This Date in Baseball History - September 23

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1908 Fred Merkle's failure to touch second after an apparent game-winning hit by Bridwell scoring McCormick from third costs the Giants a 2-1 win over the Cubs when the ump calls him out and rules the game a tie. Merkle's 'boner' will eventually cost the Giants the flag.

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Pfiester held his own against Mathewson and dueled with him to the bottom of the ninth, tied at 1-1. Then the Giants started to rally. Art Devlin singled with one out; after Moose McCormick grounded into a force, up came 19-year old Fred Merkle, who had seen mostly bench duty and was only playing because regular first baseman Fred Tenney was resting from back pains.

Merkle singled, sending McCormick to third representing the potential game-winning run. That brought up shortstop Al Birdwell—who himself singled, sending in McCormick to win the game. Merkle, watching McCormick cross home plate, turned and headed straight to the clubhouse to join in the celebration.

He never bothered to touch second base.

With the Giants in victorious retreat to the clubhouse and part of the crowd of 25,000 flooding onto the field, Johnny Evers was trying desperately to get the attention of center fielder Solly Hofman, who had fielded Birdwell’s single. Hofman heeded but overthrew Evers; the ball came towards Giant pitcher Joe McGinnity, who picked up on what the Cubs were trying to do. A wrestling match ensued between McGinnity, Evers and Cub shortstop Joe Tinker, and McGinnity was able to lob the ball into the stands. Cubs Harry Steinfeldt and Rube Kroh raced into the stands, and had to wrestle the ball away from a fan.

Meanwhile, the Giants in the dugout slowly caught onto the situation. In vain they scrambled to get Merkle back out to second base, but it was too late. Evers was standing on second, ball in handMany believe that the ball Evers stood on top of second base with was not the one hit into the outfield by Birdwell..

Worse for the Giants, umpire Hank O’Day—who had left the field early in Pittsburgh—was hanging around this time and ruled Merkle out, canceling the run and the win. The Cubs and O’Day both bolted to the clubhouse to avoid being pummeled by the criss-crossing of suddenly irate Giant fans

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