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Baseball's Biggest Dispute

September 23, 2012

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Profile America -- Sunday, September 23rd. This actually happened 104 years ago today. It was the last day of the baseball season, and the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants were battling for the National League pennant. It was bottom of the ninth, score tied 1 to 1, and the Giants had two men on base. The batter hits a single, scoring the winning run. But Fred Merkel on first, seeing the game, over heads for the dugout without taking second. Chicago protests, but by now fans are pouring onto the field. The commissioner of baseball calls the game a tie, forcing a postseason game, which the Cubs win 4 to 2. Some 41 million fans watch National League games each year -- usually with less dramatic endings. You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 466
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1245
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012edition.html