 Frederick Merkle
New York N.L.
 1908: 'To err is human....."
FRED MERKLE
Merkle, Frederick Charles
b: 12/20/1888, Watertown, Wis. d: 3/2/56, Daytona Beach, Fla.
BR/TR, 6'1", 190 lbs. Deb: 9/21/07 C
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YEAR TM/L G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
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1907 NY-N 15 47 0 12 1 0 0 5 1 .255
1908 NY-N 38 41 6 11 2 1 1 7 4 .268
1909 NY-N 79 236 15 45 9 1 0 20 16 .191
1910 NY-N 144 506 75 148 35 14 4 70 44 59 .292
1911 *NY-N 149 541 80 153 24 10 12 84 43 60 .283
1912 *NY-N 129 479 82 148 22 6 11 84 42 70 .309
1913 *NY-N 153 563 78 147 30 13 2 69 41 60 .261
1914 NY-N 146 512 71 132 25 7 7 63 52 80 .258
1915 NY-N 140 505 52 151 25 3 4 62 36 39 .299
1916 NY-N 112 401 45 95 19 3 7 44 33 46 .237
*Bro-N 23 69 6 16 1 0 0 2 7 4 .232
Yr 135 470 51 111 20 3 7 46 40 50 .236
1917 Bro-N 2 8 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .125
Chi-N 146 549 65 146 30 9 3 57 42 60 .266
Yr 148 557 66 147 31 9 3 57 42 61 .264
1918 *Chi-N 129 482 55 143 25 5 3 65 35 36 .297
1919 Chi-N 133 498 52 133 20 6 3 62 33 35 .267
1920 Chi-N 92 330 33 94 20 4 3 38 24 32 .285
1925 NY-A 7 13 4 5 1 0 0 1 1 1 .385
1926 NY-A 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
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Total 16 1638 5782 720 1580 290 82 60 733 454 ?583 .273
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'What a difference a season makes!' Fred had really come into his own at the end of the 1907 season playing first base for the NY Giants in his rookie season. He was well-received by the newspapers from most of the NL cities. His manager, (Hall Of Famer) John J. McGraw, lauded Merkle and claimed that the rookie was a special player. How ironic that in the following 7 months, Merkle's young baseball life would be irreparably shaped by a miscue at second base. The Giants were leading the Cubs and Pirates in the 1908 NL pennant race. On September 23rd, the famous play took place in the bottom of the 9th inning with the Giants hosting the Chicago Cubs. The score was tied with the Giants threatening to score the winning run. With runners on first (Merkle) and third (McCormick) and two outs, Giants 2nd baseman Al Bridwell singled to centerfield. McCormick crossed homeplate with the 'winning' run. Merkle ran halfway to second on Bridwell's hit and seeing McCormick cross the plate, veered off the basepath and ran to the clubhouse located behind the outfield wall. The mass confusion began with Giant fans streaming onto the field delerious with celebration. (Hall of Fame) Cub 2nd baseman, Johnny Evers, noticed Merkle's action and thinking he had a force out at second base called for the ball from the Cub's centerfielder 'Solly' Hofman. Despite the sea of humanity on the field, Hofman threw the ball to Evers. The ball was thrown to Evers but Giants coach 'Iron Man' Joe McGinnity grabbed the ball from Evers and threw it in the stands. In the meantime, Merkle was told to get back on the field and get to second base. Apparently, some Cub players saw him and held him back. Evers retrieved 'a ball' and motioned to the umpire crew that a there was a force play at second base. Umpire O'Day ruled the runner out and since the game could not continue ruled the game a tie. This ruling was disputed by the Giants. The following day, the National League ruled that the umpire's call stood and that the game was a tie. From that point on to the end of the season, the Giants lead in the pennant race evaporated and the Cubs claimed the NL flag. The NY newspapers vilified Fred Merkle on his play calling his mistake 'Merkle's Bonehead Play'. |
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