YEAR IN REVIEW : 1913 National League

Off the field...

The Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (for income tax) was adopted stating that: "Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration."

One of the most important exhibitions of art ever held in the United States, "The Armory Show" aroused the curiosity of the public and helped to change the direction of American painting. An estimated 1,600 works including paintings representing many avant-garde movements from Europe were revealed to mixed reviews. Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase" was singled out by the hostile critics as a prime example of the "degeneracy" of the new art. Later, many of the same paintings would become modern masterpieces commanding millions of dollars in value.

In the American League...

The New York Yankees became the first team to practice outside the United States after they traveled to Bermuda for spring training.

On May 14^th, Walter "The Big Train" Johnson topped Jack Coombs with a record of fifty-six straight scoreless innings as his Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns 10-5 at Sportsman's Park III.

The Boston Red Sox set a Major League record for frustration on July 3^rd after totaling fifteen hits off the Washington Senators' Walter Johnson during a 1-0 shutout.

In the National League...

Philadelphia Phillies ace Erskine Mayer set an unwanted National League mark on August 18^th after surrendering nine consecutive hits to the Chicago Cubs (all in the ninth-inning) en route to a 10-4 loss.

In September, Pittsburgh Pirate Honus Wagner was presented with a commemorative bat carved from a piece of wood taken from naval hero Oliver Perry's flagship Niagara (which had sunk in Lake Erie one-hundred years before). Wagner had been the first player ever to have his signature scrawled on a Louisville Slugger (1905).

Around the League...

American League President Ban Johnson and Detroit Tigers President Frank Navin both voiced complaints on the extensive length of the games, which were taking up to two hours to play. Both blamed several rules and regulations including the location of the "coachers boxes" and proposed that they be moved back so that the catcher could relay the pitcher his signals more quickly.

After ruling that a ballplayer on the field was considered a "public person," a New York judge tossed out several cases (brought by both New York and Boston players) against a motion picture company that had apparently taken film of the 1912 World Series.

In December, The Sporting News reported that fifteen men (none well known) had died from various baseball-inflicted injuries during the 1913 season, according to a list compiled by J.R. Vickery of Chicago.

"He (Gavvy Cravath) led the NL in homers six times. Anyone who leads in any major category for a decade, and who leads the league half a dozen times, is a star in my book." - The Diamond Angle

OnApril 9, 1913, Charlie Ebbets'field of dreams opened its doors to 10,000 fans who watched as thePhiladelphia Phillies defeated the hometownBrooklyn Superbas 1-0.

Trivia alert: Which game took two months to complete? It all started onAugust 30, 1913, when umpire William Brennan awarded a forfeit victory to the Giants over the Phillies due to Philadelphia fans distracting the New York hitters. Three days later National League president Thomas Lynch overturned the forfeit and awarded the victory to the Phillies who were leading 8-6 when the distractions took place. A board voted to resume the game and on October 2, 1913, the Phillies retired the final two Giants batters to earn the victory.

Did you know thatLarry Cheney of the Cubs set a new National League record for most hits (14) allowed during a shutout (7-0 vs Giants) onSeptember 14, 1913?