Tag Archives: Hugh McQuillan

September 20, 2020

This Date in 1920

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The major leagues scheduled ten games for September 20, 1920, and all ten resulted in decisions. The day featured two doubleheaders and three extra-inning games, so there was plenty of bonus baseball. The Dodgers beat the Pirates in Brooklyn by a score of 2-1. That ten inning contest represented the low scoring game of the day. At the high end of scoring, the White Sox hosted the Athletics, the home team winning 13-6.

Despite the big win, it turns out to be a very bad day for the Chicago American League franchise. On the sports page of the New York Tribune sits a column entitled, “Grand Jury Call League Presidents and Rube Benton.”

Grand jury investigation of alleged gambling by baseball players in last year’s world series and in the game between the Chicago and Philadelphia National League clubs August 31 last will start Wednesday, with a score of baseball officials, players, and writers subpoenaed to testify.

New York Tribune.

Since that August game there were occasional stories about the Cubs being investigated. While there had been incidents, accidents, hints, and allegations surrounding the White Sox, this was the first mention of actual gambling in the newspaper. Note that a former player to be called is Hal Chase, who tried to play minor league ball out west in 1920, but the league banned him for gambling.

Morrie Rath of the Reds takes home best offensive game of the day for his game two heroics in the doubleheader against the Giants. New York won the first game 5-2, but Rath posted a three for five game in the night-cap, helping the Reds to a 9-3 win and a split to keep their slight pennant hopes alive. Overall, Rath went five for nine in the two games, adding a double in game one.

Hugh McQuillan of the Braves earn best pitched game of the day for his game two victory over the Cubs, earning Boston a split. McQuillan allows one unearned run as get gives up seven hits and a walk. His defense was good for the most part, as he only struck out one batter. In game one, Pete Alexander of the Cubs picked up his 25th win of the season, and Carl Mays of the Yankees did the same in the 4-3, eleven inning game against the Browns. Alexander’s wins lead the NL, Mays stands second in the AL.

In that Yankees-Browns game, George Sisler goes three for five to raise his BA to .405. Tris Speaker of the Indians still manages to gain on his rival Speaker posts a two for two day to put his BA at .394. This is amazing. Starting on September fourth, Sisler knocked out 39 hits in 82 at bats for a .476 BA. Speaker is 22 for 54 in the same time, a .407 BA. What a race!

The Indians won that game 8-3 over the Red Sox. With all three AL contenders winning, Cleveland remains in first place, 1 1/2 games up on the White Sox and three up on the Yankees. The Indians magic number stands at ten.

The Dodgers gain 1/2 game on both the Reds and the Giants. New York sits in second place 5 1/2 games back, while the World Champion Res sit 7 1/2 games back. As the two are even in the loss column, Brooklyn’s magic number against both stands at four.

July 30, 2020

This Date in 1920

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All sixteen teams see action in eight games on July 30, 1920. It’s the seventh highest scoring day of the season (minimum six games played) as games average 12.75 runs. At the low end of runs, the Braves beat the Cubs 4-1 in Boston. In St. Louis, the Yankees pound the Browns 19-3 for the high scoring game of the day.

Rogers Hornsby of the Cardinals takes home best offensive game of the day honors despite a loss to the Giants in New York. Hornsby goes three for four in the game with two home runs and a hit by pitch, scoring twice and driving in four runs. It’s not enough as the Giants win 8-7.

The game generated excitement as one of Hornby’s home runs was inside the park and the Giants walked off in the bottom of the ninth. Hornsby’s homers received a colorful description:

One of them was a genuine, all-wool, eighteen-carat homer into the left field bleachers. The other was a hand-me-down, a single that bounced over the shoulders of Lee King, who was holding down the pasture where Benny Kauff used to be tethered.

New York Tribune

Kauff was being forced out of baseball for auto theft. The Giants scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on a walk, a double a single, another walk, and a sacrifice fly.

Hornsby dominates the NL leader boards. He will turn out to be one of the few National League players who adopts the power game of the AL. This will lead him to dominate the three averages for most of the 1920s, BA, OBP, and Slugging Percentage.

Hugh McQuillan of the Braves posts the best pitched game of the day in the defeat of the Cubs. It’s almost a no-true outcomes day, as he walks two and strikes out one in giving up four hits and an unearned run. It’s McQuillan’s second pitcher of the day honor.

The big news story of the day, however, involves the retired Christy Mathewson. A report revealed that Mathewson suffers from tuberculosis. The disease would eventually kill him in 1925.

Tris Speaker of the Indians goes one for two to raise his BA to .417, now twenty two points ahead of second place Babe Ruth.

In the AL pennant race, the Indians, Yankees, and White Sox all win, so there is no change in the standings. Cleveland holds a two game lead over New York with Chicago 4 1/2 games back. The fourth place Senators are 17 games out of first place.

In the NL, the Reds beat the Dodgers 11-0, taking three out of four games of series in Brooklyn. That cuts the Dodgers lead to 1/2 game in the NL pennant race. The Giants, who won 14 of their last 18 games, move into third place five games back.

April 30, 2020

This Date in 1920

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Rain wiped out three of the seven scheduled games on April 30, 1920, and shortened the contest between the Red Sox and Yankees in New York. The Braves beat Brooklyn 3-0 in the lowest scoring game of the day, while the Athletics took the Senators in Washington 9-6 in a high scoring game marred by poor defense.

Cy Perkins of the Athletics led the day offensively going three for three with a triple and two walks. At seasonal age 24, Perkins was in his second season as a full-time catcher, and right in the middle of the three-year peak of his career, earning three rWAR that season. A good catcher, he became better known for his coaching.

On the pitching side, the shutout by Hugh McQuillan of the Braves was far and above the best pitched game of the day. He allowed four hits and one walk while striking out three. At age 24, McQuillan was in his first full season as a starter, but he would not shine until joining the Giants in 1922.

Offensive player of the month goes to Joe Jackson, in his last hurrah before scandal catches up with him and the White Sox. Jackson slashed .469/.564/.750, leading the majors in all three categories.

Lefty Williams takes home pitcher of the month, as he manages to go 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 39 innings. That’s 39 innings in about two weeks.