A Baseball Rarity: 1-0 Games Won by a Steal of Home
This article was published in the 1996 Baseball Research Journal (Volume 25).
While there have been 565 1-0 major league games won by a home run since 1876 (Ted Williams did the honors five times), diligent research into the last 100 years has uncovered only sixteen 1-0 games won by a steal of home. Of course, the circumstances are quite different as the long-ball hitter wins the game with one swing of his bat. Most of the drama is tied to that boundary belt in an otherwise scoreless contest. Games won by steals of home have little connection with batting power. They are won by speed, alertness, and aggressiveness. Almost always it is a team effort, and the opposing pitchers are an important part of that package. Here is a brief rundown of each game.
July 25, 1897
Fourth inning
Bill Dahlen, Colts vs Colonels at Chicago
Dahlen returned to the Colts’ lineup after a long absence due to injury and was given a spirited ovation. He responded with a special game performance. With light rain falling, he singled to rookie Honus Wagner in right-center. Walter Thornton bunted him to second, and Bill moved to third on a throwing error to first base. Perry Werden returned the ball to pitcher Bert Cunningham, who dropped it, picked it up, and prepared for delivery. Dahlen, who had moved off third, dashed for the plate. Cap Anson, the 45-year-old player-manager, who was batting, welcomed him home. Louisville came back in the sixth, but “a foxy trick of Fred Clarke cost the Colonels a run.” The Captain singled and reached second on Tom McCreery’s bunt. The second-base bag came loose and Clarke picked it up and ran for third. Pitcher Jim Callahan threw to third-baseman Bill Everett, who tagged Clarke on the basepath. The latter protested, saying he had possession of second base. Umpire Hank O’Day did not let this technicality influence his vigorous out-call. The rain became heavy in the seventh and the game was called.
August 11, 1899
Second inning
Bill Dahlen, Dodgers vs Colonels at Brooklyn
John Anderson led off the second with a bunt single. Bert Cunningham then hit Dahlen with a pitch, and “Doc Casey sacrificed both runners up a peg.” Duke Farrell hit back to the box and Cunningham threw out Anderson at home as Dahlen moved to third. Catcher Chief Zimmer then moved forward as Farrell ran for second and threw him out. Dahlen scampered to the plate and scored because Cunningham, who took the return throw from second baseman Claude Ritchey, failed to touch “Bad Bill.” Brickyard Kennedy won for the Dodgers and Cunningham lost his second 1-0 game to Dahlen and Company.
April 28, 1906
Ninth inning
Frank Chance, Cubs vs Reds at Chicago
In the last of the ninth in a nothing-nothing game, manager Chance, batting cleanup, took matters into his own hands. He singled to right off Jake Weimer and moved to second on a one-base blow by Joe Tinker. Johnny Evers strode to the plate, but Chance signaled him back and called on Pat Moran to pinch hit. Moran rapped a hard one to Jim Delahanty at third, who tried for a double play, and did get Tinker at second, but Joe blocked little Miller Huggins’ throw to first. Huggins protested vigorously and demanded that umpire Bill Klem declare Moran out at first because of Tinker’s interference. Chance had moved to third on the play and as the quarrel intensified, dashed for home with the game-ending run. Weimer had allowed six hits and Mordecai Brown, the winner, four. There was one double play: Tinker to Evers to Chance.
July 6, 1914
Fourth inning
George McBride, Senators vs Red Sox at Washington
McBride, captain of the Nats, doubled off Red Sox hurler Rankin Johnson and moved to third when Eddie Ainsmith flied deep to Tris Speaker in center. With Rankin pitching to Walter Johnson, his opposite number, McBride took off from third. The ball pitched was inside, but the Big Train did not budge from the plate until George was almost on top of him. It was a close play, but the split-second timing resulted in a “safe” call from umpire Oliver Chill. Rankin Johnson gave up six hits and Walter four. It was the latter’s sixteenth 1-0 win. He would go on to pitch a record thirty-eight 1-0 wins in his career.
May 18, 1915
First inning
Frank Schulte, Cubs vs Giants at New York
Jeff Tesreau of the Giants whiffed Art Phelan and then gave up a double to Bob Fisher. Schulte rapped to Art Fletcher at short and he ran down Fisher. Heinie Zimmerman singled Frank to third and then the two crafty base stealers engineered a double steal. Schulte’s score stood up for the next eight innings. The winning pitcher was Bert Humphries, who had topped the NL in percentage with a 16-4 mark in 1913. He and Big Jeff each allowed only three hits. It was Suffragettes Day at the Polo Grounds and the ladies declared they would donate $5 to each player scoring a run. It was a bargain day for them. When Schulte was given the “fiver” in a brief ceremony at the end of the game, he passed it on to Mrs. Schulte, who “had left the growing peaches in Georgia long enough to attend the Gotham series.”
