1920 Brooklyn Robins season
Encyclopedia
The Brooklyn Robins
won 16 of their final 18 games to pull away from a tight pennant race and earn a trip to their second World Series
against the Cleveland Indians
. They lost the series in seven games.
The team featured four Hall of Fame
rs: manager Wilbert Robinson
, pitchers Burleigh Grimes
and Rube Marquard
, and outfielder Zack Wheat
. Grimes anchored a pitching staff that allowed the fewest runs in the majors.
Zack Wheat
in World Series history. On the same day, Bill Wambsganss
of the Indians had an unassisted triple play
. He caught a liner, touched second base, and tagged the runner coming from first base. During that same game, Indians pitcher Jim Bagby
became the first pitcher to hit a home run in World Series history.
in Brooklyn, New York
in Brooklyn, New York
in Brooklyn, New York
in Cleveland, Ohio
in Cleveland, Ohio
in Cleveland, Ohio
in Cleveland, Ohio
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
won 16 of their final 18 games to pull away from a tight pennant race and earn a trip to their second World Series
1920 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 5, 1920 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York-Game 2:Wednesday, October 6, 1920 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York-Game 3:Thursday, October 7, 1920 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York-Game 4:...
against the Cleveland Indians
1920 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was the 20th season in franchise history. The Indians won the American League pennant and proceeded to win their first World Series title in the history of the franchise. Pitchers Jim Bagby, Stan Coveleski and Ray Caldwell combined to win 75 games...
. They lost the series in seven games.
The team featured four Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
rs: manager Wilbert Robinson
Wilbert Robinson
Wilbert Robinson , nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball...
, pitchers Burleigh Grimes
Burleigh Grimes
Burleigh Arland Grimes was an American professional baseball player, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.-Career:Nicknamed "Ol' Stubblebeard", Grimes was...
and Rube Marquard
Rube Marquard
Richard William "Rube" Marquard was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1910s and early 1920s...
, and outfielder Zack Wheat
Zack Wheat
Wheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and...
. Grimes anchored a pitching staff that allowed the fewest runs in the majors.
Offseason
- January, 1920: Frank O'RourkeFrank O'Rourke (baseball)James Francis O'Rourke was a Canadian infielder in Major League Baseball. He played fourteen seasons in the major leagues with the Boston Braves , Brooklyn Robins , Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , and St...
was purchased from the Robins by the Washington SenatorsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. - January 12, 1920: Mack WheatMack WheatMcKinley Davis Wheat , was a Major League Baseball catcher from 1915 to 1921.From 1915 to 1919, he was a teammate of his brother, Zack Wheat, on the Brooklyn Robins. The Philadelphia Phillies bought Mack in 1920. He finished out his professional career in 1922 in the Pacific Coast League.-External...
was purchased from the Robins by the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - March, 1920: Bill LamarBill LamarWilliam Harmong Lamar [Good Time Bill] was a left fielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Brooklyn Robins and Philadelphia Athletics . Listed at 6' 1", 185 lb., Lamar batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
was purchased by the Robins from the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
Notable transactions
- May 22, 1920: Bill McCabe was purchased by the Robins from the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. - July, 1920: Wally Hood was purchased from the Robins by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. - July 27, 1920: Doug BairdDoug BairdHoward Douglas Baird , is a former professional baseball player who played third base from 1915-1920. He went to college at Westminster College.-External links:...
was purchased from the Robins by the New York GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
Roster
| 1920 Brooklyn Robins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| valign="top" | Pitchers |
valign="top" | Catchers Infielders |
valign="top" | Outfielders |
valign="top" | Manager |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases| Pos | Player | G | AB | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 90 | 301 | 16 | 87 | .289 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 1B | 131 | 497 | 62 | 153 | .308 | 5 | 63 | 3 | |
| 2B | 141 | 478 | 62 | 130 | .272 | 0 | 58 | 2 | |
| 3B | |||||||||
| SS | |||||||||
| OF | |||||||||
| OF | 148 | 583 | 89 | 191 | 328 | 9 | 73 | 8 | |
| OF |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases| Player | G | AB | R | H | Avg. | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 68 | 10 | 10 | .147 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| 24 | 44 | 5 | 12 | .273 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 7 | 14 | 4 | 2 | .143 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | .400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Bases on balls; SO = Strikeouts; CG = Complete games| Player | G | GS | CG | IP | W | L | ERA | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 33 | 25 | 303.2 | 23 | 11 | 2.22 | 67 | 131 | |
| 35 | 30 | 16 | 254.1 | 15 | 14 | 2.62 | 56 | 79 | |
| 28 | 26 | 10 | 189.2 | 10 | 7 | 3.23 | 35 | 89 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Bases on balls; SO = Strikeouts; CG = Complete games| Player | G | GS | CG | IP | W | L | ERA | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 18 | 9 | 190.2 | 12 | 8 | 2.69 | 63 | 101 | |
| 33 | 12 | 6 | 136.1 | 11 | 9 | 1.85 | 27 | 33 | |
| 19 | 7 | 3 | 78.2 | 5 | 2 | 3.09 | 23 | 18 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Bases on balls; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 23.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.09 | 4 | 9 |
League top ten finishers
Burleigh GrimesBurleigh Grimes
Burleigh Arland Grimes was an American professional baseball player, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.-Career:Nicknamed "Ol' Stubblebeard", Grimes was...
