September 4, 1902: Canadian Alex Hardy tosses two-hit shutout for Chicago Orphans in major-league debut

Alex “Dooney” Hardy of the Chicago Orphans had an uphill battle in his major-league debut. The Toronto native was facing the Brooklyn Superbas − champions of the National League just two years earlier − in their home ballpark.1 His mound opponent was Wild Bill Donovan, who had led the NL with 25 wins the previous season. To make things even more challenging, injuries had forced the Orphans (later Cubs) to start two pitchers in the infield. But Hardy’s sharp curveballs were too much for Brooklyn, and the little-known Canadian tossed a two-hit shutout in a stunning 1-0 Chicago victory.

Hardy’s sudden success had been years in the making. The southpaw broke into the professional ranks at age 20 in 1897 with the Toronto Canucks and Hamilton Blackbirds of the independent Canadian League. He had limited success initially,2 but in 1899 a much-improved Hardy “created a sensation” with the St. Thomas (Ontario) Saints of the same league, which was then operating as a Class D circuit.3

The vagabond hurler went wherever there was a good opportunity to pitch. In 1900 he starred with the Montréal Mascottes in the semipro (Québec) Provincial League,4 and the next season he led Waterloo (Ontario) to the Canadian League championship.5

Hardy also had brief trials with several teams in the Class A Eastern League between 1899 and 1901, but he couldn’t stick.6

He began the 1902 season with the Binghamton Bingoes of the Class B New York State League. In the first inning of a May 27 start, Hardy was struck by a line drive, breaking his thumb.7 Binghamton released him not long after the injury and he quickly caught on with the Troy Trojans in the same circuit.8

After a brief period with Troy, Hardy jumped to the Eastern League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, leading to his suspension by the Trojans.9 Despite not having signed a contract with Toronto, Hardy tossed a three-hit shutout against the Newark Sailors on June 20.10 Not surprisingly, Newark protested the game.

The National Association of Minor Leagues stepped in and instructed Toronto manager Ed Barrow not to use Hardy in any more games until the contractual issue could be resolved.11 Toronto offered Troy $200 for him.12 It wasn’t enough. Talks broke down and Hardy returned to Troy in early July.13

Hardy pitched stellar ball for the remainder of the season, attracting the attention of major-league teams.14 Orphans manager Frank Selee offered the Trojans a whopping $1,000 for Hardy. Troy held out for $1,500. Selee agreed to pay that amount on one condition: The Trojans had to include their 21-year-old shortstop in the deal, a Troy native by the name of Johnny Evers.15 The Trojans happily agreed.

Evers made his big-league debut on September 1 at shortstop, pushing another rookie, Joe Tinker, to third base.16

Hardy reported to the team in Brooklyn two days later and made his major-league debut on the afternoon of Thursday, September 4.17

Since the juggernaut Pittsburgh Pirates had already sewn up the pennant, the rest of the NL was simply playing out the string.18 Brooklyn came into the game in second place with a 62-56 record, 26 games behind Pittsburgh. Chicago was tied for fourth, 29½ games out.

Despite the threatening weather, a good-sized crowd of 3,500 fans came out to Washington Park for Ladies Day.19 The Superbas (later Dodgers) wore their white and blue home uniforms – new for 1902 – instead of their old white and red duds.20

Injuries to first baseman Frank Chance and second baseman Bobby Lowe had forced Selee to juggle his lineup.21 Lowe, the team’s 37-year-old captain, was missing his first game of the season. Evers shifted to second base and Tinker returned to his former position at short. Selee was forced to use a couple of pitchers in the infield: His staff ace, Jack Taylor, handled the hot corner, while John Menefee played first.22

Both Donovan and Hardy set down the first nine men they faced.

Jimmy Slagle opened the fourth by grounding a Donovan offering to shortstop Bill Dahlen, but the throw across the diamond was muffed by first baseman Duke Farrell.23 The error proved costly. After John Dobbs sacrificed Slagle to second, Johnny Kling doubled down the right-field line to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.24 It was the only run Hardy needed.

Brooklyn left fielder Jimmy Sheckard singled off Hardy to start the bottom of the fourth. Wee Willie Keeler, who came into the game batting .334 and had a league-leading 166 hits, batted next; he popped out to Menefee at first.

One out later, Sheckard took advantage of Hardy’s “fancy” delivery and easily stole second base.25 It was the only time a Brooklyn runner got into scoring position all game. Hardy escaped the inning unscathed by retiring Dahlen on a groundout.

