1923 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1923 throughout the world.

Champions

• World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4–2)

Awards and honors

• League Award
  • Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, OF

Statistical leaders

	American League		National League
AVG	Harry Heilmann DET	.403	Rogers Hornsby STL	.384
HR	Babe Ruth NYY	41	Cy Williams PHI	41
RBI	Babe Ruth NYY	141	Irish Meusel NYG	125
Wins	George Uhle CLE	26	Dolf Luque CIN	27
ERA	Stan Coveleski CLE	2.76	Dolf Luque CIN	1.93
Ks	Walter Johnson WSH	130	Dazzy Vance BRO	197

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

American League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
New York Yankees	98	54	0.645	—	46–30	52–24
Detroit Tigers	83	71	0.539	16	45–32	38–39
Cleveland Indians	82	71	0.536	16½	42–36	40–35
Washington Senators	75	78	0.490	23½	43–34	32–44
St. Louis Browns	74	78	0.487	24	40–36	34–42
Philadelphia Athletics	69	83	0.454	29	34–41	35–42
Chicago White Sox	69	85	0.448	30	30–45	39–40
Boston Red Sox	61	91	0.401	37	37–40	24–51

National League final standings

National League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
New York Giants	95	58	0.621	—	47–30	48–28
Cincinnati Reds	91	63	0.591	4½	46–32	45–31
Pittsburgh Pirates	87	67	0.565	8½	47–30	40–37
Chicago Cubs	83	71	0.539	12½	46–31	37–40
St. Louis Cardinals	79	74	0.516	16	42–35	37–39
Brooklyn Robins	76	78	0.494	19½	37–40	39–38
Boston Braves	54	100	0.351	41½	22–55	32–45
Philadelphia Phillies	50	104	0.325	45½	20–55	30–49

Negro League Baseball final standings

Negro National League final standings

Negro National League (West)
Club	Wins	Losses	Win %	GB
Kansas City Monarchs	57	33	.633
Detroit Stars	40	27	.597
Chicago American Giants	41	29	.586
Indianapolis ABCs	45	34	.570
Cuban Stars	27	31	.466
St. Louis Stars	29	33	.468
Toledo Tigers / Cleveland Tate Stars	21	30	.423
Milwaukee Bears	14	32	.304
Memphis Red Sox†	17	8	.680

†Memphis was not in the league but their games counted in the standings.

Eastern Colored League final standings

Eastern Colored League (East)
Club	Wins	Losses	Win %	GB
Hilldale	32	17	.673	–
Cuban Stars	23	17	.575	4.5
Brooklyn Royal Giants	18	18	.500	7.5
Atlantic City Bacharach Giants	19	23	.452	9.5
New York Lincoln Giants	16	22	.421	10.5
Baltimore Black Sox	19	30	.388	13

Events

January–April

• February 2 – Red Schoendienst is born in Germantown, Illinois. Primarily a second baseman, Schoendienst will hit .289 during a 19-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and Milwaukee Braves. He will win election to the Hall of Fame in 1989.
• April 18- The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 in the very first game at Yankee Stadium. In the third inning, Babe Ruth hits the stadium's first-ever home run, a shot off Howard Ehmke with Whitey Witt and Joe Dugan on base.
• April 20 – In a 5–3 loss to the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Heinie Manush makes his major league debut, and hits a double in his only at-bat.

May–August

• May 13 – Joe Sewell of the Cleveland Indians strikes out twice in one game for the first time in his career. Washington Senators rookie Cy Warmoth is the pitcher. In a 14-year career, Sewell will have only one other multiple strikeout game.
• May 19 – For the first time in major league history, brothers on opposite teams hit home runs in the same game. Boston Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell homers off his brother Wes Ferrell in the second inning, but the Cleveland Indians pitcher returns the favor as he homers in the third on a pitch called by his sibling. It is the only time that the Ferrell brothers homer in the same game.
• June 23 – After going two-for-four with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored, New York Yankees star first baseman Wally Pipp is rested by manager Miller Huggins, allowing recently signed rookie Lou Gehrig to make his major league debut in the Yankees' 10–0 victory over the St. Louis Browns. Gehrig does not receive an at bat.
• June 23 – July 22 – The Cleveland Indians play 31 consecutive home games against the other American League teams, finishing the homestand with a 16–15 record.^[1]
• July 2 – Already down 7–0 to the St. Louis Browns, future hall of fame pitcher Ted Lyons makes his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox, and pitches a perfect inning.
• July 7 – In the first game of a double header, the Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox 27-3 on 24 hits and 14 walks. They win the second game as well, 8-5.
• July 22 – Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators founds the 3,000 strikeout club.
• August 15 – George Mogridge of the Washington Senators becomes the only pitcher in Major League history to steal home in an extra innings game, when he scores an insurance run in the 12th inning in a 5–1 victory against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park.

September

• September 4 – Sad Sam Jones pitches a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in a 2–0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics.
• September 7 – Boston Red Sox pitcher Howard Ehmke tosses a no-hitter in a 4–0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics, marking the second time in four days Philadelphia is no-hit.
• September 14 – Boston Red Sox first baseman George Burns turns the third unassisted triple play in Major League history during the second inning of Boston's game against the Cleveland Indians. Boston wins, 2–0.
• September 17 – The New York Giants' George Kelly sets a major-league record by hitting home runs in three consecutive innings (3rd, 4th and 5th) against the Chicago Cubs' Vic Aldridge as New York rolls to a 13–6 win. Kelly adds a single and double to run his total bases to 15 for the game. Kelly has now hit a record six homers off cousin Aldridge this year, a mark off one pitcher that will be tied by Ted Williams in the 1941 season, off Johnny Rigney, and Ted Kluszewski in 1954, off Max Surkont.
• September 24 – Hall of Famer Bill Terry makes his major league debut in the New York Giants' 6–3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
• September 28 – The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox by twenty runs at Fenway Park, 24-4.
• September 29 – Hall of Famer Hack Wilson makes his major league debut in the New York Giants' 5–1 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

October

• October 6 – In the fourth inning of the second game of a doubleheader, Boston Braves shortstop Ernie Padgett turns the fourth unassisted triple play in Major League history in a 4–1 Braves win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
• October 10 – Game one of the 1923 World Series is won by the New York Giants on a ninth inning inside-the-park home run by Casey Stengel.
• October 11 – The New York Yankees win their first World Series game against the New York Giants in nine tries on two home runs by Babe Ruth. Going back to the 1921 World Series, they were 0-8-1, with a tie game in the 1922 World Series.
• October 12 – A solo home run by Casey Stengel in the seventh inning is the only run of the third game of the World Series.
• October 13 – The Yankees get off to an 8–0 lead in game four of the World Series, and win it, 8–3.
• October 14 – Joe Dugan hits the second inside-the-park home run of the World Series, as the Yankees defeat the Giants, 8-1.
• October 15 – The New York Yankees defeat the New York Giants, 4-2, in Game 6 of the World Series to win their first World Championship, four games to two. The Yankees opened their new Yankee Stadium in April making it the third time that a team had inaugurated a new stadium with a World Series win. The three consecutive matchups between the Yankees and Giants (1921–1923) marked the only time, to date, that three straight World Series featured the same two clubs.

November–December

• November 12 – New York Giants manager John McGraw trades outfielders Casey Stengel and Bill Cunningham along with shortstop Dave Bancroft to the Boston Braves in exchange for pitchers Joe Oeschger and Bill Southworth.
• December 11 – Pitcher Carl Mays is purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the New York Yankees.
• December 16 – The Eastern Colored League is formed with Ed Bolden serving as chairman.

Births

January–February

• January 3 – John André
• January 6 – Red Hardy
• January 8 – Ray Flanigan
• January 14 – Ken Johnson
• January 16 – Dick Sipek
• January 20 – Elizabeth Emry
• January 23 – Cot Deal
• January 30 – Walt Dropo
• February 2 – Red Schoendienst
• February 3 – Edith Barney
• February 5 – Chuck Diering
• February 16 – Ribs Raney
• February 17 – Dorothy Ferguson
• February 17 – Bill Sommers
• February 19 – Russ Sullivan
• February 22 – Anne Surkowski

March–April

• March 3 – Barney Martin
• March 7 – Bobo Holloman
• March 17 – Pat Seerey
• March 21 – Jim Hughes
• March 21 – Merle Keagle
• March 22 – George Crowe
• March 23 – Barney Koch
• March 24 – Zander Hollander
• April 4 – Scott Cary
• April 7 – Lois Barker
• April 14 – Alonzo Perry
• April 17 – Solly Hemus
• April 20 – Philomena Gianfrancisco
• April 22 – Preston Gómez
• April 23 – Daniel Donahue
• April 23 – Alice Haylett
• April 23 – Sammy Meeks
• April 27 – Kite Thomas
• April 28 – Dolores Klosowski

May–June

• May 1 – Kay Blumetta
• May 5 – Jim Kirby
• May 5 – Ed Lyons
• May 6 – Earl Turner
• May 11 – Louise Arnold
• May 15 – Dale Matthewson
• May 18 – Don Lund
• May 20 – José Zardón
• May 23 – Jerry McCarthy
• May 28 – Bob Kuzava
• June 3 – Elma Steck
• June 8 – Hal Kleine
• June 11 – Jerre Denoble
• June 16 – Allie Clark
• June 24 – Mel Hoderlein
• June 25 – Barney White
• June 27 – Gus Zernial
• June 29 – Bob Shaw

July–August

• July 7 – Ed Sanicki
• July 7 – Joe Smaza
• July 15 – Bruce Edwards
• July 15 – Marion Fricano
• July 16 – Len Okrie
• July 18 – Lorraine Borg
• July 21 – Paul Burris
• July 23 – Luis Aloma
• July 27 – Ray Boone
• July 30 – Paul Minner
• August 1 – George Bamberger
• August 9 – George Vico
• August 10 – Pete Gebrian
• August 10 – Lloyd Gearhart
• August 17 – Tom Clyde
• August 17 – Duke Markell
• August 10 – Bob Porterfield
• August 27 – Don Grate
• August 21 – Hilly Flitcraft

September–October

• September 17 – Les Peden
• September 17 – Bob Porterfield
• September 17 – Bob Rothel
• September 18 – Joe Tepsic
• September 22 – Tom Wright
• September 23 – Dorothy Collins
• September 26 – Elsie Wingrove
• October 10 – Saul Rogovin
• October 25 – Russ Meyer
• October 25 – Bobby Thomson
• October 26 – Tommy Glaviano
• October 29 – John Mackinson
• October 30 – Harry Elliott

November–December

• November 9 – Ted Sepkowski
• November 10 – Cal Ermer
• November 11 – Lee Howard
• November 17 – Mike Garcia
• November 18 – Roy Wise
• November 24 – Danny Ozark
• November 25 – Archie Wilson
• November 27 – Bob Schultz
• December 4 – Dick Strahs
• December 5 – Eleanor Dapkus
• December 8 – Stan Landes
• December 13 – Larry Doby
• December 14 – Paul LaPalme
• December 15 – Bill Bonness
• December 19 – Vern Freiburger
• December 20 – Grant Dunlap
• December 22 – Bob Hall
• December 28 – Tony Daniels
• December 28 – Don Thompson

Deaths

January–February

• January 1 – Willie Keeler, 50, Hall of Fame right fielder and prolific bunter who compiled a .341 lifetime batting average, two National League batting champion titles, batted over .370 from 1894–99, including a .424 mark and record 44-game hitting streak for 1897 Orioles, while leading the league in singles seven times, hits three times and runs once, ranking second all-time in hits and runs upon retirement.
• January 22 – Fred Cooke, 49, outfielder for the 1897 Cleveland Spiders of the National League.
• January 25 – Nick Wise, 56, catcher/outfielder for the 1888 Boston Beaneaters of the National League.
• January 28 – John Meister, 59, infield/outfield utility for the New York Metropolitans of the American Association during the 1886–1887 seasons.
• February 4 – George Tebeau, 61, outfielder nicknamed ″White Wings″ for his blazing speed, who hit .269 and stole 228 bases in 627 games for four teams, and later became the owner of the Kansas City Blues American Association franchise.
• February 17 – George Meakim, 57, pitcher who played between 1890 and 1895 with the Louisville Colonels, Chicago Colts, Philadelphia Athletics and Cincinnati Reds.
• February 28 – Jim Britt, 67, pitcher who played from 1872 to 1873 for the Brooklyn Atlantics of the National Association.

March–April

• March 3 – Harry Clarke, 62, right fielder for the 1889 Washington Nationals of the National League.
• March 3 – Ducky Hemp, 60, outfielder for the Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Alleghenys and Stars between 1887 and 1890.
• March 15 – Pete Wood, 56, Canadian-born pitcher for the Buffalo Bisons in 1885 and the Philadelphia Quakers in 1889.
• March 15 – Goat Anderson, 43, outfielder for the 1907 Pittsburgh Pirates.
• March 17 – Mortimer Hogan, 61, outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Metropolitans and Cleveland Blues between 1884 and 1888.
• April 10 – Jay Faatz, 62, first baseman for three teams, who also played and managed for the 1890 Buffalo Bisons of the Players' League in the 1890 season.
• April 10 – Jim Gill, 57, second baseman/centerfielder for the 1889 St. Louis Browns of the American Association.
• April 13 – Gene Krapp, 35, pitcher who played with the Cleveland Naps of the American League (1911–1912) and the Buffalo Buffeds/Blues of the Federal League (1914–1915).
• April 20 – Jack Lynch, 66, pitcher who posted a 110–105 record and a 3.69 ERA in 221 games for three teams, and a member of the New York Metropolitans team who won the American Association pennant in 1884.
• April 21 – Joe Ellick, 69, right fielder for four different teams and a player/manager for the Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies of the Union Association in 1884.
• April 27 – Paul Sentell, 43, infielder who played from 1906 to 1907 for the Philadelphia Phillies.

