1912 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1912 major league baseball season began on April 11, 1912. The regular season ended on October 6, with the New York Giants and Boston Red Sox as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the ninth modern World Series on October 8 and ended with Game 8 on October 16. The Red Sox defeated the Giants, four games to three (with one tie), capturing their second championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1903. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Philadelphia Athletics from the 1911 season.
National League (NL)
- April 11 â October 6, 1912
- October 8â16, 1912
| 1912 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Tris Speaker (BOS) NL: Larry Doyle (NYG) |
| AL champions | Boston Red Sox |
| AL runners-up | Washington Senators |
| NL champions | New York Giants |
| NL runners-up | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| World Series | |
| Champions | Boston Red Sox |
| Runners-up | New York Giants |
This was the second of four seasons that the Chalmers Award, a precursor to the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (introduced in 1931), was given to a player in each league.
During the season, Harper's Weekly conducted a detailed accounting of the expenses of major league clubs, reaching a figure of approximately $175,000 to $200,000.[1]
The Boston Rustlers renamed as the Boston Braves.
Schedule
The 1912 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place for the 1904 season. This format would last until 1919.
Opening Day, April 11, featured all sixteen teams, only the second time every team has started their season on the same day (first being two years prior with the 1910 season). The final day of the regular season was on October 6. The World Series took place between October 8 and October 16.
Rule change
The 1912 season saw the following rule change:
- The Class AA ("Double-A") level was created as the new highest level of minor-league baseball, with the elevation of the American Association, International League, and Pacific Coast League, from Class A ("Single-A").[2]
Teams
An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 105 | 47 | .691 | â | 57âââ20 | 48âââ27 |
| Washington Senators | 91 | 61 | .599 | 14 | 45âââ32 | 46âââ29 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 90 | 62 | .592 | 15 | 45âââ31 | 45âââ31 |
| Chicago White Sox | 78 | 76 | .506 | 28 | 34âââ43 | 44âââ33 |
| Cleveland Naps | 75 | 78 | .490 | 30½ | 41âââ35 | 34âââ43 |
| Detroit Tigers | 69 | 84 | .451 | 36½ | 37âââ39 | 32âââ45 |
| St. Louis Browns | 53 | 101 | .344 | 53 | 27âââ50 | 26âââ51 |
| New York Highlanders | 50 | 102 | .329 | 55 | 31âââ44 | 19âââ58 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 103 | 48 | .682 | â | 49âââ25 | 54âââ23 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 93 | 58 | .616 | 10 | 44âââ31 | 49âââ27 |
| Chicago Cubs | 91 | 59 | .607 | 11½ | 46âââ30 | 45âââ29 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 75 | 78 | .490 | 29 | 45âââ32 | 30âââ46 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 73 | 79 | .480 | 30½ | 34âââ41 | 39âââ38 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 63 | 90 | .412 | 41 | 37âââ40 | 26âââ50 |
| Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers | 58 | 95 | .379 | 46 | 33âââ43 | 25âââ52 |
| Boston Braves | 52 | 101 | .340 | 52 | 31âââ47 | 21âââ54 |
Tie games
13 tie games (8 in AL, 5 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Boston Red Sox, 2
- Chicago White Sox, 4
- Cleveland Naps, 2
- Detroit Tigers, 1
- New York Highlanders, 1
- Philadelphia Athletics, 1
- St. Louis Browns, 3
- Washington Senators, 2
National League
- Boston Braves, 2
- Chicago Cubs, 2
- Cincinnati Reds, 2
- New York Giants, 3
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 1
Postseason
The postseason began on October 8 and ended on October 16 with the Boston Red Sox defeating the New York Giants in the 1912 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | Boston Red Sox | 4 | ||
| NL | New York Giants | 3 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Naps | Harry Davis | Joe Birmingham |
| St. Louis Browns | Bobby Wallace | George Stovall |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ty Cobb (DET) | .409 |
| OPS | Ty Cobb (DET) | 1.040 |
| HR | Home Run Baker (PHA) Tris Speaker (BOS) |
10 |
| RBI | Home Run Baker (PHA) | 130 |
| R | Eddie Collins (PHA) | 137 |
| H | Ty Cobb (DET) Joe Jackson (CLE) |
226 |
| SB | Clyde Milan (WSH) | 88 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Heinie Zimmerman1 (CHC) | .372 |
| OPS | Heinie Zimmerman (CHC) | .989 |
| HR | Heinie Zimmerman1 (CHC) | 14 |
| RBI | Heinie Zimmerman1 (CHC) | 104 |
