1900–1919
Dead Ball Era
The dead-ball game was decided on the ground. A missed base, an uncovered plate, or a fly lost in the late innings of a pennant race could finish a season, and the newspapers were glad to give the play a name.
This chapter keeps those names, and the parts of them the box score does not support. Merkle did not touch second. Snodgrass dropped the fly and then made the hard catch. The nickname is the record the public kept. The entry is the other one.
In this chapter
All 6 entries
Merkle's Boner
Fred Merkle, nineteen and starting in place of an injured regular, failed to touch second on a game-winning single. The league made the teams replay it, and the Cubs won the pennant.
New York Giants · Chicago Cubs
Snodgrass's Muff
With the Giants one win from a title, Fred Snodgrass dropped a routine fly to open the tenth. He then made a fine catch that the nickname forgot.
New York Giants · Boston Red Sox
No. 1917.10.15
1917
Zimmerman Chases Collins Home
In the sixth game of the 1917 World Series, nobody covered home plate, so Heinie Zimmerman ran Eddie Collins across it himself.
New York Giants · Chicago White Sox
No. 1911.08.04
1911
Germany Schaefer Steals First
With the game tied in the ninth, Germany Schaefer stole second, got nothing for it, and stole first base back. The rules eventually made the trick illegal.
Washington Senators · Chicago White Sox
No. 1917.05.02
1917
The Double No-Hitter Breaks
Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney both pitched nine no-hit innings. In the tenth, a single, a dropped fly, and a throw home the catcher was not looking for ended it.
Chicago Cubs · Cincinnati Reds