May 5, 1904: Cy Young's Perfect Game

"B A" for "Boston Americans."

May 5, 1904: The Boston Americans beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 3-0 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. Denton True "Cy" Young is the winning pitcher, and he allows no baserunners. He becomes the 1st pitcher in the American League ever to pitch a perfect game.

It had been done twice in the National League, within 5 days and 42 miles of each other. Lee Richmond had done it for the Worcester Ruby Legs, against the Cleveland Blues, 1-0 at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds in Worcester, Massachusetts on June 12, 1880. On June 17, at the Messer Street Grounds in Providence, Rhode Island, John Montgomery Ward did it, as the Providence Grays beat the Buffalo Bisons, 5-0.

But those games were performed with underhand tossing -- literally, "pitching" -- with the pitcher's box only 45 feet from home plate. By 1884, the pitcher would begin to throw overhand, and stand on a "mound," 50 feet away. Cy Young reached the major leagues in 1890. In 1893, the mound was moved back, with its rubber 60 feet, 6 inches, which it remains today. So Young, one of the few pitchers to excel both before and after the move, was the 1st to pitch a perfect game under something like the modern rules.

It also made the 37-year-old native of Gilmore, Ohio the 1st pitcher to throw no-hitters in each League. On September 18, 1897, with the Cleveland Spiders of the National League, he pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. He would go on to become the 2nd pitcher to throw 3 no-hitters, and the 1st beyond 50 feet, on June 30, 1908, against the New York Highlanders. He was still with the Boston franchise of the American League, who had been renamed the Boston Red Sox at the start of that season.

The opposing pitcher would join him in the Baseball Hall of Fame: George "Rube" Waddell, the lefthander for whom the term "eccentric" was insufficient. Waddell allowed 3 runs on 10 hits, but he struck out 6 and walked none. He would strike out 349 batters that season, setting a major league record that would last until Sandy Koufax fanned 382 in 1965, and an American League record that would last until Nolan Ryan K's 383 in 1973.

(Some record books once included Bob Feller as having the record, 348 in 1946. This was at a time when Waddell was believed to have struck out 343 in 1904. A check of the records revealed that Waddell actually had 349. Feller still had the highest total between 1904 and 1965.)

As for those 3 runs: The Americans got them on a double by Young's catcher, Lou Criger; a single by right fielder Buck Freeman; and an error by A's 1st baseman Harry Davis. Jimmy Collins, the Americans' manager and perhaps the best 3rd baseman of the time, went 2-for-4.

(In the Dead Ball Era, this was the 1st of 4 straight years when Davis would lead the AL in home runs, with totals of 10, 8, 12 and 8. He became known as "Home Run Harry." Given that he was a 1st baseman, it may have been that he was not a good fielder, but they had to keep his bat in the lineup, so manager Connie Mack stuck him in the position where he could do the least damage. Sometimes, that worked, as with Harmon Killebrew and Dick Allen, who were both powerful sluggers but atrocious 3rd basemen before being moved. Sometimes, it didn't, as with Dick Stuart, who became known as Dr. Strangeglove.)

Young had helped the Americans win the 1st World Series the year before, and would help them win a 2nd straight AL Pennant in this season. There would be no World Series, however, as the NL Champion New York Giants refused to participate.

The perfect game was the 391st win of Cy Young's career. He finished with 511. Waddell finished with 193.

*

May 5, 1904 was a Thursday. These other baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Highlanders lost to the Washington Senators, 9-4 at Hilltop Park in Upper Manhattan. The Highlanders were renamed the Yankees in 1913.

* The New York Giants beat the Boston Beaneaters, 10-5 at the South End Grounds in Boston. This Boston team would be renamed the Braves in 1912.

* The Brooklyn Superbas beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 13-3 at National League Park in Philadelphia. The Superbas would be renamed the Dodgers in 1911, and National League Park was renamed Baker Bowl in 1914.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-0 at the Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati. Claude Elliott pitched a 5-hit shutout.

* The Cleveland Naps beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-3 at Bennett Park in Detroit. The Cleveland team was named after their star 2nd baseman and manager, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, who went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs in this game. They would be renamed the Indians in 1915, and the Guardians in 2022.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the St. Louis Browns, 2-1 at South Side Park in Chicago.

* And the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates were not scheduled.