July 27, 1915
First inning
Clyde Milan, Senators vs Indians at Washington
With teammate Dan Moeller camped on third base, Milan bounced a ball to Jay Kirke at first base. Kirke threw home to catch Moeller, but the elusive runner was able to maneuver back and forth between home and third until the speedy Milan reached the hot corner. Cleveland hurler Rip Hagerman took a long windup against batter Oscar Shanks and Milan, a top base stealer of that era, beat the ball to the plate. In addition to his speed on the bases, Milan saved the game in the field. In the third, Bill Wambsganss (carried as Wamby in the box score) belted a surprisingly long drive to deep center. Running at full throttle, Milan snagged the ball over his shoulder. Clyde had to share the limelight with Washington hurler Bert Gallia, who allowed only one hit while Hagerman gave up two. Joe Jackson hit for Hagerman in the ninth but grounded out in a very close play.
June 5, 1916
Fourth inning
Heinie Zimmerman, Cubs vs Braves at Boston
Zim led off the fourth with a double and trotted to third on a fly by Vic Saier. He stayed there while Jimmy Archer tapped back to Braves’ hurler Art Nehf for the second out. With weak-hitting Eddie Mulligan at bat and Nehf winding up, Heinie dashed for the plate. “Nehf pitched the ball on the wrong side just wide enough to let Heinie escape the tag.” Four hits were made off winning pitcher Gene Packard and five off Nehf, who was described as “also southpawed.” Packard fielded very well, making seven assists and one putout at home plate. The year before, on September 29, 1915, he had won a 1-0 game for Kansas City in the Federal League on his own home run.
August 27, 1917
Fourth inning
Max Carey, Pirates vs Giants at New York
Carey, who would lead the National League in stolen bases ten years, beat out a bunt and reached second on a single by Tony Boeckel. Both attempted to move up on the next pitch by Rube Benton. Max reached third, and when he saw that Boeckel got entangled with Buck Herzog at second, he set off for home and made it. Wilbur Cooper was the winning pitcher, while Benton took the loss. Honus Wagner, in his final season at age 43, played first base where he was credited with fourteen putouts. Jim Thorpe pinch-hit for the Giants in the ninth to no avail. This was Carey’s thirteenth steal of home. He attained a career total of thirty-three, a National League record.
June 14, 1919
Third inning
George J. Burns, Giants vs Cubs at Chicago
Burns was undoubtedly the star of the game with two doubles and the SOH in the third stanza. He forced Giants’ hurler Fred Toney at first base before Ross Youngs singled him around to third. They then signaled a double steal. Cubs’ catcher Bill Killefer made a short throw to second and the ball was returned immediately to the plate—but too late to catch Burns. Toney won the 1-0 game over southpaw Jim Vaughn of the Cubs, a game reminiscent of the famous nine-inning double no-hitter between the Reds and Cubs, which Cincinnati and Toney won 1-O in the tenth on May 2, 1917.
June 25, 1931
Seventh inning
George Watkins, Cardinals vs Dodgers at Brooklyn
Dazzy Vance had retired the first twenty-one Cardinals in order until Watkins, who had batted .373 as a rookie in 1930, bunted safely in the seventh. Jim Bottomley singled him to third. “Vance immediately began his well-known routine of lobbing two throws to first before firing a fast one over there.” Watkins waited only for the second toss and took off. When first-baseman Del Bissonette received the routine throw, he quickly air-mailed the ball home, but Watkins had already crossed the plate. Bottomley moved to second on the double steal. Rookie Paul Derringer, who allowed six hits, was the winner. Vance gave up three and lost.
May 8, 1939
Sixth inning
Pepper Martin, Cardinals vs Dodgers at Brooklyn
Pitcher Russell “Red” Evans of the Dodgers was locked in a torrid hurling duel with Lefty Bob Weiland of the Cardinals and made the mistake of not paying attention to veteran Pepper Martin on third base. Martin had singled and moved to third on infield outs by Joe Medwick and Johnny Mize. Pepper decided that if those power hitters were not able to drive him in, he would go on his own. He had the unknowing cooperation of Evans, who let him stray at least fifteen feet off third. Even some founds shouted “pick him off.” The Wild Horse of the Osage galloped homeward. “Evans awakened a fraction of a second too late as Martin slid across the plate.” Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher tried to pull the game out in the ninth when former Yankee teammate Tony Lazzeri singled. Leo then batted for relief hurler Ira Hutchinson, but rolled weakly to second for the final out. I asked Red Evans, who was a SABR member from Arkansas, in the early 1980s if he remembered the Martin steal of home. He said, half-jokingly, “I still have nightmares about it.”
August 5, 1942
Fifth inning
Don Kolloway, White Sox vs Tigers at Chicago
Kolloway opened the sixth with his second single of the game off Hal Newhouser. Wally Moses bunt-singled him to second and Don moved to third when Myril Hoag grounded into a double play. On the first pitch to Luke Appling, he broke for home and nicked the corner of the plate with his left shoe. Detroit catcher Ed Parsons said he had tagged the runner, but, when he argued too long and loud, he was ejected by umpire Bill Summers. Losing hurler Newhouser, who was 8-14 that season, gave up seven hits and fellow southpaw Ed Smith five.
