This Week in the California League, November 26-December 2, 1900

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This Week in the California League, November 26—December 2, 1900.

Games this week were scheduled on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, November 29, and on Saturday and Sunday, December 1—December 2.

After rains swept the Pacific Slope over the past weekend, the league looked forward to finish up the season on a high note.

On Thanksgiving Day there were games in Sacramento and at Rec Park.

At Oak Park in Sacramento, the Gilt Edges won by a 10-3 score over second place San Francisco. Jay Hughes won another game, and Tom Fitzpatrick took the loss. Demon Doyle hit a home run, though almost nobody saw it: “The game merits no description,” wrote the Examiner reporter, “The day was dark and dreary, but several hundred cranks kept warm and staved off pneumonia by yelling at and joshing “Uncle Hank’s” [owner Henry Harris] hirelings as they vainly endeavored to overcome the tide of defeat…”

The game at Rec was battle of two halves: Oakland winning 5-0 contest through five innings, and Stockton scoring seven in the remaining four frames. Unfortunately for Oakland all nine innings had to be counted together, and Stockton prevailed 7-6. Chief Borchers pitched the complete-game loss for Oakland. Youngy Johnson pitched the first part of the game, but was relived by George Babbitt in the sixth, and who picked up the win.

On Saturday, December 1, both games were called early because of darkness, in San Francisco after eight innings, and in Sacramento after seven.

In San Francisco, Oakland and San Francisco faced off, with Ham Iburg and Doc Moskiman pitching, but not a well-pitched game. The final score at dark: 6-6. Abe Arellanes, second baseman for the Dudes, went 3 for 5, including a double and a home run.

At the state capital, Sacramento walloped Stockton 9-1. Demon Doyle beating Manager George Harper.

The final game of the season, had local boy Jay Hughes pitch one of his best outing of the season, giving up but three hits a not a run. Youngy Johnson pitched for the Pirates, and gave up five runs on seven hits.

The last game in Oakland, saw the home club prevail over San Francisco, 6-5, with Chief Borchers and Tom Fitzpatrick facing each other. Borchers gave up five runs on nine hits; Fitzpatrick, six run on only five hits, runs being the more important number.

In the final game of the season, at Rec Park, San Francisco sent former major leaguer Phil Knell out to face Doc Moskiman, who had pitched the day before in that 6-6 tie.

After three innings, the game stood at 3-2 in San Francisco’s favor. Then Moskiman settled down, giving up no more runs the rest of the way. Lefty Knell, on the other hand, gave up three runs in the fourth inning, making the score 5-3 Oakland. At that point, Hienie Krug went in and pitched fine ball until the eighth, when he gave up a pair of runs. Final score 7-3. And that brought the curtain down on the 1900 season.

John Spalding, In Always on Sunday, summed up the 1900 California League season with a quote from the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Base Ball in California has reached a popularity unknown in fully 10 years,” the Chronicle said. “There are thousands of people in San Francisco who delight to witness clean and scientific ball playing.”

The newspaper proclaimed the season the most successful since 1889.