# When Was The Last Time a Major Professional Sports Team Forfeited? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773 "2004-04-13T13:59:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/21 "2004-04-13T23:28:00Z")
Someone mentioned the Red Stockings were the first Major League Baseball team. I think it was George Carlin who said “If the Red Stockings were the first Professional baseball team, who did they play ??” ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/22 "2004-04-13T23:37:14Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Someone mentioned the Red Stockings were the first Major League Baseball team. I think it was George Carlin who said “If the Red Stockings were the first Professional baseball team, who did they play ??” IIRC, the Red Legs were the first to _admit that they were being paid_. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/23 "2004-04-14T00:25:18Z")
If memory serves me, was not the last Washington Senators game a forfeit? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/24 "2004-04-14T00:42:42Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If memory serves me, was not the last Washington Senators game a forfeit? Your memory does indeed serve you right [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09300WS21971.htm](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09300WS21971.htm) The last forfeit of an MLB game was in 1995 when the Dodgers forfeited a game to the Cardinals, but the Cardinals were already leading 2-1 with one out in the 9th. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/25 "2004-04-14T00:44:53Z")
Found the “World Series” forfeit information. It happened in the 1885 series between Chicago (NL) and St. Louis (AA). From _Total Baseball_, page 102: > [@](#): > > Chicago (White Stockings of the NL–yes, the NL) was leading 5-4 in the sixth inning of Game Two when (St. Louis) Browns (of the AA) manager Charlie Comiskey pulled his team off the field, objecting to the umpiring of David Sullivan. Umpire Sullivan later forfeited the game to the White Stockings; he worked no more in the Series. Originally the game counted as a tie; later, though, Chicago manager Cap Anson decided that their team would count it as a win, as Sullivan had intended. The Series ended 3-3, with one (other) tie, after seven games. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/26 "2004-04-14T03:37:06Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Originally the game counted as a tie; later, though, Chicago manager Cap Anson decided that their team would count it as a win, as Sullivan had intended. The Series ended 3-3, with one (other) tie, after seven games. THere used to be ties in baseball? Interesting; that’s news to me. > [@kunilou](#): > > At least here in the U.S. games are usually postponed or sometimes cancelled rather than forfeited. Inability of a team to even get to the game is considered more of an Act of God. Correct; when they had the big snowstorms out West this past winter, the (NBA) Memphis Grizzlies were unable to travel and postponed several games until later in the season. And the make-up games weren’t televised here due to some kind of scheduling prioties. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/27 "2004-04-14T04:28:26Z")
There have always been ties in baseball. They are infrequent because under US rules, ties have to be replayed in their entirety. In Japan, tie baseball games are more common since they don’t play more than 12 innings. Ties there are not replayed. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/28 "2004-04-14T07:53:54Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > Your memory does indeed serve you right > > [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09300WS21971.htm](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09300WS21971.htm) Ok, I’m quite confused…Washington won the game 7-5, after playing all 9 innings, and yet forfieted the game to NY? What happened to cause the game to be invalidated? ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/29 "2004-04-14T11:03:36Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > In 1909 … Balmain … did not turn up. You don’t have to go back to 1909 as Canberra, Brisbane, Penrith, Cronulla, the Western Reds, Canterbury & North Queensland all forfeited the opening round of 1996, due to the Super League farago. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/30 "2004-04-14T11:55:17Z")
In international football Scotland played a game against an East European team (my memory’s ropey and google is no help) I think Lithuania, who didn’t turn up as they thought it was an evening kick-off. The game was awarded to Scotland 3-0 (although I believe it was eventually replayed). Also the Australian cricket team forfeited a world cup match in Zimbabwe for political and security reasons. Also not quite a forfeit, but my Team, Tottenham Hotspur, were fined and banned for fielding an effectively u-17 team in the Inter-Toto cup (and we played the game at Brighton, and lost 8-0), which is as close to deliberately forfieting a game as I can remember. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/31 "2004-04-14T12:08:55Z")
