of the American League, the a'ernoon was made "#BTLFUPG'SFTI memorable by Morris “Doc” Amole’s pitching per- formance. #e Bu!alo starter silenced the home- town favorites without a hit, winning 8–0. (PPTF&HHT About 5,000 fans packed the grandstand and bleachers%hundreds more ringed the &eld. It was Buffalo Bisons vs. Detroit Tigers the largest Opening Day crowd in Detroit since its Benne! Park, Detroit National League days in the late 1880s. Before that a'ernoon, Amole, a 21-year-old le'-hander, was April 19, 1900 probably best known for a prank he pulled when he was 17 years old during his &rst season of pro- By Je! Samoray fessional ball with Wilmington (Delaware) of the Atlantic League. During a poorly planned exhibi- n April 19, 1900, hundreds of baseball fans tion night game on July 4, 1896, Amole replaced 0 gathered outside the Russell House in Detroit the ball with a “torpedo” &recracker that ignited to cheer their Tigers and begin Opening Day fes- on impact. Ba$er Honus Wagner couldn’t see the tivities. A marching band led a parade of carriages explosive device in the dim light. He smacked the carrying city and county o"cials, reporters, and the torpedo, resulting in a (ash of light and a loud Tigers, wearing their new white uniforms with black pop. #e game ended abruptly as Wagner stood trim. #e Bu!alo Bisons rode in their own carriage stunned at the plate. #e Wilmington players (ed at the rear, dressed in their road grays. About 400 the &eld while fans le' the stands and angrily de- members of the Elks joined the parade en route to manded refunds.2 Benne$ Park, while streetside fans blew tin horns Amole compiled a 4–10 record in 18 major- and cheered lustily. league games with Baltimore and Washington in Detroiters had reason to feel optimistic about the 1897. He joined Bu!alo in 1898, going 11–11 with coming baseball season. Just a month earlier, local one shutout. During the 1899 season, Amole ran businessman James Burns and team manager George into trouble%the team &ned him and a teammate Stallings had purchased the Tigers, ending specula- $25 apiece for “keeping late hours.”3 Bu!alo released tion that the newly christened American League% Amole that July, then re-signed him. fashioned from the former Western League%might Detroit right-hander Jack Cronin retired the drop the team because of ongoing legal disputes. side in the first before Amole took the mound. #e acquisition ended six tumultuous years under He initially looked shaky, as Tigers left fielder and quarrelsome owner George Vanderbeck. leadoff hitter Harry Bay reached base on an error It was also the &rst game for the re-christened and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Center league (Chicago had been scheduled to host the fielder Dick Harley walked and the runners ad- inaugural game, but it was rained out.) Western vanced on a sacrifice. Amole escaped damage by League owners had renamed the circuit during the striking out second baseman Suter Sullivan and o!season, signaling league President Ban Johnson’s getting right fielder Lew “Sport” McAllister out ambitions of achieving major-league status. Al- on a foul fly. though the caliber of play among American League #e Tigers’ only other scoring opportunity came teams during the 1900 season is debatable,1 fans still in the fourth. Amole walked shortstop Norman felt enthusiastic about the league’s major-league as- “Kid” Elberfeld, who advanced to third a'er a wild pirations, which it achieved in 1901. pitch and a sacri&ce bunt. With one out, Elberfeld Aside from being the &rst game in the history a$empted to score on an in&eld grounder, but Bi- – 272 – "e 100 Greatest Games of the 19th Century of the American League, the a'ernoon was made memorable by Morris “Doc” Amole’s pitching per- formance. #e Bu!alo starter silenced the home- town favorites without a hit, winning 8–0. About 5,000 fans packed the grandstand and bleachers%hundreds more ringed the &eld. It was the largest Opening Day crowd in Detroit since its National League days in the late 1880s. Before that a'ernoon, Amole, a 21-year-old le'-hander, was probably best known for a prank he pulled when he was 17 years old during his &rst season of pro- fessional ball with Wilmington (Delaware) of the Atlantic League. During a poorly planned exhibi- tion night game on July 4, 1896, Amole replaced the ball with a “torpedo” &recracker that ignited on impact. Ba$er Honus Wagner couldn’t see the explosive device in the dim light. He smacked the torpedo, resulting in a (ash of light and a loud