Un-sung record holders

[Spike]

Josh Devore of the New York Giants stole 4 bases in the 9th inning of a game against Boston that ended 21-12 in favor of New York, with 17 of those runs (7 by NY, 10 by Boston) coming in the 9th inning alone. Not sure how many of the 4000 attendees stuck around for the final frantic frame, given the visiting Giants' 14-2 lead after 8. (Box score: https://www.baseball-reference.com/b...91206200.shtml)

Devore entered as a sub for RF Beals Becker, reached base on 3-of-4 PAs, and stole 2nd and 3rd twice in the 9th off pitcher Brad Hogg, who Boston left in for the last six innings to absorb 12 of NY's 21 runs. For their part, the Giants put 21yo Ernie Shore on the mound in the ninth for his major league debut to hold the 21-2 lead. He finished that one inning, gave up 10 runs, "earned a save," and didn't pitch again until two years later.

SABR's bio notes that some historians later disputed Devore's four steals as described at the time. It's quite possible infielders didn't try to hold men on base, given the Giants lop-sided lead. Either way, no one since stole more than four.

[GeoPoto]

(I admit three games in one day is not a record (see below), but I think it is interesting, nonetheless.)

Doc Reisling pitched 50 innings for Brooklyn in 1904-05 and 250 for Washington in 1909-10. That was it for his MLB experience. Nothing noteworthy is evident in his record. He then became a manager in the minor leagues.

In those days, league championships were decided by winning percentage at the calendar end of the season, not most wins after all games were played. With rainouts common and travel difficult, teams often ended the season with widely different numbers of games played.

In a close pennant race, each contending team's manager would have to decide how aggressive to be in rescheduling previously rained out games, particularly when the opponent was readily available. On the last day of the season, whether it was deemed advisable to play two games or not could depend on the manager's assessment of his team's best path to the championship. Further, an enterprising (and desperate) manager could "game" the situation and decide to play more than two. That's right, more than two!

And so it came to pass in 1914 . . . Doc Reisling decides his team needs three victories on the last day of the season to win the Canadian League championship. And so, a tripleheader was played, which Doc's team swept. Unfortunately for Doc, he had failed to get approval in advance from the League president, who disallowed the third game, which was mooted anyway when Shag Shaughessy (realized the game could only cost his team should they lose and) prevailed on the umpire to call his team's final game midway through because "it was too cold", even though the temperature hadn't changed all day.

(More about tripleheaders,if you are still interested: it turns out that Reisling was not the first to pack the final day. Tripleheaders figured into the NL titles of 1890 and 1896. Minor League pennant races had seen quadrupleheaders, topped off by the rabidly-contested New England League pennant race of 1899. That race produced the sweep of a sextupleheader, which would have edged the other contender's sweep of a tripleheader had a league executive not limited each team to one win only.

As recently as 1920 in the National League, a tripleheader was staged to decide who would take home the share of World Series money allotted in those years to the club finishing third in the standings. Three games were not needed however, as one team clinched third money by winning the first game.)

I can definitely see the announcement of a Sextupleheader drawing a crowd.
https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1592246657

[packs]

Barney Pelty still has the record for the lowest career ERA among all Jewish pitchers, topping even Sandy Koufax (2.63 vs 2.76). Pelty is also still the franchise record holder (now the Orioles) for most hit batsmen in a season with 29. This is some kind of M116 proof I just bought:

[Leon]

Great thread and interesting trivia.

As for the M116 cuts, my guess is they were cut from a period ad piece a long time ago but that is just a guess.

On the records stuff, I knew Nuxall was the youngest player in MLB history but thought he was 16. I didn't remember he as 15. That is amazing.

Originally Posted by packs

Barney Pelty still has the record for the lowest career ERA among all Jewish pitchers, topping even Sandy Koufax (2.63 vs 2.76). Pelty is also still the franchise record holder (now the Orioles) for most hit batsmen in a season with 29. This is some kind of M116 proof I just bought:

[packs]

Could be. Must have been a huge poster though (if that's the source). There are at least 65 of them.