YEAR IN REVIEW : 1904 American League

Off the field...

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.

In the American League...

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.

In the National League...

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.

Around the League...

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.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"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

1903 | 1904 Hitting Statistics League Leaders | 1905

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
1904 A.L. History | 1904 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History

1904 American League Pitcher Review

1903 | 1904 Pitching Statistics League Leaders | 1905

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
1904 A.L. History | 1904 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History

1904 American League

Team Standings

Boston Americans 95 59 .617 0
New York Highlanders 92 59 .609
Chicago White Sox 89 65 .578 6
Cleveland Blues 86 65 .570
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
1904 American League Team Standings

1904 American League Team Review

Hitting Statistics League Leaderboard

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

1904 American League Team Review

Pitching Statistics League Leaderboard

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
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

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.