Baseball’s Greatest 9th-Inning Rally

Detroit Tigers hero Frank “Pop” Dillon. Picture credits: Pinterest

It might have been a short story written by Ring Lardner about a team that rallied for a miraculous 9th-inning comeback victory led by a hero named Ike.

But it happened -- in the first game ever played by the Detroit Tigers in the newly launched American League 125 years ago. And nothing like it has ever been seen again.

The season was scheduled to open on April 24, but only Chicago’s opener against Cleveland was played; all the others, including Detroit’s home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, were rained out.

Opening Day

The next day was sunny and warm. Baseball’s season-openers were always a big civic event in those days. The two teams would ride in open carriages from the visitors’ hotel to the ballpark, where they were greeted by civic dignitaries and brass bands. The leadoff batter might be presented with a bouquet of flowers.

Bennett Park - the setting of the Tigers’ miraculous comeback victory

On this day the two teams were also greeted by more than 10,000 baseball-hungry fans who had overflowed the rickety wooden Bennett Park seats onto the outfield grass.  The two teams agreed on a ground rule that fly balls hit into the outfield crowd would be doubles. 

Overflow Crowds

The practice of allowing overflow crowds to occupy outfield space, sometimes restrained by ropes or police, would continue for the next few decades with the same ground rule in effect. This would often produce high-scoring games.

On this day the visiting Brewers were benefitting the most by it. They led, 13-4, going into the bottom of the 9th. Some of the crowd left but the outfield standees had, if anything, moved in a little closer.

Bottom of the 9th

The first Detroit batter hit a fly ball into the crowd for a double. An infield hit and single to center made the score 13-5. Then there were one – two – three straight fly balls hit into the crowd. Four more runs scored and it was 13-9.

The crowd was berserk; its enthusiasm carried the standees closer behind the infield, causing the Milwaukee manager, center fielder Hugh Duffy, to call time and protest to home plate umpire, Jack Sheridan, who called on the Detroit players to help push back the encroaching crowd. 

Duffy also replaced his unnerved pitcher with Burt Husting, who got the first out before giving up a walk and a single to make it 13-10. After a bunt down the third base line loaded the bases, Husting struck out the next batter for the second out.

A grounder to third would have ended the game but the third baseman booted it and another run scored, making it 13-11. Another infield hit brought home the eighth run to make it 13-12.

First baseman Frank Dillon had already hit three ground rule doubles. He launched his fourth into the crowd in left field, scoring the tying and winning runs for the unimaginable and never again equaled 10th run of the 9th-inning rally that sent the jubilant Detroit fans home celebrating a truly once-in-a-lifetime baseball memory, the likes of which has never been seen again.