Hardy recorded another one-two-three inning in the fifth.

With two out and nobody on in the sixth, Sheckard beat out a bunt single. Keeler tried the same maneuver, only to be thrown out on a pretty play by Taylor at third.26

Hardy finished the contest with a flourish, recording three more one-two-three innings to give him seven clean frames in his debut. He got the final out when Keeler, again attempting to bunt for a hit, was thrown out on a nice play by Evers.27

Donovan (15-13) took the loss despite giving up one unearned run on six hits and one walk.

Hardy had completely dominated Brooklyn, surrendering only two singles, one of which was a bunt. He struck out five and didn’t walk a single batter. “The Superbas found it impossible to connect with Hardy’s curves,” wrote the Chicago Tribune.28

Keeler, a two-time batting champion, went 0-for-4 and failed to get the ball out of the infield. “I have seen many young pitchers break into the league, but I think Hardy showed more skill than any of them,” Keeler said after the game. “He had plenty of speed and curves, perfect control and deserved to win.”29

Five days later, Hardy’s control was less than perfect. He walked seven batters in a 7-6 loss to the Boston Beaneaters.

On September 14 in his first – and only – start at the West Side Grounds, Hardy received a “royal welcome” from the Chicago fans.30 Although Lowe was still injured and unable to play, Chance had recently returned to the lineup and patrolled first base.31 That made possible the most notable aspect of the otherwise meaningless affair: Hardy induced a groundball resulting in the first-ever “Tinker to Evers to Chance” double play.32 It certainly wasn’t the last. The stellar infield trio went on to help the Cubs win four pennants and two World Series championships between 1906 and 1910.

Hardy won his final outing of the season, on October 5 in St. Louis.33 He completed all four of his starts with Chicago, compiling a 2-2 record and a 3.60 ERA.

In the offseason, Barrow was named manager of the Detroit Tigers and he wasted no time in making another attempt to acquire Hardy. Selee refused to entertain the offer and for the second time in less than a year, Barrow failed to land the promising hurler.34

Sadly, that promise was never fulfilled. A 1903 rule change required pitchers to have one foot on the rubber when they delivered a pitch and prevented them from placing a foot behind it.35 Many pitchers did not need to alter their style. “Some few of them, Hardy, of Chicago National League, for instance, are affected by it and are compelled to change their style of delivery,” observed one sportswriter.36

Hardy struggled to find the strike zone with his new delivery and his walk rate jumped to 5.0 per nine innings.37 After going 1-1 with a 6.39 ERA in three starts for the Cubs, he was abruptly demoted to Toronto.38 Hardy never pitched in the big leagues again.

Hardy contracted malaria in New Orleans in 1904 while playing for the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association. The effects of the illness lingered for the rest of his life.39

In 1905 Hardy returned to the Trojans. On June 30, he was shot and nearly killed by a Connecticut man who believed that Hardy had been having an affair with his estranged wife.40 The bullet just missed Hardy’s heart and perforated his left lung; he was back on the mound just five weeks later.41

After the incident, Hardy claimed to throw a new pitch that would win him many games. He called it a “lead ball,” because the bullet, which was still in his body, “rattled around like a pea in a pod” when he pitched.42

Hardy continued to bounce around the minor leagues until his playing career ended in 1910 at age 33.43

Hardy may not have been part of the Cubs’ pennant and World Series triumphs, but he always had that one brilliant afternoon of pitching in Brooklyn. As of the start of the 2023 season, his two-hit shutout was still the best major-league debut for a Canadian − or Chicago Cubs − pitcher.44

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Kurt Blumenau and copy-edited by Len Levin.

Sources and Photo Credit

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org. Unless otherwise noted, all play-by-play information for this game was taken from the article “White Sox, 6; Bostons, 1,” on page 1 of the September 4, 1902, edition of the Chicago Daily News.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO190209040.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1902/B09040BRO1902.htm

Photo: Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum.

Notes

1 Brooklyn won the National League pennant in 1899 and 1900.

2 Hardy had a combined record of 2-6 and a (terrible) WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 2.10 with Toronto and Hamilton in 1897. The Canadian League was not part of the National Agreement in 1897. It operated as an independent professional league that season. “Toronto Topics,” Sporting Life, May 1, 1897: 12.

3 “Hardy Will Pitch To-Day,” Toronto Globe, July 10, 1899: 7.