The Danish tennis team in the Davids Cup just forfeited a match against Algeria for security reasons. Algeria was awarded a win, as well as the next Danish opponent Slovenia. And then Denmark was further punished by being relegated to the bottom division and deprived of all cash prices for this year’s tournament. And rightly so if you ask me. Don’t know if the Danish Tennis Team qualifies as a major sports team. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/32 "2004-04-14T12:43:23Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > THere used to be ties in baseball? Interesting; that’s news to me. It used to happen before fields were lighted. If it got too dark, the game was called, and if the teams were tied at that point, it went in the records as a tie. Once lights were put on the field, the games went on until there was a winner (in the early days, BTW, some teams had rules that prevented the lights from being turned on if the game started in daylight, so there were still ties). Now, some games in some cities get called because of curfew if they go on too long, but the games are continued from that point at a later date. A tie could still happen if the two teams are not scheduled to play again and the game has no playoff implications. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/33 "2004-04-14T13:02:56Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Also the Australian cricket team forfeited a world cup match in Zimbabwe for political and security reasons. :smack: Of course. England also forfeited a match during the 2003 World Cup, for the same reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/34 "2004-04-14T13:49:19Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Someone mentioned the Red Stockings were the first Major League Baseball team. I think it was George Carlin who said “If the Red Stockings were the first Professional baseball team, who did they play ??” Like a lot of George Carlin’s jokes, this one’s only funny so long as you don’t look too closely at the facts. If you read carefully what I read above, the Red Stockings were the first _openly, all-professional_ baseball club. There were amateur (or “gentlemen’s”) clubs, there were clubs that didn’t admit that they paid players, there were clubs that paid only a few players, etc. There was no league as such, so teams like the Red Stockings would go from town to town and challenge the best clubs there. There were quite a few barnstorming clubs, well into the 20th century, one of the most famous being the [House of David](http://www.peppergame.com/album/index.asp). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/35 "2004-04-14T13:54:41Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > Ok, I’m quite confused…Washington won the game 7-5, after playing all 9 innings, and yet forfieted the game to NY? What happened to cause the game to be invalidated? Thank you for the link- it appears with one out to go, fans stormed the field. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/36 "2004-04-14T14:20:13Z")
Now, this is interesting. I thought this thread was going to discuss the current Orioles/Devil Rays issue. The really fascinating part about that is that the forefeit (which probably won’t occur, but it’s been mentioned) stems from an apparently illegal roster move that the Orioles made in recalling a player from the minors before he was eligible to be recalled. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/37 "2004-04-14T14:59:34Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > A tie could still happen if the two teams are not scheduled to play again and the game has no playoff implications. In MLB, aren’t such ties left off a team’s W-L record? IOW, instead of a record of 90-71-1, you’d see it recorded in the annals as a record of 90-71. I know I’ve seen fairly recent MLB W-L records that didn’t add up to 162 games. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/38 "2004-04-14T15:08:57Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > That was a real-life forfeit. The White Sox wanted to boost attendance for a double header with the Detroit Tigers. They had a local disk jockey named Steve Dahl host a “Disco Demolition Night”{ promotion wherby if you brought a disco record to the game you could get in for $1 and they would blow up the records on the field between games. Then the trouble started. . . And since then, Steve Dahl considers himself 1-0 for appearances for the Detroit Tigers. This year is a prominent anniversary of Disco Demolition, and they have hinted at something dynamic to mark the anniversary, although I doubt the Sox would ever let him come back. Although they should…if only to get SOMEONE to come to that crappy stadium. Also, Dahl and Bob Odenkirk are working on a Disco Demolition “mockumentary” movie and are trying to get Jack Black to play Dahl. Those who know Steve Dahl and remember him back in the Seventies know that Black would be PERFECT. (you can hear Steve Dahl on 105.9 in Chicago at 2:00 weekdays). He’s one of my idols. Also, I remember a few years ago a Bears game was ended in the third quarter due to lightning hitting the field. It was pre-season, but I imagine things like that must happen during the real season! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/39 "2004-04-14T15:14:21Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > In MLB, aren’t such ties left off a team’s W-L record? IOW, instead of a record of 90-71-1, you’d see it recorded in the annals as a record of 90-71. I know I’ve seen fairly recent MLB W-L records that didn’t add up to 162 games. Sometimes that’s because of rainouts that weren’t rescheduled. For example, if a game between two teams is rained out late in the season, often it won’t be made up unless the game would have an affect on the standings. So you do see teams with 160 or 161 games in a season sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773/40 "2004-04-14T15:19:49Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > In MLB, aren’t such ties left off a team’s W-L record? IOW, instead of a record of 90-71-1, you’d see it recorded in the annals as a record of 90-71. I know I’ve seen fairly recent MLB W-L records that didn’t add up to 162 games. You are correct; however ties do count as games played, and all stats go in the record books. It’s perfectly possible to have the W-L add up to 162 and have played more games. The record for games played in a season is 165 (out of 162) held by Maury Wills. W-L records usually add up to less than the schedule because of rainouts that were not made up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-major-professional-sports-team-forfeited/239773.md?page=3)