Friday the 13th, June 1924. Navin Field, Detroit. The New York Yankees and Tigers had already brawled at Yankee Stadium a few weeks earlier, and neither club had cooled off. The teams were separated by a single game in the standings -- the Yankees tied for first, the Tigers lurking in third. With the Yankees leading 10-6 in the top of the ninth, Detroit reliever Bert Cole threw a fastball at 's head.
Ruth ducked. Then he spotted something that made the pitch even worse.
The Signal
From center field, Ty Cobb -- the Tigers' player-manager, the most ruthless competitor of his generation -- had signaled Cole to throw at Ruth. At least, that's what Ruth believed. After fouling out, Ruth warned the next batter, Bob Meusel, that the headhunting wasn't over. Meusel stepped in. Catcher Johnny Bassler barked to Cole from behind the plate: "Come on now, don't be afraid to get it close to his head."
Cole aimed for the ribs instead. His first pitch drilled Meusel.
All Hell Breaks Loose
Meusel flung his bat aside and charged the mound. He threw a punch at Cole and missed. Two umpires grabbed him and held on. Both benches emptied. Ruth crashed into the scrum swinging both fists, trading words with Cobb before Miller Huggins and several teammates dragged him away. Police left the stands and jumped onto the field. For a moment, it looked like the situation might settle.
It didn't.
Fans began pouring over the railings and onto the diamond. What started as a trickle became a flood -- hundreds of spectators swarming the infield, engaging police, refusing to leave. The crowd had taken the field, and the field belonged to them now. Officers called for reserves. Arrests were made. The mob kept growing.
Umpire Billy Evans surveyed the scene and made the only call left. He declared a forfeit. The official score went into the books as 9-0, Yankees.
| Date | June 13, 1924 (Friday) |
| Location | Navin Field, Detroit |
| Score at Time of Incident | Yankees leading 10-6, top of 9th |
| Official Forfeit Score | 9-0, Yankees |
| Umpire | Billy Evans |
| Trigger | Bert Cole hit Bob Meusel after throwing at Ruth's head |
The Game That Counted
Forfeits are among baseball's rarest outcomes -- rarer than no-hitters, rarer than unassisted triple plays. The June 13 forfeit belongs to a small, strange club of games that ended not with a final out but with an umpire deciding the situation was beyond salvage. In 1920s baseball, without modern crowd control or instant replay, umpires carried absolute authority to shut things down. Evans used it.
The win counted in the standings the same as any other. That detail matters. The Yankees finished two games behind the Washington Senators in the pennant race. Every victory -- even one earned by a mob of Detroit fans storming the diamond -- contributed to the final margin. Take away the forfeit, and the math changes (though forfeits, by rule, replaced whatever score was already on the board).
Cobb and Ruth
The bad blood between Ruth and Cobb ran deeper than one game. Cobb represented the old way -- slashing singles, stealing bases, playing dirty, winning batting titles through craft and intimidation. Ruth represented the new way -- swinging from the heels, hitting balls out of stadiums, drawing crowds that changed the economics of the sport. They didn't like each other. The June 13 incident, with Cobb allegedly calling for a beanball from center field, captured the tension between two men (and two eras) that had been building for years.
Yankees-Tigers Brawl at Yankee Stadium
The two clubs fight at the Stadium weeks before the Detroit series, setting the stage for what comes next.
Series Opens at Navin Field
The Yankees arrive in Detroit for their first visit of the season. The teams are separated by one game in the standings.
Cole Throws at Ruth, Hits Meusel
With the Yankees leading 10-6, Bert Cole throws at Ruth's head, then drills Meusel. Both benches clear. Ruth and Cobb exchange blows and words.
Fans Storm the Field
Hundreds of Detroit fans pour onto the diamond. Police call for reserves. Arrests are made, but the crowd won't disperse.
Evans Declares Forfeit
Umpire Billy Evans rules the game can't continue and declares a forfeit. Official score: 9-0, Yankees.
Evans made the right call. The field was covered, the police were outnumbered, and no amount of waiting was going to convince several hundred angry Detroit fans to quietly return to their seats. The Yankees took the forfeit, packed their bags, and moved on. The pennant race continued. The score went into the books. And one of the strangest wins in franchise history became a footnote in a season remembered for Ruth's batting title and a two-game loss to Washington that no single forfeit could've prevented.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the 1924 forfeited game in Detroit?
On June 13, 1924, at Navin Field, Tigers reliever Bert Cole threw at Babe Ruth's head and then hit Bob Meusel with a pitch. Both benches cleared for a brawl involving Ruth and Ty Cobb. Hundreds of Detroit fans then stormed the field, overwhelming police. Umpire Billy Evans declared a forfeit, giving the Yankees an official 9-0 victory.
Have the Yankees ever won a game by forfeit?
Yes. The June 13, 1924 game at Navin Field in Detroit is one of the most notable forfeits in Yankees history. Umpire Billy Evans declared the game forfeited to New York after Detroit fans rushed the field following a bench-clearing brawl. The official score was recorded as 9-0.
How many forfeited games have there been in baseball history?
Forfeited games are among the rarest outcomes in Major League Baseball. The last one occurred on August 10, 1995, when the Dodgers forfeited to the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Before that, the most famous forfeits include Disco Demolition Night in 1979 and the 1924 Yankees-Tigers incident at Navin Field.