1920 Brooklyn Robins season

The 1920 Brooklyn Robins, also known as the Dodgers, won 16 of their final 18 games to pull away from a tight pennant race and earn a trip to their second World Series against the Cleveland Indians. They lost the series in seven games.

The team featured four Hall of Famers: manager Wilbert Robinson, pitchers Burleigh Grimes and Rube Marquard, and outfielder Zack Wheat. Grimes anchored a pitching staff that allowed the fewest runs in the majors.

Offseason

January 1920: Frank O'Rourke was purchased from the Robins by the Washington Senators.^[1]
January 12, 1920: Mack Wheat was purchased from the Robins by the Philadelphia Phillies.^[2]
March 1920: Bill Lamar was purchased by the Robins from the Boston Red Sox.^[3]

Regular season

On May 1, Brooklyn and the Boston Braves played what remains the longest major league baseball game, tied 1 to 1 at the end of nine innings and then going scoreless for 17 more until the game 26-inning game was called because of darkness ^[4]

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

May 22, 1920: Bill McCabe was purchased by the Robins from the Chicago Cubs.^[5]
July 1920: Wally Hood was purchased from the Robins by the Pittsburgh Pirates.^[6]
July 27, 1920: Doug Baird was purchased from the Robins by the New York Giants.^[7]

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Bases on balls; SO = Strikeouts; CG = Complete games

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Bases on balls; SO = Strikeouts; CG = Complete games

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Bases on balls; SO = Strikeouts

Awards and honors

League top ten finishers

Burleigh Grimes

#2 in NL in strikeouts (131)
#3 in NL in wins (23)
#3 in NL in ERA (2.22)

Zack Wheat

#4 in NL in batting average (.328)
#4 in NL in on-base percentage (.385)

1920 World Series

On October 10, 1920, which was the fifth game of the World Series, Elmer Smith of the Indians hit the first grand slam in World Series history. On the same day, Bill Wambsganss of the Indians had an unassisted triple play. He caught a liner, touched second base, and tagged the runner coming from first base.^[8] During that same game, Indians pitcher Jim Bagby became the first pitcher to hit a home run in World Series history.^[9]

References

^ Frank O'Rourke page at Baseball Reference
^ Mack Wheat page at Baseball Reference
^ Bill Lamar page at Baseball Reference
^ "5 of the longest, strangest games in MLB history", MLB.com
^ Bill McCabe page at Baseball Reference
^ Wally Hood page at Baseball Reference
^ Doug Baird page at Baseball Reference
^ "Unassisted Triple Plays | Baseball Almanac".
^ "World Series | baseballbiography.com". Retrieved August 27, 2008.

External links

Baseball-Reference season page
Baseball Almanac season page
1920 Brooklyn Robins uniform
Brooklyn Dodgers reference site
Acme Dodgers page Archived September 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
Retrosheet