
Good Tuesday morning, Uni Watchers. I hope everyone had a pleasant Monday.
It being Tuesday, that means it’s time for another edition of Leo’s World, and this week Mr. Strawn continues his look at early 20th Century baseball. So far, Mr. Strawn graced us with the The Old Ball Game (Volume 1), The Old Ball Game (Volume 2), and The Old Ball Game (Volume 3). Today we’ll look at Volume 4.
Enjoy!
The Old Ball Game (Volume 4)
by Leo Strawn, Jr.
I’m Leo…welcome to my world!
Before we begin I have a couple of things to add to this edition. UW reader Perry commented last week about this odd 1901 photo, stating that it might have been taken for a benefit game. (I included that photo last week in Volume 3.) I’ve never seen any reference to any benefit/all star games prior to the Addie Joss game (discussed in detail in this edition). It would seem odd for AL and NL players to get together for anything (though they obviously did for that photo) since the AL was in its first year of existence and the NL didn’t even agree to playing a World Series for two more seasons. Does anyone have any info regarding a benefit game in 1901?
Also, Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that MLB has finally realized that a lifetime ban doesn’t really apply to dead people. In my opinion, that opens the very real possibility of Shoeless Joe Jackson finally getting his props in Cooperstown. Ironically, he is in the top photo of the Joss benefit game in this edition, possibly largely forgotten that he was in that game because he played for the Naps, not the AL stars who traveled to play in Cleveland that day and who are usually the ones featured in photos seen on the internet. Anyway, I didn’t have a pic of him in this edition (aside from that Joss benefit photo, below), so I decided to include a 1913 photo of Joe when he played by the lake, wearing stirrups while posing with Ty Cobb. Maybe one day, we’ll be able to say, “This photo, featuring two Hall of Famers…”
Now, back to our show. Let’s take a look at the 1910s, a decade that gave us 3 major leagues: the National, American and Federal leagues.
I know I’ve shared this 1911-12 Cubs jersey with sleeve extensions before, but it deserves a second look.
Here is “Three Finger” Mordecai Brown with the Cubs in 1911.
The club from the South Side looked pretty good at the time, too. This is Matty McIntyre at the end of his career in 1912.
This is a rare look at Boston’s NL club from 1911, the Rustlers (n.k.a., Atlanta Braves).
1911 was a sad year in Cleveland. In 1908, Addie Joss threw the second perfect game of the 20th century and second in the AL (Cy Young was the first to do so, in 1904). Joss was beloved by the lake, and for good reason, leading the AL in ERA in 1904 & 1908, leading the league in wins in 1907 and, in addition to his perfecto of 1908, threw a second no-hitter in 1910, both against the Chisox.
In spring training for the 1911 season, he collapsed on the field on April 3. After missing his opening day start, he unexpectedly died of tubercular meningitis on April 14. This led the team to play a benefit game for his family, the first unofficial All Star Game, between Cleveland and some star players from other AL clubs. It was played on July 24, a day that oddly had no scheduled games in the American League. The players who participated not only gave up an off day to help the Joss family, they also did so for no money. A couple of oddities can be spotted in the pics below. First, Ty Cobb is wearing a Cleveland road uniform instead of his Tigers uni. Also, notice that every AL club is represented except one. Ironically, the team missing any representative just happened to be the club that Joss threw 2 no-hitters against.
The legendary Walter Johnson can also be seen in the mix. Here he is circa 1912. (It’s possible this could be from as late as 1915, however.) Two questions I have about this photo are the lack of pinstripes and the black armband. Anyone have any info?
Which brings me to an interesting jersey with an interesting story. Apparently, Guy “Cotton” Johnson was a career minor leaguer who spent some time in Senators spring training camp prior to the 1911 season. The story is that the Big Train gave Cotton this jersey. Although both shared the same surname, they were apparently not related, however I suspect both being pitchers named “Johnson” may have bonded the two, with the legend taking the young hurler under his wing. While the colors (perhaps due to fading) and number of buttons don’t match Okkonen’s Senators jerseys from that season, this is purported to be an authentic 1911 Washington jersey and it’s a beaut.
Probably like a lot of you, because of Pete Rose, I know who Wee Willie Keeler was. Rose tied his NL single-season consecutive game hitting string of 44 in 1978. But did you know the reason why when a batter with 2 strikes on him in the count bunts foul it is an out is due to Keeler? Apparently, he had an uncanny ability to foul off just about any pitch via the bunt, resulting in the best at bat-to-strikeout ratio for a season in history (1 K per 285 AB in 1899 with Brooklyn, striking out only twice the entire season) and earning him a lot of BB (e.g., Willie walked 37 times in that same season). Here he is in 1912 in a Brooklyn uniform. He retired in 1910 and I can’t find any indication that he coached with the Dodgers, so I’m not sure of the story behind this photo. My guess is that they honored him for his playing days with Brooklyn, but that’s just a guess. Anyone know?
Evidently, Fatima cigarettes were an early (unofficial) sponsor of Major League Baseball.
I had to include these pics of Jim Thorpe with the Giants. What’s not to love?
Not sure the Reds wearing all navy sits well with me, but I do like the mono dark look in black and white. This is Rube Benton in 1913.
