The Tim Murnane Benefit Game was an exhibition baseball game played at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 27, 1917, between the Boston Red Sox of the American League and an all-star team mainly composed of players from the league's other teams. The game was organized as a benefit for the family of Tim Murnane, an early major-league player who went on to have a long career as a sportswriter for The Boston Globe. Murnane had died in February 1917 at age 66. The Red Sox defeated the all-stars, 2–0, and the game raised from $13,000 to $15,000 for Murnane's family.
Following Murnane's death, organizers announced plans to put on a benefit for Murnane's widow from his second marriage and their four children. Star players from other major-league clubs formed an all-star team to play against the Red Sox. Paid attendance was 17,119. The benefit game preceded the creation of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, first contested in 1933, which raises money for the players' pension fund.
Background
Murnane had a professional baseball career that spanned 1872–1880 and 1884–1885. This included four seasons for three different teams within the National Association, three seasons for two teams in the National League, and one season as a player-manager in the Union Association.
Outside of his playing career, Murnane held several jobs including running a billiard room, publishing his own sports periodical, and owning (albeit just for one month) a minor-league baseball team. In 1887, Murnane was hired as one of the first baseball writers for The Boston Globe; he remained with the newspaper until his death. He also served as president of the New England League, a mid-level baseball minor league, from 1892 until 1916.
Murnane died unexpectedly in February 1917 at a theatre in Boston. He had remarried in 1898 and had four children with his second wife—his first wife had died in 1895 after the couple had two children.
Organization
In order to fund a trust to serve as an education fund for the younger Murnane children, organizers—the Boston Red Sox, the American League, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), and former Red Sox owner John I. Taylor—announced an exhibition game would be played on September 27, an open day on the Red Sox' schedule. The overall event was announced as "Tim Murnane Day", as in addition to the benefit game, there would also be some individual competitions between the players. The organizing committee included Harry Frazee, owner and president of the Red Sox; Percy Haughton, owner and president of the Boston Braves; James Michael Curley, mayor of Boston; James A. Gallivan, member of the United States House of Representatives; William Francis Murray, postmaster of Boston; Joseph Lannin, former Red Sox owner; and Hugh Duffy, a former major-league player and manager.
All-star team At the time the game was played, the American League had eight teams. Six teams each contributed at least one player to the all-star squad:
Chicago White Sox (2): Shoeless Joe Jackson (OF), Buck Weaver (3B) Cleveland Indian (3): Ray Chapman (2B), Steve O'Neill (C), Tris Speaker (OF) Detroit Tigers (2): Ty Cobb (OF), Howard Ehmke (P) New York Yankees (2): Bob Shawkey (P), Urban Shocker (P) Philadelphia Athletics (2): Stuffy McInnis (1B), Wally Schang (C) Washington Senators (1): Walter Johnson (P)
Additionally, the all-stars were managed by Connie Mack of Philadelphia with Detroit manager Hughie Jennings serving as a base coach, while Rabbit Maranville (SS) of the Boston Braves, a National League team, played on the all-star squad.
While September 27 was an off-day for four American League teams (Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, and New York), all-stars from Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington missed their teams' games to play in the fund-raiser, as did Maranville. This was allowed because post-season berths were already decided, with the White Sox set to face the New York Giants in the upcoming 1917 World Series.
Team photo There were 16 people in the team photo of the all-stars:
Back row (left to right)—Hughie Jennings (coach), Walter Johnson, Stuffy McInnis, Steve O'Neill, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ray Chapman, Ty Cobb, Buck Weaver, Willie O'Connor (mascot)
Front row (left to right)—Howard Ehmke, Rabbit Maranville, Connie Mack (manager, standing in suit), Wally Schang, Tris Speaker, Urban Shocker, Tom Raftery (in suit)
Absent from the photo was Bob Shawkey.
Pre-game contests Players competed in several individual contests before the game. Top finishers in the respective contests were:
Contest First place Second place Third place Throwing(distance) Shoeless Joe Jackson (White Sox), Duffy Lewis (Red Sox), Tilly Walker (Red Sox), Fungo hitting(distance) Babe Ruth (Red Sox), Carl Mays (Red Sox), Walter Johnson (Senators), Bunt and run to first(time) Mike McNally (Red Sox), seconds Multiple players, seconds Multiple players, seconds Bunt and circle bases(time) Ray Chapman (Indians),14 seconds Harry Hooper (Red Sox), seconds Mike McNally (Red Sox), seconds Throwing accuracy(home to second base) Dutch Leonard (Red Sox)
Game
Nine participants in the game have been inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame: players Ty Cobb, Harry Hooper, Walter Johnson, Rabbit Maranville, Babe Ruth, and Tris Speaker; all-stars manager and coach Connie Mack and Hughie Jennings; and home plate umpire Tom Connolly.
Linescore
Box score +KeyMember of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
All-StarsABRH, SS400, 2B101, CF401, LF300, RF400, 1B401, 3B 300, C200, C100, P000 , P100, P100Team totals2803
All-StarsIPHRBBSO3300131010 (L)23200Team totals87211
Boston (AL)ABRH, RF400, 2B412, 1B312, LF401, CF402 3B300, SS300, C200, C100, P200 , P100Team totals3127
Boston (AL)IPHRBBSO 53031 (W)40020Team totals93051
See also Ace Bailey Benefit Game Addie Joss Benefit Game
Notes
References
Further reading
External links Ty Cobb and Joe Jackson at Fenway Park's 1917 charity game via Facebook