Year In Review : 1900 National League
Off the field...
On September 8th, a huge hurricane slammed into the coast of Galveston, Texas killing an estimated 6,000-8,000 people. Although storm-warning signals were posted along Louisiana and north Texas coast from the 4th to the 6th, no one in the Weather Bureau office associated these conditions to the approach of the storm, which had raked the Florida Keys. Since Galveston was a town on an island that amounted to little more than an unprotected sandbar, the city was completely devastated. The "Galveston Hurricane" tragedy is still considered the worst in U.S. history and was responsible for more American deaths than the legendary Johnstown Flood, the San Francisco Earthquake, the 1938 New England Hurricane and the Great Chicago Fire combined.
In the National League...
Chicago Colts (Cubs) Jimmy Ryan led a 4-3 victory over Cincinnati Reds pitcher Noodles Hahn with the twentieth leadoff home run of his career.
The National League rules committee stated that: a single umpire (not two) would work each game, a balk rule would allow only a base runner to advance (not the batter), and a change in the shape of home plate to five-sided would be instituted to eliminate the corners of the old one-foot by one-foot plate.
On July 7th, Boston Braves hurler Kid Nichols tossed his three-hundredth career victory, beating the Chicago Colts (Cubs) 11-4. The pinnacle victory came two months before his thirty-first birthday, making him the youngest pitcher ever to reach win number three-hundred.
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