1902 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
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The 1902 major league baseball season was contested from April 17 through October 5, 1902. It was the second season for the American League (AL), with the Philadelphia Athletics winning the AL pennant. In the National League (NL), in operation since 1876, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the NL pennant for the second consecutive season. There was no postseason.
National League (NL)
April 17 â October 5, 1902 (NL)
| 1902 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 19 â September 29, 1902 (AL) April 17 â October 5, 1902 (NL) |
| Games | 140 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Pennant winners | |
| AL champions | Philadelphia Athletics |
| AL runners-up | St. Louis Browns |
| NL champions | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| NL runners-up | Brooklyn Superbas |
Prior to the season, the Milwaukee Brewers moved and became the St. Louis Browns; the franchise would remain in St. Louis through 1953, and in 1954 moved again to become the modern Baltimore Orioles. This season would be the last of this season's Baltimore Orioles, who would fold following the conclusion of the season. The Cleveland Blues renamed as the Cleveland Bronchos.
Schedule
The 1902 schedule consisted of 140 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 20 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place for the 1901 season. This format would last until 1904, which saw an increase of games played.
National League Opening Day took place on April 17 with every team playing, while American League Opening Day did not take place until April 19, with a one-off game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Americans, with the rest of the season beginning April 23. The American League would see its final day of the season on September 29, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 5.
Teams
Sunday games
Blue laws restricted Sunday activities in several localities, causing several teams to play at ballparks in a different locality.
| Team | City | Ballpark | Capacity | Games played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Bronchos[2] | Dayton, Ohio | Fairview Park | Unknown | 1 |
| Fort Wayne, Indiana | Jail Flats | Unknown | 2 | |
| Canton, Ohio | Mahaffey Park | Unknown | 1 | |
| Columbus, Ohio | Neil Park | 6,000 | 1 | |
| Detroit Tigers[3] | Springwells Township, Michigan[B] | Burns Park | 3,700[4] | 10 |
- ^ In today's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- ^
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Athletics | 83 | 53 | .610 | â | 56âââ17 | 27âââ36 |
| St. Louis Browns | 78 | 58 | .574 | 5 | 49âââ21 | 29âââ37 |
| Boston Americans | 77 | 60 | .562 | 6½ | 43âââ27 | 34âââ33 |
| Chicago White Stockings | 74 | 60 | .552 | 8 | 48âââ20 | 26âââ40 |
| Cleveland Bronchos | 69 | 67 | .507 | 14 | 40âââ25 | 29âââ42 |
| Washington Senators | 61 | 75 | .449 | 22 | 40âââ28 | 21âââ47 |
| Detroit Tigers | 52 | 83 | .385 | 30½ | 34âââ33 | 18âââ50 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 50 | 88 | .362 | 34 | 32âââ31 | 18âââ57 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 103 | 36 | .741 | â | 56âââ15 | 47âââ21 |
| Brooklyn Superbas | 75 | 63 | .543 | 27½ | 45âââ23 | 30âââ40 |
| Boston Beaneaters | 73 | 64 | .533 | 29 | 42âââ27 | 31âââ37 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 70 | 70 | .500 | 33½ | 35âââ35 | 35âââ35 |
| Chicago Orphans | 68 | 69 | .496 | 34 | 31âââ38 | 37âââ31 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 56 | 78 | .418 | 44½ | 28âââ38 | 28âââ40 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 56 | 81 | .409 | 46 | 29âââ39 | 27âââ42 |
| New York Giants | 48 | 88 | .353 | 53½ | 24âââ44 | 24âââ44 |
Tie games
23 tie games (8 in AL, 15 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Baltimore Orioles, 1
- Boston Americans, 1
- Chicago White Stockings, 4
- Cleveland Bronchos, 1
- Detroit Tigers, 2
- Philadelphia Athletics, 1
- St. Louis Browns, 4
- Washington Senators, 2
National League
- Boston Beaneaters, 5
- Brooklyn Superbas, 3
- Chicago Orphans, 6
- Cincinnati Reds, 1
- New York Giants, 5
- Philadelphia Phillies, 1
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 3
- St. Louis Cardinals, 6
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles | John McGraw | Wilbert Robinson |
| Cincinnati Reds | Bid McPhee | Frank Bancroft |
| Frank Bancroft | Joe Kelley | |
| New York Giants | Horace Fogel | Heinie Smith |
| Heinie Smith | John McGraw |
League leaders
Any team shown in small text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.
