May 5, 1920 saw all eight scheduled game played in the major leagues. The Browns beat the Tigers 12-4 for the high scoring game of the day, while the Pirates shut out the Cubs at home 2-0 for the pitching duel of the day. Four games were decided by one run, three of those ending in 4-3 finals, two of those in extra innings. In the 4-3, thirteen inning win by the Red Sox over the Athletics, Wally Schang pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth, tying the game with a double. Schang held out for a better contract*, and this was his first appearance of the season.
*One thing the unionization of baseball ended was the hold out. The last player I remember holding out was Roger Clemens. That was near the start of the collusion years. Without free agency, holding out was the only leverage players could use to get a higher salary.
Sammy Hale of the Tigers takes home offensive game of the day honors, going three for three with a triple and a walk. His game score of 72 puts him just ahead of Babe Ruth. Ruth’s two for three with two doubles and two walks was good for a 70 game score.
The 1920 season saw Hale in the majors for the first time. He did not stick until moving the the Athletics in 1923. He hit for a high average, and his power came from the short long-hits, collecting 157 doubles and 54 triples in 3199 plate appearances. Given his number of games played per season, I suspect he might have been platooned at points in his career. His solid, but not outstanding, rWARs made him the kind of player who in an excellent complement to stars on a championship team.
Babe Adams posted the best game on the mound, earning the shutout for the Pirates over the Cubs. Adams allowed just four hits and no walks while striking out three for a game score of 82. Adams, at this point in the season, started twice against the Cubs and held them to fifteen hits and one run in 24 innings.
Rogers Hornsby extended his hit streak to twelve games with a one for three day. That lowered his batting average for the season to .500. Adams held the lowest walks per nine innings pitched at 0.18.