Jeff Tesreau, who threw a no-hitter for the New York Giants back in 1912, was born 130 years ago today.
Tesreau, a 6-foot-2 right-hander from Ironton, Missouri, shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 during the first game of a September 6 doubleheader at National League Park.
The scorecard initially credited Phillies leadoff batter Dode Paskert with a first-inning hit, but the official scorer changed his ruling after the game to give Tesreau the no-no. The disputed play was Paskert’s short fly ball near home plate that dropped between first baseman Fred Merkle and catcher Art Wilson.
“Each fielder got under the ball,” noted a story in the Washington Post. “Then fearing a collision, they permitted the ball to drop to the ground.”
If it weren’t for the official scorer’s change, this could have been dubbed Merkle’s Boner II.