On This Day-April 26th, 1912-First Homer Hit Over The Green Monster

PLACE: Fenway Park; Boston, MA

EVENT: First Home Run Over The Green Monster 

Fenway Park opened in 1912, and the massive rampart in left field probably seemed insurmountable to most hitters of the time. As it turns out, it didn't take long for someone to break the mystique of the Green Monster. 

The Boston Globe's illustration, accompanying the
A's-Red Sox recap. These old illustrations are just the best. 

With the Philadelphia Athletics visiting Boston at The Fens on April 26^th, bench player Hugh Bradley hit a blast over the wall with two on and two out in the seventh inning in a 7-6 Red Sox win. Bradley was getting a rare start that day, taking the place of first baseman Jake Stahl, who was out of the lineup with an upper respiratory infection. Bradley would only play 40 games that season. 

It was also his only homer of the year, and one of only two for his career (277 games, 913 AB). 

Bradley went 2-4 with a double in the first, as well as the aforementioned homer in the seventh, driving in four runs and scoring two. He also made a notable play when he sprinted between RHP Hugh Bedient and 2B Steve Yerkes to snag a pop-up off the bat of A's LF Amos Strunk in the ninth inning, taking away the last chance for the A's to put the potential tying run on base. 

From The Boston Globe; April 27^th, 1912:

From The Philadelphia Inquirer; April 27^th, 1912: 

On This Day-April 24th, 1917-First No-Hitter in Yankees' History

Place: Fenway Park; Boston, MA

Event: Mogridge Out-duels Leonard for First No-Hitter in Yankees' History

LHP George Mogridge took the mound against fellow lefty Dutch Leonard on a Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park and pitched what surely had to be the game of his life, shutting down the Yankees in a 2-1 no-hitter. It was the first-ever no-hitter by a Yankees' pitcher, as well as the first pitched at Fenway.

Mogridge allowed only four balls to be hit beyond the infield, the only Boston run coming in the seventh inning on a combination of a walk to Boston second baseman Jack Barry, a bad throw to SS Roger Peckinpaugh from 2B Fritz Maisel in an effort to start the double play, an intentional walk to OF Tillie Walker, and finally a sacrifice fly from the bat of PH Jimmy Walsh.

Indeed, the Yankees themselves went into the sixth inning with only one hit, and scored their first run of the day on a two-out double off the bat of Angel Aragon, who would play only 15 games in 1917. Aragon had two RBI in 45 AB, that year.

Peckinpaugh reached on a miscue in the top of the ninth by Boston third baseman Mike McNally, who entered to play the hot corner after Walsh's pinch-hit appearance. Boston catcher Hick Cady threw the ball past shortstop Everett Scott when Peckinpaugh stole second (advancing to third on the throw), and McNally made a low throw to first off a grounder from Les Nunamaker that Del Gainer had to dig out of the dirt, allowing Peckinpaugh to score.

Boston and New York made seven errors between them, three by the Yankees (two by Maisel).

Mogridge walked three and struck out three in winning his second game of the year.

From The New York Times; April 25^th, 1917: