1926 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1926 throughout the world.

Champions

NNL Championship Series World Series
ECL Atlantic City 4
NNL1 Kansas City 4 NNL Chicago 5
NNL2 Chicago 5


Awards and honors

Statistical leaders

American League National League Negro National League Eastern Colored League
Stat Player Total Player Total Player Total Player Total
AVG Heinie Manush (DET) .378 Bubbles Hargrave (CIN) .353 Mule Suttles1 (SLS) .425 Martín Dihigo (CSE) .375
HR Babe Ruth (NYY) 47 Hack Wilson (CHC) 21 Mule Suttles1 (SLS) 32 Martín Dihigo (CSE) 14
RBI Babe Ruth (NYY) 153 Jim Bottomley (SLC) 120 Mule Suttles1 (SLS) 130 Clint Thomas (HIL) 78
Wins George Uhle (CLE) 27 Pete Donohue (CIN)
Ray Kremer (PIT)
Lee Meadows (PIT)
Flint Rhem (SLC)
20 Logan Hensley (SLS) 18 Nip Winters (HIL) 17
ERA Lefty Grove (PHA) 2.51 Ray Kremer (PIT) 2.61 Bill Foster (CAG) 1.80 Willis Flournoy (BRG) 2.32
K Lefty Grove (PHA) 194 Dazzy Vance (BKN) 140 Logan Hensley (SLS) 122 Claude Grier (AC) 141

1 Negro National League Triple Crown batting winner

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Negro leagues final standings

All Negro leagues standings below are per Seamheads.[1]

Negro National League final standings

This was the second season in which a playoff was held to determine the pennant, for which the first half leader would be matched against the second half winner. Kansas City won the first half while Chicago won the second half. As such, they met for a best-of-nine Championship Series. Chicago would win the series in nine games to win their fourth pennant.[2]

Eastern Colored League final standings

Independent teams final standings

The Homestead Grays were not a part of any league but were considered major-league tier.

vs. All Teams
Independent Clubs W L T Pct. GB
Homestead Grays 2 0 1 .833

Events

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January–February

  • January 12 – Michael Campbell, 76[?], Irish first baseman for the 1873 Elizabeth Resolutes of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players.
  • January 27 – Bill McCauley, 56, shortstop for the 1895 Washington Senators of the National League.
  • January 31 – Lou Bierbauer, 60, second baseman for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh teams who batted .300 three times, while leading the National League in fielding percentage in the 1892 season.
  • February 10 – Frank J. Farrell, 60, New York City politician prominent in horse-racing circles who, with William Stephen Devery, bought the original Baltimore Orioles of the American League in 1902, moved them to New York as the Highlanders in 1903, and sold them (as the New York Yankees) to Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston in 1915.
  • February 10 – Charlie Krehmeyer, 62, catcher and outfielder who played from to 1885 for the NL St. Louis Browns, AA Louisville Colonels and UA St. Louis Maroons.
  • February 12 – Francis Richter, 72, sportswriter, editor of annual Reach Guides since 1901, revered for his authoritative commentary on the state of the sport; established first newspaper sports department in 1872, founded Sporting Life newspaper in 1883; helped form 1882 American Association, assisted in 1891 merger with the National League, while renouncing NL presidency in 1907.
  • February 14 – Gil Whitehouse, 32, right fielder for the 1912 Boston Braves (NL) and the 1915 Newark Peppers (FL).
  • February 20 – Ed High, 52, pitcher for the 1901 Detroit Tigers of the American League.
  • February 23 – Hi Church, 62, outfielder for the 1890 Brooklyn Gladiators of the American Association.
  • February 24 – Eddie Plank, 50, Hall of Fame pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 to 1914, who became the first left-hander to win 200 games, continuing until he had compiled 326 victories, including eight 20-win seasons, a two-hit victory in final game of 1913 World Series, 2246 strikeouts and 69 shutouts, being the top left-hander with 410 complete games, and setting American League career marks for left-handers in games, innings and starts.
  • February 25 – Otto Hess, 47, Swiss pitcher who played for the AL Cleveland Bronchos/Naps (1902–1908) and the NL Boston Braves (1912–1915).
  • February 27 – Otis Clymer, 50, right fielder for the Senators, Pirates, Cubs and Braves in six seasons between 1905 and 1913.

March–May

  • March 8 – Howard Armstrong, 36, pitcher for the AL Philadelphia Athletics during the 1911 season.
  • March 19 – Wild Bill Hutchison, 66, pitcher for the Colts, White Stockings, Browns and Cowboys between 1884 and 1897, who led the National League in wins from 1890 to 1892 (41, 44 and 36), averaging 596 innings in each of these seasons, while retiring with a 182–162 record and a 3.59 ERA in 356 games.
  • March 27 – Kick Kelly, 69, umpire in the 1880s who officiated in three World Championship Series; played 16 games in 1879 with Syracuse and Troy, also managed Louisville.
  • April 1 – Al Martin, 78, second baseman for the Brooklyn Eckfords (1872) and Brooklyn Atlantics (1874–75) of the National Association.
  • April 14 – Eddie Fusselback, 69, catcher/outfielder for the 1882 St. Louis Brown Stockings (AA), 1884 Baltimore Monumentals (UA), 1885 Philadelphia Athletics (AA) and 1888 Louisville Colonels (AA).
  • April 16 – George Chauncey, 78, owner of the 1890 Brooklyn Ward's Wonders and part-owner of the Brooklyn Grooms (1891–1896).
  • April 18 – George Haddock, 59, pitcher for seven seasons from 1888 to 1894, winning 34 games for the 1891 Boston Reds and 29 for the 1892 Brooklyn Grooms.
  • April 23 – Henry Schmidt, 52, pitcher for the 1903 Brooklyn Superbas (1903) of the National League.
  • April 27 – Charlie Abbey, 59, outfielder who played from 1893 through 1887 with the Washington Senators of the National League.
  • May 1 – Ed Conwell, 36, pinch-hitter for the 1911 St. Louis Cardinals.

