WOW! Cubs Rumble Through Opponents Like a Stinging Sickle!

The utter clown car episode that would become known as L’affaire LaRoche broke on this day, 10 years ago. | (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Washington Nationals/Getty Images) 1903 Possibly the weirdest roster snafus in a single season continue, as Harry Gleason (brother of future White Sox manager Kid Gleason ) is signed by Chicago — but chooses to report to his former team, the Boston Red Sox (née Americans), instead! The comedy of outlaw-player errors began when George Davis , after having doubled his salary by signing with the White Sox, jumping from the National (New York) to American (Chicago) League during the war between the leagues, chose to break his deal and remain with the Giants.

That forced the White Sox to shift Lee Tannehill from third base to shortstop to cover … and opened a need at third base. Gleason was the solution. He was no start, but was a warm body, and available for purchase from Boston.

However, Gleason defied the sale and reported to his former team for spring training. It’s hard to determine whether his six games played for Boston in April-May 1903 were due to legal wrangling over his rights or the fact that he was a lousy player, but Gleason never showed up to play in Chicago. As a result, it was Nixey Callahan that would man the hot corner for the White Sox in 1903, despite playing as a two-way pitcher-outfielder in 1902 and having logged just eight career games at third base over the first seven seasons in the majors.

Callahan played in 102 games at third base for the White Sox, with 37 errors and an . 895 fielding percentage (those numbers being a sign of the rocky-infield, worn-baseball, baby-gloved times, Nixey compiled 0. 1 defensive WAR for those efforts and a 3.