The first section of the New York Subway system was opened between City Hall and 145th Street. The original system consisted of twenty-eight stations along 9.1 miles of track with the IRT extending to the Bronx in 1905, Brooklyn in 1908 and Queens in 1915. Since then, it has expanded to over two-hundred thirty miles of routes and over four-hundred miles of single track.
On May 11th, Sam Crawford of the Detroit Tigers broke Boston Red Sox ace Cy Young's consecutive streak of no-hit innings at 24 1/3 (seventy-six batters without a hit) after managing a one-out single en route to a 1-0 victory.
The St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers played a doubleheader on September 8, 1904, another doubleheader on the 9th, a third doubleheader on the 10th, then a fourth doubleheader on the 11th! After "only" one game on the 12th, they faced off for a final doubleheader on the 13th, setting a record for the most games played consecutively (11) between two teams in Major League Baseball history.
After pitching a record setting season with forty-one wins and four-hundred fifty-four innings in fifty-five games, New York Highlanders (Yankees) ace Jack Chesbro "crashed and burned" after losing control of a spitball that sailed over his catcher's head and allowed the American League pennant losing run to score from third.
New York Giants' Dan McGann stole five bases on May 27th during 3-1 win over the cross-town rival Brooklyn Dodgers. The record stood for seventy years until Davey Lopes of the Los Angeles Dodgers matched the mark in August of 1974. Atlanta Braves outfielder Otis Nixon eventually topped the feat with six steals (against the Montreal Expos) in 1991.
Frank Chance of the Chicago Cubs set a painful Major League mark after being hit four times in one day during a May 30th double header against the Cincinnati Reds. In the first game, "The Peerless Leader " actually lost consciousness after being tagged in the head by Jack Harper.
In October, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Taylor tossed his thirty-ninth consecutive complete game of the season setting a modern Major League record. The streak started on April 15th and finished with an astounding three-hundred fifty-two innings pitched.
John T. Brush, president of the National League champion New York Giants, refused to play the returning American League champion Boston Americans. He was quoted as stating that he refused to compete with a "representative of the inferior American League". Surprisingly, Brush regretted the decision and later that year proposed to continue with the series as originally conceived. His about-face spawned the "Brush Rules," a set of guidelines relating to the on-field play and off-field finances of the World Series, which exists to this day.
"Jack Chesbro was an early spitball ace whose 1904 performance with the New York Highlanders still rates five stars. He started 51 games, completed 48 and was the victor in 41 while hurling 454 innings." - National Baseball Hall of Fame
1904 American League Player Review |
||||
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
Base on Balls | Jimmy Barrett | Detroit | 79 | Top 25 |
Batting Average | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland | .376 | Top 25 |
Doubles | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland | 49 | Top 25 |
Hits | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland | 211 | Top 25 |
Home Runs | Harry Davis | Philadelphia | 10 | Top 25 |
On Base Percentage | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland | .413 | Top 25 |
RBI | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland | 102 | Top 25 |
Runs | Patsy Dougherty | Boston | 113 | Top 25 |
New York | ||||
Slugging Average | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland | .552 | Top 25 |
Stolen Bases | Harry Bay | Cleveland | 38 | Top 25 |
Elmer Flick | ||||
Total Bases | Nap Lajoie | Cleveland | 305 | Top 25 |
Triples | Joe Cassidy | Washington | 19 | Top 25 |
Buck Freeman | Boston | |||
Chick Stahl | Boston | |||
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
1904 A.L. History | 1904 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History |
1904 American League Pitcher Review |
||||
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
Complete Games | Jack Chesbro | New York | 48 | Top 25 |
ERA | Addie Joss | Cleveland | 1.59 | Top 25 |
Games | Jack Chesbro | New York | 55 | Top 25 |
Saves | Case Patten | Washington | 3 | Top 25 |
Shutouts | Cy Young | Boston | 10 | Top 25 |
Strikeouts | Rube Waddell | Philadelphia | 349 | Top 25 |
Winning Percentage | Jack Chesbro | New York | .774 | Top 25 |
Wins | Jack Chesbro | New York | 41 | Top 25 |
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
1904 A.L. History | 1904 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History |
1904 American LeagueTeam Standings |
||||
Team | Roster | W | L | WP | GB |
Boston Americans | 95 | 59 | .617 | 0 |
New York Highlanders | 92 | 59 | .609 | 1½ |
Chicago White Sox | 89 | 65 | .578 | 6 |
Cleveland Blues | 86 | 65 | .570 | 7½ |
Philadelphia Athletics | 81 | 70 | .536 | 12½ |
St. Louis Browns | 65 | 87 | .428 | 29 |
Detroit Tigers | 62 | 90 | .408 | 32 |
Washington Senators | 38 | 113 | .252 | 55½ |
Team | Roster | W | L | WP | GB |
1904 American League Team Standings |
1904 American League Team ReviewHitting Statistics League Leaderboard |
||
Statistic | Team | # |
Base on Balls | Chicago | 373 |
Batting Average | Cleveland | .260 |
Doubles | Cleveland | 225 |
Hits | New York | 1,354 |
Home Runs | Philadelphia | 31 |
On Base Percentage | Cleveland | .308 |
Runs | Cleveland | 647 |
Slugging Average | Cleveland | .354 |
Stolen Bases | Chicago | 216 |
Triples | Boston | 105 |
Statistic | Team | # |
1904 American League Team ReviewPitching Statistics League Leaderboard |
||
Statistic | Team | # |
Complete Games | Boston | 148 |
ERA | Boston | 2.12 |
Fewest Hits Allowed | Philadelphia | 1,149 |
Fewest Home Runs Allowed | Cleveland | 10 |
Fewest Walks Allowed | Boston | 233 |
Saves | Washington | 4 |
Shutouts | Chicago | 26 |
Philadelphia | ||
Strikeouts | Philadelphia | 887 |
Statistic | Team | # |
On July 14, 1904, Jack Chesbro of the New York Highlanders won his fourteenth consecutive game (a record at the time). By August 10th, he pitched thirty consecutive complete games and he finished the season with forty-eight complete games in fifty-one starts.
Wee Willie Keeler, on August 24, 1904, hit two home runs against the St. Louis Browns and both never left the park. [Inside The Park Home Run Records]
Did you know that George Stovall, on October 7, 1904, hit a home run off his brother, right-handed pitcher Jesse Stovall? That particular feat was a Major League Baseball history and an event that remained unduplicated until the Ferrells in 1933 then the Niekros in 1976.