June–August

  • June 4 – Sandy Griffin, 67, outfielder for the Broncos/Browns/Statesmen/Gothams in parts of four seasons spanning 1884–1893.
  • June 13 – Johnny Beall, 44, outfielder for the Cardinals/WhiteSox/Reds/Naps between 1913 and 1918.
  • June 18 – Alex Gardner, 65, Canadian catcher for the 1884 Washington Nationals of the American Association.
  • June 22 – Joe Crotty, 66, catcher for the Louisville Eclipse, St. Louis Brown Stockings, Cincinnati Outlaw Reds, Louisville Colonels and New York Metropolitans between the 1882 and 1886 seasons.
  • June 24 – Jim Gillespie, 64, outfielder for the 1890 Buffalo Bisons of the Players' League.
  • August 7 – Moose Baxter, 50, first baseman for the 1907 St. Louis Cardinals.
  • August 19 – George Cobb, 60, pitcher for the 1892 Baltimore Orioles of the National League.
  • August 20 – Cal McVey, 75, early star with the 1869 Red Stockings who batted .431 in National Association's 1871 debut season, topped .300 mark through 1878; led National League in hits, RBI and total bases twice each, and in runs and doubles once.
  • August 23 – Emil Batch, 46, third baseman and left fielder for the Brooklyn Superbas between 1904 and 1907.

September–October

  • September 2 – Ed McDonough, 39, backup catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1909 to 1910.
  • September 9 – Dick Conway, 60, pitcher/right fielder for the 1886 Baltimore Orioles and the 1887–1888 Boston Beaneaters.
  • September 12 – Danny Richardson, 63, National League infielder/outfielder who played from 1884 through 1894 with the New York Gothams/Giants, Washington Senators and Brooklyn Grooms.
  • September 17 – Tom Drohan, 39, pitcher for the 1913 Washington Senators of the American League.
  • September 21 – Jim Keenan, 68, catcher/first baseman who played between 1875 and 1891 for the New Haven Elm Citys, Buffalo Bisons, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Indianapolis Hoosiers, and the Cincinnati Red Stockings/Reds.
  • October 2 – Art Sunday, 64, right fielder for the 1890 Brooklyn Ward's Wonders of the Players' League.
  • October 5 – Al Burch, 42, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers from 1906 to 1911.
  • October 5 – Howard Murphy, 44, backup centerfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1909 season.
  • October 6 – Holly Hollingshead, 73, center fielder/second baseman from 1872 to 1873, 1875 and manager in 1875 and 1884, for the National and Blue Legs teams in the Washington, D.C. area.
  • October 10 – Brownie Foreman, 51, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds from 1895 to 1896.
  • October 16 – Charlie Levis, 66, first baseman for the Baltimore Monumentals, Washington Nationals, Indianapolis Hoosiers and Baltimore Orioles between 1884 and 1885, and also a minor league player/manager during eight seasons spanning 1883–92.
  • October 22 – Jake Aydelott, 65, pitcher/centerfielder for the 1884 Indianapolis Hoosiers and the 1886 Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association.

November–December

  • November 2 – Bill Bailey, 38, pitcher for the St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Terrapins, Chicago Whales, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals in parts of 11 seasons spanning 1907–1922.
  • November 10 – John Cattanach, 63, pitcher/right fielder who played for the Providence Grays and the St. Louis Maroons in the 1884 season.
  • November 10 – Ed Flanagan, 65, first baseman for the 1887 Philadelphia Athletics and the 1889 Louisville Colonels of the American Association.
  • November 10 – George Pinkney, 67, a daring base runner and steady third baseman, who played from 1884 to 1893 with the Cleveland Blues, Brooklyn Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms, St. Louis Browns and Louisville Colonels, collecting a .263 average with 874 runs and 296 stolen bases in 1163 games, while leading the American Association in several statistical categories, including games played (1886, 1888), runs (1888), walks (1886), putouts (1886), assists (1887) and fielding percentage (1887, 1889).
  • November 13 – Frank Pearce, 66, pitcher for the 1876 Louisville Grays of the National League.
  • November 19 – Fred Smith, 61, pitcher for the 1890 Toledo Maumees of the American Association.
  • November 21 – John Shaffer, 62, pitcher who played from 1886 to 1887 for the New York Metropolitans of the American Association.
  • December 2 – Dave Skeels, 34, pitcher for the 1919 Detroit Tigers.
  • December 4 – Abel Lizotte, 56, first baseman for the 1896 Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • December 12 – Ed Sixsmith, 63, catcher for the 1884 Philadelphia Quakers of the National League.
  • December 14 – George Myers, 66, National League catcher/outfielder for the Buffalo Bisons, St. Louis Maroons and Indianapolis Hoosiers from 1884 to 1889.
  • December 14 – Tom Needham, 47, Irish catcher who played from 1904 through 1914 for the Boston Beaneaters/Doves, New York Giants and Chicago Cubs, collecting a .962 fielding average and a 45% of caught stealing in 465 career games, while gunning down a 60.5% percent of potential base stealers in 1911 to lead the National League.
  • December 22 – Harry Weber, 64, backup catcher for the 1884 Indianapolis Hoosiers of the American Association.
  • December 26 – William Stecher, 57, pitcher and third baseman for the 1890 Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association.

References

  1. ^ "1926 Season- Seamheads Negro Leagues Database". www.seamheads.com. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  2. ^ "1926 Negro National League Season Summary".