pop. #e game ended abruptly as Wagner stood stunned at the plate. #e Wilmington players (ed the &eld while fans le' the stands and angrily de- manded refunds.2 Amole compiled a 4–10 record in 18 major- Detroit’s 1900 American League team. Back: Emil Frisk, Pop Dillon, Bill Hill, Ed Siever, league games with Baltimore and Washington in Roscoe Miller, Jack Cronin, Jack Ryan. Front: Ducky Holmes, George Nicol, Frank Owen, 1897. He joined Bu!alo in 1898, going 11–11 with Dick Harley, unidentified man in suit, Sport McAllister, Doc Casey, Joe Yeager, Al Shaw. one shutout. During the 1899 season, Amole ran into trouble%the team &ned him and a teammate sons shortstop Bill Hallman threw him out at the $25 apiece for “keeping late hours.”3 Bu!alo released plate. #ird baseman Ed Wheeler ended the inning Doc Amole … was in grand form, had all Amole that July, then re-signed him. with a grounder to second. Detroit didn’t get anoth- sorts of curves and speed and kept the Tigers Detroit right-hander Jack Cronin retired the er baserunner until there was one out in the ninth, guessing so e!ectually that only once in the side in the first before Amole took the mound. when Amole hit Elberfeld. But the Tigers went qui- game was there anything that approached He initially looked shaky, as Tigers left fielder and etly as Sullivan (ied to center &elder Jake Ge$man a base hit. … Perhaps the wound will heal leadoff hitter Harry Bay reached base on an error and McAllister popped foul to &rst baseman George su"ciently to allow forgiveness to be granted and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Center “Scoops” Carey. and due credit allowed the twirler for his fielder Dick Harley walked and the runners ad- Amole didn’t have perfect control, but he wonderful feat; but forgo#en, never!4 vanced on a sacrifice. Amole escaped damage by struck out four and used his curveball effectively striking out second baseman Suter Sullivan and to keep Tigers hitters mystified. Cronin pitched Amole’s performance raised Bu!alo’s expecta- getting right fielder Lew “Sport” McAllister out credibly for Detroit but was backed by sloppy tions for the le'-hander, but his past digressions on a foul fly. play. The Tigers committed eight errors, includ- also raised concerns. “[Amole] is in grand form #e Tigers’ only other scoring opportunity came ing three by Elberfeld. and promises to be the star twirler in the American in the fourth. Amole walked shortstop Norman #e next day’s Detroit Free Press headline said it League this season,” wrote the Bu!alo correspon- “Kid” Elberfeld, who advanced to third a'er a wild all: “BASKET OF FRESH GOOSE EGGS.” #e dent for Sporting Life. “But he must take care of pitch and a sacri&ce bunt. With one out, Elberfeld anonymous sportswriter praised Amole’s perfor- himself in order to sustain this reputation. Manager a$empted to score on an in&eld grounder, but Bi- mance, albeit in backhanded fashion: [Dan] Shannon declares that Doc is good and has – 273 – Inventing Baseball promised to keep in the straight and narrow path. Every fan in Bu!alo hopes that this is true.”5 Amole’s success was short-lived. Indianapolis pounded him for a 7–1 loss four days later, and he &n- ished the season 22–22 with two shutouts in 47 games (41 starts). He continued to pitch for Bu!alo through 1903, spli$ing that season with Providence. Amole remained with Providence through the 1904 season and &nished his professional career in 1905, bouncing between Syracuse, Utica, and Scranton of the New York State League. He never reached the level of dom- inance he displayed in the 1900 season opener. Major-league records don’t consider Amole’s performance to have been an Opening Day no-hi$er because the American League was not considered a major league at the time. In all of baseball history there has been only one, that pitched by Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians against the Chicago White Sox on April 16, 1940. Li$le is known about Amole’s life a'er baseball. He was found dead at the age of 33 in his Wilm- ington boardinghouse in March of 1912.6 He had arrived in town three weeks earlier to work as a A no-hitter for Doc Amole. carpenter for a local contractor. Amole had been complaining about his health but was not known to Two-base hits: Flood, Shearon, Gettman. Sacrifice hits: Elberfeld, be seriously ill. McAllister, Shearon. Stolen base: Gettman. First base on balls: Off Cronin 2, Off Amole 2. Hit by pitcher: Sullivan, Elberfeld, Knoll, AB R H O A E Amole. First base on errors: Detroit 1, Buffalo 8.