May–June

• May 1 – Henry Adkinson, 48, outfielder who played briefly for the 1895 St. Louis Browns of the National League.
• May 23 – Willard Mains, 54, pitcher who posted a 16–17 record and a 3.53 ERA in parts of four seasons for the Chicago White Stockings, Cincinnati Kelly's Killers, Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Beaneaters.
• June 3 – Harry Billiard, 39, pitcher who played with the New York Highlanders (1908), Indianapolis Hoosiers (1914) and Newark Pepper (1915).
• June 10 – Bill Annis, 66, outfielder for the 1884 Boston Beaneaters of the National League.
• June 11 – George Hall, 74, British-born outfielder who played from 1866 through 1877 for nine different teams, while hitting a .322 average in 365 career games and leading the National League in home runs in 1876.
• June 12 – Cliff Carroll, 63, outfielder who hit a .251 average in 991 games for six different teams between 1882 and 1893.
• June 19 – Tom Jones, 46, first baseman who hit .251 with 964 hits and 135 stolen bases for three American League teams between 1902 and 1910.
• June 21 – Claude Elliott, 46, pitcher who played from 1904 to 1905 for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants.
• June 21 – Bill Grevell, 25, pitcher for the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics of the American League.

July–August

• July 10 – Joe Stabell, [?], outfielder for the 1885 Buffalo Bisons of the National League.
• July 19 – Nate Kellogg, 64, shortstop who played briefly for the 1885 Detroit Wolverines of the National League.
• August 15 – Marty Hogan, 53, British-born outfielder who played from 1894 through 1895 for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Browns of the National League.
• August 16 – Bill Day, 56, pitcher for the Philadelphia Quakers/Phillies and the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the National League from 1889 to 1890.
• August 16 – Jim Scoggins, 32, pitcher for the 1913 Chicago White Sox of the American League.
• August 22 – Jay Budd, 57, left fielder who played one game in 1890 for the Cleveland Infants of the short-lived Players' League.
• August 29 – Jocko Milligan, 62, catcher/first baseman who played from 1884 to 1893 for six National League teams, most prominently with the Philadelphia Athletics.

September–October

• September 1 – Frank McManus, 48, catcher who played between 1899 and 1904 with the Washington Senators and Brooklyn Superbas of the National League and the Detroit Tigers and New York Highlanders of the American League.
• September 3 – Jack Barnett, 43, backup outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1907 season.
• September 5 – Dots Miller, 36, infielder who spent twelve seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, and a member of the Pittsburgh team that won the National League pennant and defeated the Detroit Tigers in the 1909 World Series.
• September 9 – George Keerl, 76, second baseman for the 1875 Chicago White Stockings of the National League.
• September 18 – General Stafford, 55, versatile fielder who played over 100 games at three different positions for five teams, and a member of the 1898 National League Champion Boston Beaneaters.
• October 21 – Biff Sheehan, 55, outfielder/first baseman for the St. Louis Browns of the National League during the 1895 and 1896 seasons.
• October 22 – Warren McLaughlin, 47, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates between 1900 and 1903.
• October 29 – Jack Nabors, 35, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League from 1915 to 1917, who lost 19 consecutive decisions in 1916 to set a major league record that has never been matched.
• October 29 – Jimmy Ryan, 60, center fielder for five teams between 1895 and 1903; a .306 career hitter who led the National League in hits, home runs, doubles and slugging in 1888; recovered from a serious injury in 1893 train wreck to hit .361 the next year, and finished third all-time in hits, fourth in runs and home runs upon retirement.

November–December

• November 5 – Buck Becannon, 64, pitcher who played from 1884 to 1885 for the New York Metropolitans of the American Association and with the 1887 New York Giants of the National League.
• November 12 – Mark Polhemus, 63, outfielder who played in 1887 with the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the Union Association.
• November 16 – Fred House, 33, pitcher who posted a 1–2 record and a 5.20 ERA for the Detroit Tigers in 1913.
• November 19 – Frank Pears, 57, pitcher for the 1889 Kansas City Cowboys of the American Association and the 1893 St. Louis Browns of the National League.
• December 9 – Wild Bill Donovan, 47, pitcher who had 25-win seasons with 1901 Brooklyn and 1907 Detroit teams; later managed Highlanders and Phillies

References

1. "Strange and Unusual Plays". www.retrosheet.org. Retrieved June 13, 2012.