The 1908 major league baseball season began on April 14, 1908. The regular season ended on October 8, with the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers as regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. In a rematch of the prior year's postseason, the postseason began with Game 1 of the fifth modern World Series on October 10 and ended with Game 5 on October 14. In the second iteration of this World Series matchup (and a rematch of the previous year), The Cubs defeated the Tigers, four games to one, capturing their second championship in franchise history, and the first team to win back-to-back World Series.
The 1908 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place for the 1904 season. This format would last until 1919.
Opening Day took place on April 14 with all but the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals playing. The final day of the regular season was on October 8. The World Series took place between October 10 and October 14.
Rule changes
The 1908 season saw the following rule changes:
The American League made the following rule changes:[1]
Language on postponed games was adopted, stating "All postponed games of the first series shall be played on the first or succeeding days of the second series; all postponed games of the second and third series shall be played on the next day or succeeding day of the same series."
A rule stating "restricts the practice of acquiring a player by refusing waiver on him and then immediately turning him over to a club outside the league."
On February 27, 1908, the three organizations of the National Commission of Baseball Clubs, National League, and American League announced several rule changes, effective immediately.[2]
The act of rubbing the ball on the ground, clothing, shoes, or dropping the ball and picking it up with a handful of gravel or dirt by the pitcher was prohibited.
The sacrifice fly rule is adopted. No time at bat is charged if a run scores after the catch of a fly ball. The rule would eventually be repealed in 1931, then reinstated (or changed) several times before gaining permanent acceptance in 1954.
The trend of each team playing 22 games with every other in-league team was written into the Major League Baseball Constitution, with rules for playing makeup games at the originally scheduled ballpark in the event of tie games, rain delays, and other game-preventing situations being put in place. If the series of all scheduled games has ended with makeup games remaining, if possible, the remaining game(s) can be made up on the opposite team's ballpark, with a date agreed by the two teams.
16 tie games (10 in AL, 6 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
Pitched the fourth perfect game in major league history and the first in franchise history on October 2 against the Chicago White Sox. Joss threw 74 pitches (the lowest known pitch count ever for a perfect game) and struck out three in the 1–0 victory.[8]
Young threw his third career no-hitter and the fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the New York Highlanders 8–0 on June 30. Young walked one and struck out two.[9]
Wiltse threw his first career no-hitter and the fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 1–0 in 10 innings on the first game of a doubleheader on July 4. Wiltse hit one batter by pitch and struck out five.[10]
Rucker threw his first career no-hitter and the sixth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Boston Doves 6–0 on the second game of a doubleheader on September 5. Rucker walked zero batters by pitch and struck out 14, though two batters would reach base via error.[11]
Rhoads threw his first career no-hitter and the first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Boston Red Sox 2–1 on September 18. Rhoads walked two, hit one by pitch, and struck out two.[12]
Smith threw his second career no-hitter and the third no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 1–0 on September 20. Smith walked one and struck out two, though allowed two runners on base.[13]
Anderson, David W. (2000). More Than Merkle: A History of the Best and Most Exciting Baseball Season in Human History. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN0-8032-1056-6.
Fleming, G.H. (1981). The Unforgettable Season: The Most Exciting & Calamitous Pennant Race of All Time. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. ISBN0-03-056221-X.
Murphy, Cait. (2007). Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History. New York: HarperCollins/Smithsonian Books. ISBN0-06-088937-3.
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