| R | Bob Bescher (CIN) | 120 |
| H | Heinie Zimmerman (CHC) | 207 |
| SB | Bob Bescher (CIN) | 67 |
1 National League Triple Crown batting winner
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Larry Cheney (CHC) Rube Marquard (NYG) |
26 |
| L | Lefty Tyler (BSN) | 22 |
| ERA | Jeff Tesreau (NYG) | 1.96 |
| K | Grover Alexander (PHI) | 195 |
| IP | Grover Alexander (PHI) | 310.1 |
| SV | Slim Sallee (STL) | 6 |
| WHIP | Hank Robinson (PIT) | 1.006 |
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Tris Speaker (BOS):
- Speaker hit for his first cycle and fourth in franchise history, on June 9 against the St. Louis Browns.[8]
- Chief Meyers (NYG):
- Meyers hit for his first cycle and fourth in franchise history, on June 10 against the Chicago Cubs.[8]
- Bert Daniels (NYH):
- Daniels hit for his first cycle and first in franchise history, on July 25 against the Chicago White Sox.[8]
- Honus Wagner (PIT):
- Wagner hit for his first cycle and fifth in franchise history, in game two of a doubleheader on August 22 against the New York Giants.[8]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- George Mullin (DET):
- Mullin threw his first career no-hitter and first in franchise history, by defeating the St. Louis Browns 7â0 in game 2 of a doubleheader on July 4. Mullin walked five and struck out five.[9][10]
- Earl Hamilton (SLB):
- Hamilton threw his first career no-hitter and first in franchise history, by defeating the Detroit Tigers 5â1 on August 30. Hamilton walked walked and struck out nobody.[11][12]
- Jeff Tesreau (NYG):
- Tesreau threw his first career no-hitter and fifth in franchise history, by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 3â0 in game 1 of a doubleheader on September 6. Tesreau walked two and struck out two.[13][14]
Other pitching accomplishments
- Christy Mathewson (NYG):
- Became the eighth member of the 300-win club, defeating the Chicago Cubs on June 13, winning 3â2.[15]
Awards and honors
- Chalmers Award: Larry Doyle (NYG, National); Tris Speaker (BOS, American)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants[16] | 103 | 4.0% | 638,000 | â5.5% | 8,395 |
| Chicago White Sox[17] | 78 | 1.3% | 602,241 | 3.3% | 7,721 |
| Boston Red Sox[18] | 105 | 34.6% | 597,096 | 18.5% | 7,655 |
| Philadelphia Athletics[19] | 90 | â10.9% | 517,653 | â14.5% | 6,723 |
| Chicago Cubs[20] | 91 | â1.1% | 514,000 | â10.8% | 6,590 |
| Detroit Tigers[21] | 69 | â22.5% | 402,870 | â16.9% | 5,301 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[22] | 93 | 9.4% | 384,000 | â11.1% | 5,120 |
| Washington Senators[23] | 91 | 42.2% | 350,663 | 43.2% | 4,496 |
| Cincinnati Reds[24] | 75 | 7.1% | 344,000 | 14.7% | 4,468 |
| Cleveland Naps[25] | 75 | â6.3% | 336,844 | â17.1% | 4,375 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[26] | 73 | â7.6% | 250,000 | â39.9% | 3,333 |
| Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers[27] | 58 | â9.4% | 243,000 | â9.7% | 3,197 |
| New York Highlanders[28] | 50 | â34.2% | 242,194 | â19.9% | 3,187 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[29] | 63 | â16.0% | 241,759 | â46.0% | 3,140 |
| St. Louis Browns[30] | 53 | 17.8% | 214,070 | 2.9% | 2,710 |
| Boston Braves[31] | 52 | 18.2% | 121,000 | 4.3% | 1,532 |
Venues
The 1912 season saw two teams play their last seasons at their respective venues.
- The Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers would play their last game at Washington Park on October 5 against the New York Giants, moving into Ebbets Field for the start of the 1913 season.
- The New York Highlanders would play their last game at Hilltop Park on October 5 against the Washington Senators, moving into the Brush Stadium for the start of the 1913 season.
The 1912 season saw three teams play in new venues.
- The Boston Red Sox leave the Huntington Avenue Grounds (where they played for 11 seasons) and opened Fenway Park, where they continue to play to this day.
- The Cincinnati Reds leave the Palace of the Fans (where they played for ten seasons) and opened Redland Field, where they would go on to play for 59 seasons through 1970.
- The Detroit Tigers leave Bennett Park (where they played for 12 seasons as a Major League team and five seasons as a Minor League team in the Western League) and opened Navin Field, where they would go on to play for 88 seasons through 1999.
League Park, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, was renamed to Robison Field by Helene Britton, named after her father and uncle, Frank and Stanley Robison, respectively.
To accommodate for large crowds, the New York Highlanders would play three home games at the Brush Stadium, home of the New York Giants, on May 30 and a doubleheader on September 2.[32]