- #2 in NL in strikeouts (131)
- #3 in NL in wins (23)
- #3 in NL in ERA (2.22)
Zack Wheat
Zack Wheat
Wheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and...
- #4 in NL in batting average (.328)
- #4 in NL in on-base percentage (.385)
1920 World Series
On October 10, 1920, which was the fifth game of the World Series, Elmer Smith of the Indians hit the first grand slamGrand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
in World Series history. On the same day, Bill Wambsganss
Bill Wambsganss
William Adolf Wambsganss was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1914 through 1926, Wambsganss played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Athletics...
of the Indians had an unassisted triple play
Unassisted triple play
In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three putouts by himself in one continuous play, without any teammates touching the ball . In Major League Baseball , it is one of the rarest of individual feats, along with hitting four home runs in one game and the...
. He caught a liner, touched second base, and tagged the runner coming from first base. During that same game, Indians pitcher Jim Bagby
Jim Bagby, Sr.
James Charles Jacob Bagby, Sr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Bagby was the first pitcher to hit a home run in a modern World Series, and one of the last three pitchers to win over 30 games in one season .-Biography:A native of Barnett, Georgia, Bagby began...
became the first pitcher to hit a home run in World Series history.
Game 1
October 5, 1920 at Ebbets FieldEbbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
in Brooklyn, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Brooklyn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| W: Stan Coveleski Stan Coveleski Stanley Anthony Coveleski was a Major League Baseball player during the 1910s and 1920s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.... (1-0) L: Rube Marquard Rube Marquard Richard William "Rube" Marquard was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1910s and early 1920s... (0-1) |
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Game 2
October 6, 1920 at Ebbets FieldEbbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
in Brooklyn, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Brooklyn | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| W: Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Arland Grimes was an American professional baseball player, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.-Career:Nicknamed "Ol' Stubblebeard", Grimes was... (1-0) L: Jim Bagby Jim Bagby, Sr. James Charles Jacob Bagby, Sr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Bagby was the first pitcher to hit a home run in a modern World Series, and one of the last three pitchers to win over 30 games in one season .-Biography:A native of Barnett, Georgia, Bagby began... (0-1) |
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Game 3
October 7, 1920 at Ebbets FieldEbbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
in Brooklyn, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Brooklyn | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| W: Sherry Smith Sherry Smith Sherrod Malone Smith was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1911 until 1927, he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Brooklyn Robins and Cleveland Indians . Smith batted right-handed and threw left-handed... (1-0) L: Ray Caldwell Ray Caldwell Raymond Benjamin Caldwell, , was an American major league pitcher from 1910 to 1921. He was known for throwing the spitball, and he was one of the 17 pitchers allowed to continue throwing the pitch after it was outlawed in 1920.Caldwell was notorious during his playing career for his addiction to... (0-1) |
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Game 4
October 9, 1920 at Dunn FieldLeague Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Cleveland | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | x | 5 | 12 | 1 |
| W: Stan Coveleski Stan Coveleski Stanley Anthony Coveleski was a Major League Baseball player during the 1910s and 1920s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.... (2-0) L: Leon Cadore Leon Cadore Leon "Caddy" Joseph Cadore was a right-handed American pitcher from 1915 - 1924. Cadore shares a MLB record for the most innings pitched in a single game . In 1920, both Cadore and Joe Oeschger pitched all 26 innings for their respective teams in a game that was eventually called a tie due to... (0-1) |
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Game 5
October 10, 1920 at Dunn FieldLeague Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1 | |||||
| Cleveland | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 8 | 12 | 2 | |||||
| W: Jim Bagby Jim Bagby, Sr. James Charles Jacob Bagby, Sr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Bagby was the first pitcher to hit a home run in a modern World Series, and one of the last three pitchers to win over 30 games in one season .-Biography:A native of Barnett, Georgia, Bagby began... (1-1) L: Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Arland Grimes was an American professional baseball player, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.-Career:Nicknamed "Ol' Stubblebeard", Grimes was... (1-1) |
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| HR: CLE – Elmer Smith (1), Jim Bagby Jim Bagby, Sr. James Charles Jacob Bagby, Sr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Bagby was the first pitcher to hit a home run in a modern World Series, and one of the last three pitchers to win over 30 games in one season .-Biography:A native of Barnett, Georgia, Bagby began... (1) |
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Game 6
October 11, 1920 at Dunn FieldLeague Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| W: Duster Mails Duster Mails John Walter "Duster" Mails born in San Quentin, California was a pitcher for the Brooklyn Robins , Cleveland Indians and St... (1-0) L: Sherry Smith Sherry Smith Sherrod Malone Smith was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1911 until 1927, he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Brooklyn Robins and Cleveland Indians . Smith batted right-handed and threw left-handed... (1-1) |
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Game 7
October 12, 1920 at Dunn FieldLeague Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | x | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| W: Stan Coveleski Stan Coveleski Stanley Anthony Coveleski was a Major League Baseball player during the 1910s and 1920s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.... (3-0) L: Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Arland Grimes was an American professional baseball player, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.-Career:Nicknamed "Ol' Stubblebeard", Grimes was... (1-2) |
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