On This Date in Sports July 3, 1912: 19-0

Rube Marquard of the New York Giants wins his 19th consecutive game to start the season by beating the Brooklyn Dodgers 2-1 in the first game of a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. The 19 straight wins are the best start ever to a season. Along with wins in his final two games in 1911, Marquard also has a record 21 straight wins, which would end with a 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on July 8th.

According to legend, after the win over the Dodgers, Rube Marquard celebrated by buying an opal hat pin, a teammate suggested it was a jinxed pin. Upon hearing this, Marquard tossed the pin into a river, but the jinx apparently took hold as he lost his next two games. However, it would not last as Rube Marquard had the best season of his career, posting a record of 26-11 as he helped the New York Giants win the National League Pennant.

Born Richard Marquard, the lefty pitcher, was compared to Rube Waddell, a star pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. This led teammates to pass the nickname, which was often derogatory on to the young Giants lefthander. Marquard and Christie Matthewson provided a strong 1-2 punch for the Giants, who won three straight pennants in 1911, 1912, and 1913 but lost the World Series each time. Over this period, Rube Marquard won at least 23 games each season, totaling 73 wins. During the off-season, Rube Marquard, who was married to singer and entertainer Blossom Seeley, often appeared with his wife on the vaudeville circuit, helping to make him one of the most popular players of the era. The rest of his career would not be as brilliant as a 12-22 season in 1914 represented a quick decline. He would finish his career in 1925 with a record of 201-177. Helped by the legacy of the streak, Rube Marquard would be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1971.