August 25, 1944
Third inning
Joe Hoover, Tigers vs Browns at Detroit
A wartime replacement player for Detroit, the good-fielding shortstop batted eighth. Hoover opened the third with a single off Denny Galehouse. He then stole second and moved to third when pitcher Dizzy Trout grounded to George McQuinn at first base. Joe remained at the hot corner as Roger Cramer flied out to Al Zarilla in short left. Eddie Mayo walked and when Galehouse pitched to Pinky Higgins, Mayo made a belated break for second. When he became temporarily trapped in a rundown, Hoover dashed for the plate. This brought a throw from McQuinn, but Joe “deftly avoided the tag of Brownie catcher Frank Mancuso.” Mayo completed the double steal and Rudy York shortly ended the inning by fouling out. Trout allowed only four hits overall. It was his fourth shutout and twenty-first win of the season. Galehouse gave up four hits in seven innings and George Caster one. Although the Browns lost this close contest, they beat out the Bengals by one game to win their first and only pennant.
July 7, 1945 (Game 1)
First inning
Wally Moses, White Sox vs A’s at Chicago
Moses, who became a prolific base stealer in his thirties, led off the game with a walk, was bunted to second by Roy Schalk and moved to third on an infield out by Kerby Farrell. When Philadelphia hurler Luther Knerr took a leisurely windup, Moses dashed home with the run that stood up for the remainder of the game. Spectacled Bill Dietrich gave up nine hits, but bested Knerr who yielded six. Although this was a “leadoff” steal of home for Moses, he was the only major league player to steal home three times in extra innings in his career. Frank Frisch and Tony Lazzeri had done it twice.
September 21, 1964
Sixth inning
Chico Ruiz, Reds vs Phillies at Philadelphia
The rookie third baseman singled off the Phil’s Art Mahaffey and moved to third on another single by Vada Pinson. With one strike on Frank Robinson, pitcher Mahaffey was taken completely by surprise when second-baseman Tony Taylor shouted “there he goes” as the fleet-footed Cuban broke for home. Mahaffey uncorked a high, wide pitch which catcher Clay Dalrymple wasn’t able to get his mitt on before Ruiz slid over the plate. Mahaffey allowed six hits before being relieved by Larry Locke in the seventh inning. Bobby Shantz, who was closing out his career, pitched the ninth. The hurling star was the Greek righthander John Tsitouris, who allowed six hits in his only shutout of the season. This was Chico’s only career steal of home. He died eight years later in an auto crash at age 33.
July 31, 1972
Fourth inning
Amos Otis, Royals vs Angels at Anaheim
Pitcher Nolan Ryan was not having one of his best days. He walked former Mets teammate Amos Otis and then was charged with two of his three errors while throwing wildly trying to pick him off base. With John Mayberry at bat and the count three-and-two, Otis got a good jump on Ryan, who was planning to throw a curve, but tried to switch to a fast ball. The complication was that neither Bob Lemon, the Royals manager, George Strickland, the third-base coach, nor Mayberry, the batter, was aware of Otis’ plan to steal home. A horrified Lemon said: “I didn’t tell him to go. His head could have gone over the left-field fence, and I’d get sent up for manslaughter.” Mayberry said: “I was the most surprised guy in the ball park. If it had been a strike, I would have struck out.” Fortunately, it was a ball and “Famous Amos” scored. Ryan gave up only one hit in the eight frames he worked He fanned eleven and walked six. Eddie Fisher pitched the ninth. The Royals’ Roger Nelson allowed three hits in the 1-0 win.
*****
This was the last of the 16 steals of home which won a 1-0 game, and only two of them took place in the last half century. Obviously, there is no number comparison with home runs winning 1-0 games. In summary, however, an appropriate question would be: Did any of these players who “stole” a 1-0 game also win a 1-0 game with a home run? Yes, Frank Schulte did it twice: July 1, 1912 (in the twelfth inning), and Sep. 15, 1915; Max Carey, May 7, 1916; George Burns, June 12, 1918; and Pepper Martin, June 21, 1931.
Postscript
Editor’s note: Since this article was published in 1996, only one other Major League Baseball player has recorded a steal of home in a 1-0 game.
May 21, 1997
Fourth inning
Jim Thome, Indians vs Royals at Cleveland
On their way to a second American League pennant in three seasons, the high-powered Cleveland offense sputtered against Royals starter Kevin Appier. In the bottom of the fourth, Jim Thome led off with a single and advanced on a base hit by Matt Williams. After David Justice struck out, Williams was forced at second base on a groundout by Julio Franco, leaving runners at the corners with two outs. With lefty Brian Giles at the plate, manager Mike Hargrove called for a double steal. Franco took off from first base and when Royals shortstop Jay Bell caught the throw from catcher Tim Spehr in an awkward position, Thome lumbered home to score the game’s only run and Franco jogged into second base safely. “Julio ran the play right and I got far enough down the line to make it work,” said Thome, an unlikely addition to this list. The Hall of Fame slugger finished his career with 612 home runs and 19 stolen bases.