded as the first person of Native American ancestry to play in Major League Baseball.

• April 15 - Rube Marquard of the New York Giants tosses a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Robins in a 2-0 Giants win.

• May 6:
  • Boston Red Sox pitcher Babe Ruth hit his first major league career homerun off the Yankees' Jack Warhop at New York's Polo Grounds.
  • Philadelphia Athletics catcher Wally Schang set an American League record after nailing six potential base stealers during a 3–0 loss to the St. Louis Browns.

• May 12 - Red Faber of the Chicago White Sox uses only 67 pitches in a complete game victory, beating the Washington Senators on three hits, 4–1.

• June 15 - In a pitching duel at Fenway Park‚ Smoky Joe Wood of the Boston Red Sox bests Chicago White Sox ace Red Faber‚ 3–0, and knocks Chicago into second place. Each pitcher allows five hits and strikes out five. Interestingly, Bobby Wallace makes his umpiring debut. Wallace had been discarded by the St. Louis Browns and refused an offer from the St. Louis Cardinals‚ but he will tire of umpiring after the season ends and return to play with the Browns.

• June 17 - Zip Zabel comes out of the Chicago Cubs bullpen with two outs in the first inning to face the Brooklyn Robins. Zabel wins the game in the 19th inning, 4–3, in the longest relief effort in major league history. Brooklyn starter Jeff Pfeffer goes the distance, scattering 15 hits as he labors 18⅔ innings, only to lose on a throwing error by second baseman George Cutshaw.

• July 5 - Cincinnati Reds third baseman Heinie Groh hits for the cycle against the Chicago Cubs, becoming the only player to do so between 1913 and 1917, and the last Reds player to do so until 1940.

• August 18 - Wilbur Good became the only Chicago Cubs player ever to steal second base, third, and home — all in the same inning. His teammates followed his good example and went on to beat the Brooklyn Robins 9–0.

• August 31 - In the first game of a doubleheader, Jimmy Lavender pitches a no-hitter, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 2–0 victory over the New York Giants.

• September 11 - Eddie Plank of the Federal League St. Louis Terriers records his 300th career win.

• October 13 - The Boston Red Sox defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, in Game 5 of the World Series to win their third World Championship title, four games to one. The Phillies would not appear in the Series again until 1950.