A Strange Game in Chicago

A Strange Game In Chicago

On May 1, 1884, a game between the Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) and the Buffalo Bisons became what many consider the strangest game ever played in professional baseball history.

The day was cold and windy, with a thick fog rolling in from Lake Michigan. Visibility was so poor that outfielders could barely see the infield. Despite these conditions, the umpire decided the game should go on.

What followed was a comedy of errors. Batters swung at pitches they couldn't see. Fielders lost fly balls in the fog. Runners overran bases because they couldn't locate them. The Chicago Tribune reported that at one point, all three Buffalo outfielders collided while chasing a fly ball none of them could see.

The game devolved into such chaos that players started to make up their own rules. They agreed that any ball hit into the outfield would be a ground-rule double, regardless of where it actually landed.

In the end, Chicago won the game 10-8, but the box score was a mess. Official scorers had no idea how to record many of the plays. The game went down in history not for its athletic achievements, but for its sheer absurdity.

This fog-shrouded farce serves as a reminder of baseball's unpredictable nature and the impact weather can have on the game, pushing the limits of what can be considered a "playable" condition.