1902 in baseball

Year in baseball
this year = 1902

Champions

Major League Baseball

* American League: Philadelphia Athletics
* National League: Pittsburgh Pirates

Other champions

tatistical Leaders

American League

*Home Runs: Socks Seybold, Philadelphia Athletics: 16
*Batting average: Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia Athletics: .378
*Wins: Cy Young, Boston Americans: 32-11

National League

*Home Runs: Tommy Leach, Pittsburgh Pirates: 6
*Batting average: Ginger Beaumont, Pittsburgh Pirates: .357
*Wins: Jack Chesbro, Pittsburgh Pirates: 28-6

Major League Baseball final standings

American League final standings

Note: The Baltimore Orioles of 1902 became the New York Yankees in 1903.

National League final standings

Events

January-March

* March 12 - Mike Donlin of the Baltimore Orioles is arrested for assault. Donlin will plead guilty and serve a 6 month jail sentence.

April

* April 19 - Bob Ewing of the Cincinnati Reds, in his Major League debut, ties a National League record by walking 7 batters in one inning.
* April 26 - Addie Joss of the Cleveland Bronchos throws a one-hitter in his Major League debut.

May

* May 13 - All nine players for the Cincinnati Reds collect at least 2 hits in a 24-2 thrashing of the Philadelphia Phillies.
* May 16 - Dummy Hoy of the Cincinnati Reds bats against Dummy Taylor of the New York Giants in the first inning. It is the first time that two deaf-mutes have faced one another.
* May 24 - Bill Bradley of the Cleveland Bronchos sets an American league record by homering in his 4th consecutive game.
* May 30 - Roger Bresnahan of the Baltimore Orioles hits 2 inside-the-park home runs against the Cleveland Bronchos.

June

* June 2 - The Cleveland Bronchos commit 6 errors in one inning against the Baltimore Orioles. It will be the most errors by a team in one inning for the entire 20th century.
* June 3 - Mike O'Neill of the St. Louis Cardinals connects for the first ever pinch-hit grand slam home run.
* June 15 - Future major leaguer Nig Clarke goes 8-8, all home runs, as his Corsicana team blasts Texarcana 51-3 in a Texas League game. Corsicana collects 53 hits, including 21 homers, in playing the game in a park where right field is only 210' from home plate.

July

* July 1 - Rube Waddell of the Philadelphia Athletics faces the minimum 27 batters in pitching a 2-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles. Waddell strikes out the side 3 times in the game, once on 9 pitches. Billy Gilbert, Harry Howell and John Cronin are the strikeout victims in all 3 innings.
* July 8 - John McGraw signs a contract to become the manager of the New York Giants. McGraw will remain as manager for the next 30 years, winning 10 National League pennants and 3 World Series.
* July 8 - Danny Murphy, in his first game for the Philadelphia Athletics, arrives in the 2nd inning and is immediately put in the game. He proceeds to go 6-6 at the plate, which includes a grand slam off of Cy Young and handles 12 chances without an error at second base.
* July 17 - The Baltimore Orioles, with only 5 available players, are forced to forfeit a game to the St. Louis Browns and the American League takes over control of the team for the remainder of the season. The Orioles will move to New York for the 1903 season.
* July 25 - Cy Seymour of the Cincinnati Reds sets a record with 4 sacrifice flies in one game.

August

* August 13 - Harry Davis of the Philadelphia Athletics steals second base with teammate Dave Fultz on third in an attempt to score Fultz. When he draws no throw, Davis then steals back to first base on the next pitch. He then steals second again, this time drawing the throw, scoring Fultz.
* August 14 - Tommy Leach of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit only 13 home runs over the fence in a career of over 2100 games. On this day, however, he does it twice against the Boston Beaneaters. Leach will go on to win the National League home run crown in 1902 with 6.
* August 18 - Hal O'Hagan, of the Rochester Broncos, turns professional baseball's first unassisted triple play against Jersey City in a minor league game.
* August 19 - Kip Selbach of the Baltimore Orioles ties a record by committing 5 errors from the outfield in one game.

eptember

* September 1 - The Chicago Cubs famed trio of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance appear in the Chicago lineup for the first time together.
* September 10 - Rube Waddell of the Philadelphia Athletics, making only 6 relief appearance all season, does it twice in a double-header against the Baltimore Orioles and gets the victory in both games.
* September 20 - Nixey Callahan of the Chicago White Sox pitches a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers.

October-December

* October 2 - The Boston Beaneaters defeat the New York Giants 2-1 in 14 innings. The game produces 8 runners thrown out attempting to steal, 3 pick-offs, 3 double-plays and 2 runners thrown out at the plate.

Births

January-April

*January 2 - Nick Dumovich
*January 7 - Al Todd
*January 14- Smead Jolley
*January 16 - Pip Koehler
*January 26 - Johnny Frederick
*January 28 - Pat Crawford
*January 29 - Elmer Eggert
*February 9 - Julie Wera
*February 27 - Roy Hutson
*March 2 - Moe Berg
*March 4 - Emmett McCann
*March 23 - Johnny Moore
*April 22 - Ray Benge
*April 26 - Steve Slayton
*April 28 - Red Lucas

May-August

*May 16 - Watty Clark
*May 16 - Howie Fitzgerald
*May 21 - Earl Averill
*May 22 - Al Simmons
*June 6 - Fresco Thompson
*June 11 - Ernie Nevers
*July 7 - Ted Radcliffe
*August 3 - Doug Taitt
*August 4 - Bill Hallahan
*August 24 - Jack Blott
*August 30 - Pete Cote

eptember-December

*September 7 - Cleo Carlyle
*September 15 - Rap Dixon
*September 22 - Ollie Marquardt
*September 25 - Pat Malone
*September 30 - Blackie Carter
*October 18 - Charlie Berry
*November 11 - Ownie Carroll
*December 1 - Red Badgro
*December 2 - Pee-Wee Wanninger
*December 18 - Les Burke
*December 20 - Carl Yowell

Deaths

*February 1 - Bill Sharsig, 47, Co-owner, general manager, business manager and on-field manager of the American Association Philadelphia Athletics.
*March 7 - Pud Galvin, 45, pitcher who amassed record 361 victories, including two no-hitters, primarily with Buffalo and Pittsburgh; career marks in games (697), innings (5941) and shutouts (57) were all records as well.
*March 19 - Tom Burns, 44, infielder and manager, led the NL in games played in 1889 and 1890. Managed for Pittsburgh and Chicago (NL).
*September 23 - George Prentiss, 26, pitched from 1901 to 1902 for the Boston Americans and Baltimore Orioles
*November 18 - Watch Burnham, 42, Umpire, also one-time manager of the Indianapolis Hoosiers in by|1887.
*December 1 - Fred Dunlap, 43, second baseman who led NL in various fielding categories and dominated the Union Association in its sole season (1884).
*December 11 - Bill Hawke, 32, Pitcher for three seasons, 1892-1894, tossed no-hitter in 1893.