June 26, 1920 proves to be a busy day in major league baseball as teams play all eleven scheduled games. The National League features three double headers. The low scoring game take place in the matinee of the Dodgers at the Braves double header, Boston winning 1-0 on an unearned run in the third inning. On the high end, the White Sox gain a game on first place Cleveland with a 12-7 victory in Chicago. The White Sox led 11-2 at one point, but the Indians late rally fell short.

Billy Southworth of the Pirates wins best offensive game of the day in a very tight race. He collects five hits, including a triple, in five plate appearances as the Pirates defeat the Cubs 9-4. His Baseball Musings Game Score of 81 tops Earl Smith of the Giants, who racked up an 80 game score in game one of the Giants game against the Phillies. Smith reach base all six times he came to the plate on five singles and a walk. Larry Gardner of the Indians went three for four with a walk and two triples for a 77 game score.

Southworth played 1920 at seasonal age 27, right in the middle of his prime years. In fact, he is an extreme example of prime success. After two early cups of coffee with the Indians, he stuck with the Pirates in 1918 at seasonal age 25. Through his 1923 season, seasonal age 30, he posted sixteen of his career twenty one rWAR.

The contest for best pitched game of the day turned out to be close as well, but rookie Rip Collins of the Yankees takes the honor as he tosses a one-hitter in a 14-0 Yankees win over the Red Sox in New York. Collins walked four and struck out three for a game score of 84. Right behind him was Jesse Haines of the Cardinals with a game score of 81 with a three-hit shutout of the World Champion Reds in game one of their double header. Joe Oeschger of the Braves also tosses a three-hit shutout in the 1-0 Boston win game for a game score of 80.

Wildness marked Collins career. He led the AL in hit batters in 1920 with 14, then led the AL in walks in 1923 with 103 playing for the Tigers. He walked 673 and struck out 569 in a successful career that saw him post a 108-82 record with four seasons with an rWAR of at least 3.0.

The controversy of the day involved umpire Bill Klem and pitcher Dolf Luque. Klem goes down in history as one of the great and innovative umpires of all time. Luque took a lot of abuse in his day due to being born in Cuba. On this day Luque pitched for the Reds in the second game of the double header against St. Louis in Cincinnati. In the eighth inning, Luque attached Klem. “The assault took place while Luque was in the box with no one on base and the pitcher claims it was due to vicious language used by the official.” A few days later, both Klem and Luque were find $100 dollars (about $1300 today) as Klem admitted to the rough language.

The pennant races tighten in both leagues as the Yankees move to 1/2 game behind the Indians, but remain two games back in the loss column. The AL Champion White Sox pick up a game as well and are four back Cleveland. The Athletics lose their seventeenth game in row, setting a club record.

With St. Louis sweeping Cincinnati and the Dodgers losing a pair to Boston, the Cardinals move into second place in the NL behind the Reds, one game out of first. Brooklyn falls to third place 1 1/2 games back, the Cubs and Pirates three games out. Even Boston, with a 26-28 record, is only 4 1/2 games out of first place.

Here are the league leaders through this date. Babe Ruth now leads the AL in both runs and RBI.