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It’s Bunker Hill Day in Boston and a doubleheader between the Cleveland Naps and the division leading Boston Americans has the house full with more than 18,000 excited rooters, many taken to the field as seats in the stands were scarce. And some of these fans brought along more than their loud lungs but cow bells, revolvers, horse pistols and cannon crackers.
In the first game in the morning, the visitors from Cleveland jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first frame when first baseman Charlie Hickman doubled home teammate Nap Lajoie. The Naps would add a run in the fourth inning and another in the sixth when Hickman scored on a Elmer Flick single for a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning the Americans would finally got a run on the score sheet but alas that was all they could muster in the game, as Cleveland hurler Earl Moore would limit Boston to just seven hits and a 3-1 victory.
The afternoon game started off on sorrowful note as Cy Young, slated to start the second game, was notified his mother-in-law passed away at her Indiana home and Young immediately left Boston. Tom Hughes took over for Young and pitched a gem of a game holding the Naps to just five hits in a 6-1 win The Boston bats got the best of Cleveland ace Addie Joss scoring six times on nine hits, but Joss was not helped by his teammates as they committed four errors. The Americans Patsy Dougherty was the hitting star as he took Joss’ first pitch of the game and promptly smacked a triple, first of three hits by Dougherty on the day, his second hit would score catcher Lou Criger to give Boston a 3-1 fifth inning lead.
This Boston Americans squad was a historical team, they would hold on to their division lead to win the American League pennant and would go on to beat the National League pennant winning Pittsburgh Pirates in eight games in the first ever World Series and thus become crowned the first Major League champion.
As for the photo, only the date of the game played is known and we’re able to figure out that Cleveland is up at bat and looks like a ground ball to Americans second baseman Hobe Ferris and a Naps baserunner hustling to second. You can the some of the overflowing crowd in the outfield and if you look to the left of home plate you can see what looks like a broom, probably for Hall of Fame umpire Tom Connolly to use to give the plate clean.
*Hat tip to Don Stokes on the information