If I ever had solid info on this armband, I’ve forgotten and I couldn’t find anything online while prepping this article. I can’t even recall where I found this photo, but I have it marked as Doc Johnston of the Naps and the armband is for Boosters’ Day in 1913.
Up next are 1914 and 1915, interesting years for MLB.
Until then…
Cheers!
Thanks, Leo — yet another fun one. Leo didn’t mention it, but the uniform worn by Jim Thorpe featured a bit of purple accents — on the brim and the interlocking NY. Here’s another look:

This uni was actually cited by the Giants as partial justification for adding purple to their new 2025 City Connects. So…yeah.
Readers? What say you?
Well Danny White is at QB, so it’s post 1979, Eagles wore white at home for 1980 NFC Championship game. January 11, 1981. Eagles win 20-7 at the Vet and advance to their first Super Bowl. First of 3 straight Cowboys NFC Championship game loses.
It was also the end of the line for the bad luck blue jerseys; this was the last game they ever wore them.
I wish the Cowboys would remember they won the NFC championship against the Rams in those jerseys for the right to go to Super Bowl 13. They were the home team, but chose to wear white… and they lost to the Steelers.
They need to quit this bad luck blue nonsense and bring back those great jerseys.
Quick turnaround on the GTGFTS
Last Saturday 17 May 2025
Twins beat Brewers 7-0, missing numerical perfection in the 7th and 8th innings leaving runners on first both times.
Well done! I was at the game (Brewers cribbage board giveaway!) and I’d never seen a scoreline like that. Was hoping they could keep it going but the Twins got blanked in the 7th and 8th. Brewers bats were quiet all night.
I was at the game too. The cribbage board is one of the better giveaways I’ve seen at a game. They’re going for crazy money on eBay and now I’m mad at my wife for turning it down at the gate. LOL
If the Twins had pulled it off, they would have been the first team to score a single run in every inning and only the third to score in each of 9 innings. (there are 18 games where the home team scored in the first 8 innings and didn’t play the ninth).
Boxscores from the two “every inning” games:
link
link
Thanks for posting those links. To bring it full circle, the second link is a Cardinals Cubs game in 1964 that Bob Uecker played in.
Fantastic entry today Leo! I really love all the old timey pictures and stories. The Addie Joss benefit game, in particular, is a fascinating bit of mostly forgotten baseball lore.
It’s tangentially related, but I recommend this video essay about baseball and, well, a lot of other things, by Jon Bois–the central story revolves around a 1930’s career minor leaguer named Joe Sprinz: link
Thanks, AJ!
GTGFTU – 1980 Conference Championship, Veterans Stadium. Eagles beat the Cowboys 20-7 to advance to Super Bowl XV. It’s the only matchup of these two specific uniforms.
Unfortunately, it was also the last Rob
Leo, always a pleasure to step into your world
Here is a blurb from the April 4, 1912 edition of The NY Times. Not suggesting this is necessarily connected to the photo but Keeler was coaching with Brooklyn.
SPRINGFELD, Ohio, April 3.—The Brooklyn ball players, after a three days’ stay here without anything resembling outdoor work, left early this evening for Portsmouth, Ohio, where they play to-morrow and Friday. The second team, with Willie Keeler in charge, went to Dayton, where they will work out to-morrow and Friday, playing the Central League there on Saturday and Sunday. It has not yet been decided whether the second team will join the regulars en route to Washington, or go direct from Dayton to Brooklyn. Pitcher Morrow has been released to the Newark Club.
Thanks for that.
Cheers!
Willie Keeler’s SABR bio says he was a Dodgers coach in 1912. link
Easier to find info on managers than coaches. Thanks for finding that!
It helps that he was a player. If you go to any player’s page on Baseball Reference, if they have a SABR bio it’ll be linked there. And the bios usually cover their post-playing activities.
BR and Wiki (believe it or not) are my two go-to sites to start when I’m writing these. (Wiki is actually pretty accurate when it comes to sports.)
But locating coaching info isn’t always simple. On Babe Ruth’s page, BR doesn’t even indicate he was a coach and that’s pretty common knowledge among people who are more than just casual baseball fans.
So, I asked that question because when I was prepping for this article, I didn’t see anywhere that either BR or Wiki stated Keeler coached. Even the coaching staff info on 1912 Dodgers page doesn’t mention anyone but Manager Bill Dahlen. Like I said, coaches are harder to find info on than managers.
link
That’s why I ask questions of readers when I run into a dead end on obscure sports info. Much easier to dig up the facts with a whole community doing it. Always glad when someone finds an answer or proof that I wasn’t able to locate, so thanks again to you and James for tracking down that info!
Cheers!
The “odd 1901 photo” might be from a barnstorming tour after the season. The tours were a way for players to earn extra money.
Sounds very reasonable. Might try to find some info on barnstorming tours and see what I can find.
Cheers!
“Not sure the Reds wearing all navy sits well with me”
Sure doesn’t sit well with me… that’s almost as bad as their City Connect. Almost.
Another great piece, Leo. Can’t wait for the Federal League!
Thanks Jimmer. I wish the FL had lasted longer than it did. Good photos of that league are pretty scarce. Sharing what I have next week…
Cheers!
Re: Giants/Jim Thorpe, the 2025 Giants CC accents are violet after NYU’s nickname, the Violets.