Across both leagues, Sammy Strang tied as a leader in runs at 109 (108 with the Chicago White Stockings of the AL and 1 with the Chicago Orphans of the NL).[5]
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Nap Lajoie (CLE/PHA) | .378 |
| OPS | Ed Delahanty (WSH) | 1.043 |
| HR | Socks Seybold (PHA) | 16 |
| RBI | Buck Freeman (BOS) | 121 |
| R | Topsy Hartsel (PHA) Dave Fultz (PHA) |
109 |
| H | Charlie Hickman (CLE/BOS) | 193 |
| SB | Topsy Hartsel (PHA) | 47 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ginger Beaumont (PIT) | .357 |
| OPS | Honus Wagner (PIT) | .857 |
| HR | Tommy Leach (PIT) | 6 |
| RBI | Honus Wagner (PIT) | 91 |
| R | Honus Wagner (PIT) | 105 |
| H | Ginger Beaumont (PIT) | 193 |
| SB | Honus Wagner (PIT) | 42 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Jack Chesbro (PIT) | 28 |
| L | Stan Yerkes (STL) | 21 |
| ERA | Jack Taylor (CHC) | 1.29 |
| K | Vic Willis (BSN) | 225 |
| IP | Vic Willis (BSN) | 410.0 |
| SV | Vic Willis (BSN) | 3 |
| WHIP | Jack Taylor (CHC) | 0.953 |
Milestones
Pitchers
No-hitters
- Nixey Callahan (CWS):
- Callahan threw his first career no-hitter and the first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Detroit Tigers 3â0 in game one of a doubleheader on September 20. Fraser walked two and struck out two.[10]
Miscellaneous
- Dummy Hoy (CIN) / Dummy Taylor (NYG/CLE):
- Cleveland Bronchos:
- Set a major league record in a game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 2, committing six errors in a single inning.
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Athletics[12] | 83 | 12.2% | 420,078 | 103.6% | 5,754 |
| Boston Americans[13] | 77 | â2.5% | 348,567 | 20.4% | 4,909 |
| Chicago White Stockings[14] | 74 | â10.8% | 337,898 | â4.6% | 4,693 |
| New York Giants[15] | 48 | â7.7% | 302,875 | 1.8% | 4,266 |
| Cleveland Bronchos[16] | 69 | 27.8% | 275,395 | 109.6% | 4,237 |
| St. Louis Browns[17] | 78 | 62.5% | 272,283 | 95.8% | 3,730 |
| Chicago Orphans[18] | 68 | 28.3% | 263,700 | 28.6% | 3,663 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[19] | 103 | 14.4% | 243,826 | â3.2% | 3,434 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[20] | 56 | â26.3% | 226,417 | â40.4% | 3,235 |
| Cincinnati Reds[21] | 70 | 34.6% | 217,300 | 5.6% | 3,104 |
| Brooklyn Superbas[22] | 75 | â5.1% | 199,868 | 0.8% | 2,897 |
| Detroit Tigers[23] | 52 | â29.7% | 189,469 | â27.0% | 2,828 |
| Washington Senators[24] | 61 | 0.0% | 188,158 | 16.4% | 2,767 |
| Baltimore Orioles[25] | 50 | â26.5% | 174,606 | 23.0% | 2,728 |
| Boston Beaneaters[26] | 73 | 5.8% | 116,960 | â20.2% | 1,624 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[27] | 56 | â32.5% | 112,066 | â52.3% | 1,624 |
Venues
The St. Louis Browns, newly relocated from their inaugural major league season in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Brewers, leave Lloyd Street Grounds and move into Sportsman's Park where they would play for 52 seasons through 1953 before again relocating to Baltimore, Maryland where they remain to this day as the Baltimore Orioles.
The Cincinnati Reds leave League Park (where they played for 18 seasons) and move to the Palace of the Fans, where they would go on to play for ten seasons through 1911.
Regarding games that were rescheduled to Sunday, and existing blue laws, the Cleveland Bronchos play five games across four parks:[2]
- Fairview Park in Dayton, Ohio (one game, June 8).
- Jail Flats in Fort Wayne, Indiana (two games, June 22 & August 31).
- Mahaffey Park in Canton, Ohio (one game, June 15).
- Neil Park in Columbus, Ohio (one game, August 3).