4 The (Québec) Provincial League later became a fully professional league. It was in and out of Organized Baseball at various points in its history. “With the Baseball Players,” Montreal Star, September 11, 1900: 2; “Baseball,” Montreal Gazette, April 10, 1900: 2; Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997), 35.

5 The Canadian League operated as an amateur circuit in 1901. “Canadian League Prospects,” Brantford (Ontario) Weekly Expositor, April 4, 1901; “Waterloo Gets Championship,” Ottawa Journal, August 14, 1901: 10.

6 Hardy made seven appearances for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Syracuse Stars in 1899. The author found record of Hardy pitching in one game for the Montreal Royals in 1900. He pitched seven innings against Springfield on August 1, earning a no-decision. Hardy was in uniform and on the Toronto Royals bench for their August 15, 1901, game against the Worcester Quakers. The author found no evidence that Hardy appeared in a game for Toronto in 1901. “Lost Another Game,” Montreal Star, August 2, 1900: 2; “Liners,” Toronto Globe, August 16, 1901: 8.

7 “Binghamton Runs Up Against Another Shut-Out at Utica,” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, May 28, 1902: 13.

8 “Diamond Dust,” Montreal Star, June 14, 1902: 18.

9 “The Case of Hardy; Why Troy Claims the Pitcher Now Playing with Toronto,” Sporting Life, July 5, 1902: 13, 21.

10 Hardy claimed that he didn’t sign a contract with Troy, although he did accept money from the team. “Notes of the Game,” Montreal Gazette, June 25, 1902: 6; “Newark Shut Out,” Toronto Globe, June 21, 1902: 29.

11 “Troy Claims ‘Dooney’ Hardy,” Toronto Daily Star, June 24, 1902: 10.

12 Troy wanted $300 for Hardy. “Liners,” Toronto Globe, July 1, 1902: 10.

13 “Liners,” Toronto Globe, July 7, 1902: 8.

14 Troy manager Louis Bacon brought Hardy to the attention of Boston’s National League team. Several erroneous newspaper articles reported that Hardy had signed with the Boston Beaneaters. “Boston Briefs,” Sporting Life, September 13, 1902: 3; “Facts for Fandom,” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, August 30, 1902: 13.

15 Troy had another southpaw on the team: 22-year-old George “Hooks” Wiltse. He had a breakout season in 1903 with Troy and debuted with the New York Giants the next season. Wiltse went 139-90 with a 2.47 ERA in 12 big-league seasons. David Shiner, “Johnny Evers,” SABR BioProject, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/johnny-evers/, accessed April 19, 2023.

16 Chicago’s regular third baseman, Germany Schaefer, had been benched after making seven errors in four games between August 22 and August 24. “Notes of the Colts,” Chicago Tribune, August 25, 1902: 4.

17 “Brooklyn Beats Chicago,” Chicago Daily News, September 3, 1902: 1.

18 Pittsburgh finished the season with a record of 103-36-3, 27½ games ahead of second-place Brooklyn.

19 Brooklyn averaged 2,897 fans per game in 1902. “White Sox, 6; Bostons, 1,” Chicago Daily News, September 4, 1902: 1.

20 “Dressed to the Nines: A History of the Baseball Uniform,” Baseball Hall of Fame, http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/uniforms.asp?league=NL&city=Brooklyn&lowYear=&highYear=&sort=year&increment=9, accessed April 19, 2023.

21 “Notes of the Colts,” Chicago Tribune, September 4, 1902: 6; “White Sox, 6; Bostons, 1.”

22 Taylor went 23-11 with a league-leading 1.29 ERA in 1902. He also appeared in 12 games at third base, 3 games in right field, 2 games at first base, and 1 game at second base that season. Menefee went 12-10 with a 2.42 ERA in 1902. He also appeared in 21 games in right field, 19 games at first base, 2 games at third base, 1 game at second base, and 1 game in left field that season.

23 Both the Chicago Inter Ocean and the Brooklyn Citizen reported that the throw was from the shortstop Dahlen. According to the Brooklyn Times, the throw was from third baseman Charlie Irwin.

24 “Selee Uncovers a Star,” Brooklyn Times, September 5, 1902: 6.

25 “Baseball Notes,” Brooklyn Citizen, September 5, 1902: 6.

26 The bunt by Keeler was deduced. According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Keeler attempted to bunt for a base hit twice in the game and both times he was retired on pretty plays, one by Taylor and another by Evers. This was the only at-bat in the game in which Keeler was thrown out by Taylor. “Diamond Chips,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 5, 1902: 11.

