April 28, 1893: Beaneaters open season with rout of Giants

Even in the nineteenth century, Opening Day was a much-anticipated event.

When the Boston Beaneaters and New York Giants were rained out in their 1893 season opener, the New York Sun wrote: “The postponement of yesterday’s game as a consequence of bad weather was undoubtedly one of the severest disappointments ever suffered by New York cranks.”1

Fans were looking forward to the matchup between the two-time defending National League champion Beaneaters and the improved New York Giants.

“For a month past, the cranks have been preparing for the happy day when the New Yorks would again meet the champion Bostons and take a trifle of the conceit out of the men from the Hub,” said the Sun.2

Adding to the interest in the game was a rule change, instituted for the 1893 season and described by one newspaper as “the new rule, which places the pitcher several feet further from home plate.”3

In an effort to create more offense, the pitcher’s box was replaced by a raised mound and rubber slab. Before the rule change, the pitcher could have his back foot anywhere along the four-foot back line of the box, which was 4 by 5½ feet on flat ground and 55½ feet from home plate. Even with the change, in today’s game we still hear the expression “The pitcher was knocked out of the box,” even though the box disappeared over 100 years ago. The change would require a pitcher’s back foot to be in contact with the rubber, which was 60 feet 6 inches from home plate.

The hometown New York World said the rule change “will give the New Yorks something of an advantage over the majority of the clubs in the League, inasmuch as almost all of the Giants are strapping big fellows and as speedy as any pitchers in the profession. It is this matter of speed that will tell in the coming race.”4

After the 24-hour rain delay, an announced crowd of 15,000 – according to the Boston Globe, the largest to that point in time for an Opening Day in New York and one of the largest ever to see a major-league game – gathered to watch the Beaneaters and Giants get the season underway.

Beaneaters leadoff hitter Herman Long, who had batted .280 with six home runs in 1892, stirred the crowd – which was standing 10 deep around the outfield – on the first pitch of the game. Long drove Silver King’s offering over the left-field fence, but just outside the foul line. Long followed with line drive past Giants second baseman Monte Ward for a single. After a fly out, Hugh Duffy singled past short with Long stopping at second. Long and Duffy then manufactured the Beaneaters’ first run of the season.

“Duffy led well off first and (catcher Jack) Doyle threw sharply to (first baseman Roger) Connor. Then spry little Duffy began to hop back and forth, while Ward, Connor and (shortstop Shorty) Fuller tried to corner him. Meantime, Herman Long was making tracks for third which he reached. Duffy was dodging back and forth like a pendulum. Connor was nearly on top of the little fellow, but he wriggled away and started for second. Connor threw to Fuller, and Long, who had been edging toward home, made a rush. Fuller sprinted after Duffy, and touched him, but Long scored the first run with a dive and slide to the plate.”5

Staked to a 1-0 lead, Kid Nichols took the mound for the Beaneaters. The 23-year-old Nichols was beginning his fourth season with the Beaneaters. Even though Nichols had won 30 and 35 games, respectively, in the Beaneaters championship seasons in 1891 and 1892 season, Giants fans were apparently happy to see him.

The New York World said, “When Nichols took up a position in the box, the great crowd of spectators waxed exceedingly glad. ‘He is a weak youth,’ they argued, ‘and he surely cannot stand the increased pitching distance.’ They did not know the ‘Kid.’”6

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound right-hander opened his season with three scoreless innings before the Giants got on the scoreboard with a run in the fourth inning.

Nichols hit Giants leadoff hitter Eddie Burke in the back with a curve. Burke, who was hit by a pitch 25 times in 1893, stole second and went to third on a sacrifice by Mike Tiernan. Burke scored on Ward’s infield hit, “although (second baseman Bobby) Lowe committed an error of judgment in throwing to first instead of to the plate.”7

After the Beaneaters went in order in the fifth, the Giants took a 2-1 lead. Third baseman George Davis led off for the Giants with a triple to left-center. Davis scored on Harry Lyons’ single up the middle.

The momentum was short-lived for the Giants, as the “sixth inning brought a deluge of woe and desolation. Nobody knows whether King had let up or let down.”8

Tommy McCarthy led off with a single to center. After Billy Nash popped out, Tommy Tucker and Lowe followed with singles. Lowe’s hit scored McCarthy with the tying run. Charlie Bennett followed with a double to left-center to score Tucker, who had won the American Association batting title in 1889 with a .372 batting average (the first switch-hitter to win a major-league batting title), and Lowe and give the Beaneaters a 4-2 lead.

Nichols, who had hit two home runs in his first three seasons with the Beaneaters, followed with a long home run to left-center to make it 6-2. King secured the final two outs of the inning, but his day was finished after six innings.

The Beaneaters added three runs in the eighth inning. Giants reliever Ed Crane retired the first two Boston hitters and got two strikes on Long. Long then swung at a wide curve and missed, but the ball got past Doyle, and Long reached first base. Singles by Cliff Carroll, Duffy, and Nash, and a walk to McCarthy combined for the three runs.

Nichols closed with four scoreless innings – retiring the Giants in order in the ninth – to finish with a five-hitter for the first of his 34 victories in 1893. He walked one and struck out one.

The New York World wrote, “The sum and substance of the defeat of the New Yorks lies in their failure to bat. They could not touch the Boston pitcher at any stage of the game.”9

Duffy and McCarthy each had three hits for the Beaneaters, who outhit the Giants, 14-5. All nine in the Beaneaters batting order had at least one hit.

“The Bostons won the game with the stick and in the field,” commented the Boston Globe. “Tucker, Carroll and McCarthy were full of red pepper on the field and on the coaching lines, while Duffy, McCarthy and Lowe used the stick at salary-limit style, with something to spare.”10

Davis and Lyons each had two hits for the Giants.

Despite the Opening Day success, the Beaneaters got off to a slow start in 1893. The Giants rebounded to beat Boston 15-6 the next day, and two weeks into the season the Beaneaters were just 5-7.

The Beaneaters eventually got on a roll, going 57-20 in June, July, and August en route to their third consecutive title.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author also consulted Newspapers.com and Retrosheet.org.

Notes

1 “Unhappy Baseball Cranks,” New York Sun, April 28, 1893: 8.

2 Ibid.

3 “These Games Will Count,” New York World, April 27, 1893: 12.

4 Ibid.

5 “Beaten, But Not Crushed,” New York Sun, April 29, 1893: 8.

6 “Baseball’s Big Revival,” New York World, April 29, 1893: 10.

7 “Beaten, But Not Crushed.”

8 “Baseball’s Big Revival.”

9 “Beaten, But Not Crushed.”

10 “Giants Go Under,” Boston Globe, April 29, 1893: 5.