27 The second bunt by Keeler was also deduced. This was the only at-bat in the game in which Keeler was thrown out by Evers. “Diamond Chips.”

28 “Hardy Proves a Big Surprise,” Chicago Tribune, September 5, 1902: 6.

29 “Baseball Gossip,” Pittsburgh Press, September 10, 1902: 12.

30 Hardy pitched in the second game of the September 14 doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds. He took the loss in an 8-6 defeat, giving up five earned runs in nine innings of work. “Notes of the Colts,” Chicago Tribune, September 15, 1902: 6.

31 Lowe’s knee injury still hadn’t healed by the spring of 1903, so Evers continued to be Chicago’s starting second baseman. Evers kept the job until the end of the 1913 season. The injury led to Lowe’s release by Chicago midway through the 1903 season. Lowe played one early-season game for Pittsburgh in 1904 before joining the Detroit Tigers in late April. He remained with the Tigers until he retired after the 1907 season. Dixie Tourangeau, “Bobby Lowe,” SABR BioProject, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bobby-lowe/, accessed April 20, 2023.

32 The infield trio were immortalized in July 1910 when Franklin P. Adams of the New York Evening Mail penned the poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.” The poem read, “These are the saddest of possible words: ‘Tinker to Evers to Chance.’ Trio of bear Cubs, and fleeter than birds, Tinker and Evers and Chance. Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, Making a Giant hit into a double − Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: ‘Tinker to Evers to Chance.’” “Tinker to Evers to Chance,” Baseball Almanac, https://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_sad.shtml, accessed April 20, 2023.

33 Hardy pitched in the first game of a doubleheader in St. Louis on October 5.

34 “American League Notes,” Sporting Life, March 28, 1903: 4.

35 “Pitchers Object to the New Rule Which Handicaps Them,” Topeka State Journal, April 28, 1903: 2.

36 “Things Talked in World of Sports,” Elmira Daily Gazette and Free Press, May 16, 1903: 3.

37 Hardy walked 3.1 batters per nine innings with Chicago in 1902.

38 “Toronto Strengthens and Gets Hardy from Chicago Nationals,” Buffalo Courier, May 12, 1903: 11.

39 After Hardy’s baseball career ended, he lived in Toronto until his death on April 22, 1940. “Dooney Hardy Called by Death,” Toronto Globe and Mail, April 23, 1940: 12.

40 “Baseball Pitcher Shot,” New Haven (Connecticut) Journal Courier, July 1, 1905: 1; “Crazed by Dream; Jealousy and Vision Drive Man to Shoot to Kill,” New York Tribune, July 3, 1905: 12.

41 “Troy Beaten in Both Games,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Truth, August 25, 1905: 8; “Glintings from the Diamond Field,” Binghamton Press, August 4, 1905: 10.

42 “Shot the Wrong Man,” Buffalo Enquirer, August 3, 1905: 10.

43 As of April 2023, Baseball Reference had no record of Hardy pitching in the minors in 1910. The author found references to Hardy pitching for the Binghamton Bingoes in the New York State League and the Johnstown Johnnies in the Tri-State League. Both leagues were Class B circuits. “Pitcher Hardy Signs with Binghamton Team,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Times, March 11, 1910: 11; “Bingos Present Another to Utes,” Binghamton Press, June 3, 1910: 8; “Lumley May Lead Binghamton Team,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Times, June 1, 1910: 8; “Crippled Johns Take Count from Reading,” Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Star-Independent, June 27, 1910: 8.

44 Hardy’s major-league debut had a Game Score of 88. As of the start of the 2023 season, the second-best Game Score by a Canadian pitcher in his major-league debut was 76 by Andrew Albers of the Minnesota Twins on August 6, 2013. Albers pitched 8⅓ scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals. He gave up four singles and one walk, and he struck out two batters. The second-best Game Score by a Chicago Cubs pitcher in his major-league debut was 85 by Jeff Pico on May 31, 1988. Pico tossed a four-hit shutout (two doubles, two singles) against the Cincinnati Reds; he struck out six and didn’t walk a single batter. Pico went on to become Cincinnati’s pitching coach in 2014 and 2015. “Player Pitching Game Stats Finder (Canadian Pitchers),” Stathead.com, https://stathead.com/tiny/Y5dSu, accessed May 28, 2023; “Player Pitching Game Stats Finder (Cubs Pitchers),” Stathead.com, https://stathead.com/tiny/QDlai, accessed May 28, 2023.