Wayback Wednesday: World Series 1903
The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the American League champion Boston [Americans] against the National League champion [Pittsburg Pirates] (spelled without an “H” from 1891 to 1911) in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last four. The first three games were played in Boston, the next four in Allegheny (home of the Pirates), and the eighth (last) game in Boston.
Pittsburgh pitcher Sam Leever injured his shoulder while trap-shooting, so his teammate Deacon Phillippe pitched five complete games. Phillippe won three of his games but, it was not enough to overcome the club from the new American League. Boston pitchers Bill Dinneen and Cy Young led Boston to victory. In Game #1, Phillippe struck out ten Boston batters. The next day, Dinneen bettered that mark, striking out 11 Pittsburgh batters in Game #2.
Honus Wagner [was] bothered by injuries […] and committed six errors. The shortstop was deeply distraught by his performance. The following spring, Wagner […] refused to send his portrait to a “Hall of Fame” for batting champion:
“I was too bum last year. I was a joke in that Boston-Pittsburgh Series. What does it profit a man to hammer along and make a few hits, when they are not needed, only to fall down when it comes to a pinch? I would be ashamed to have my picture up now.”
Due to overflow crowds at the Exposition Park games in Allegheny City, if a batted ball rolled under a rope in the outfield that held spectators back, a “ground-rule triple” would be scored. [Seventeen] ground-rule triples were hit in the four games played at the stadium.
In the series, Boston came back from a three-games-to-one deficit, winning the final four games (on October 13) to capture the title…(118 years ago). Such a large comeback would not happen again until the Pirates came back to defeat the Washington Senators in the 1925 World Series […]. […] Much was made of the influence of Boston’s Royal Rooters, who traveled to Exposition Park and sang their theme song Tessie to distract the opposing players […]. Boston wound up winning three out of four games in Allegheny City.
Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss added his share of the gate receipts to the players’ share, so the losing team’s players actually finished with a larger individual share than the winning team’s.
The Series brought the new American League prestige and proved its best could beat the best of the National League, thus strengthening the demand for future World Series competitions.
Wikipedia Summary
Additional:
Baffling Baseball Trivia (Dom Forker/Wayne Stewart/Michael J. Pellowski/2004/Sterling Publishing Company/Web Archive)
Baseball Almanac (World Series History/The Official Baseball History Site)
Honus Wagner: A Biography (Dennis DeValeria/Jeanne Burke DeValeria/1996/1998/GoodReads)
Retro Sheet (Pre-1984 Baseball Analysis)
The First World Series and the Baseball Fanatics of 1903 (Roger L. Abrams/2003/Northeastern University Press/Web Archive)
November 17, 2021 at 10:57 PM
WOW…a cool baseball post…I would have never guessed. I have a trivia question for you. Well not a trivia question…a fact… Burt Mustin was there! If you google him you will know him. I saw a clip on Carson of him talking about it in the seventies.
November 17, 2021 at 11:11 PM
I just looked him up. I remember him. Do you know what side he was pulling for?
November 17, 2021 at 11:13 PM
Oh Pittsburgh…he was a Pittsburgh guy. He was in everything ever. Leave it to Beaver, The AGS, Phyllis…everything and he started at an older age.
November 17, 2021 at 11:22 PM
Iconic guy. I didn’t know his name but, I recognized that face.
November 17, 2021 at 11:25 PM
Yea I knew you would….OH…
I’m always late to the party on movies and shows…I just finished watching The Office…have you ever seen it?
November 17, 2021 at 11:31 PM
Not interested. I’ve seen a few and that was enough. It’s as annoying as Seinfeld. I had a love/hate relationship with Friends.
I’m really picky when it comes to comedy shows. The last comedy I really liked was Last Man Standing and I always liked Home Improvement. A long time ago, I got introduced to Coupling (British TV series) and I thought I was gonna piss myself over that one. Brit humor is funnier to me than American.
November 17, 2021 at 11:35 PM
Oh I love The Office…Seiinfeld it depends…but they are not likable characters. The first few episodes I watched I didn’t like of The Office but then I got into it.
I liked Home Improvment a lot. The Office is the only comedy…modern one that I have liked.
November 17, 2021 at 11:43 PM
I can’t stand Rainn Wilson or Jason Alexander. I just want to punch them in the face.
Last Man Standing was nearly a Home Improvement clone only with three daughters. And, I love Nancy Travis. Ever saw The Bill Engvall Show? It had a very young Jennifer Lawrence in it.
November 17, 2021 at 11:53 PM
LOL… I like Jim and Pam…they are awesome.
Yea I tried watching Last Man Standing…I just think of Home Improvement…oh I miss his old wife. Patricia…I really liked her.
November 18, 2021 at 12:05 AM
She was cool, too.
November 18, 2021 at 12:01 AM
Vic dear…I’m going to sleep…we will talk to tomorrow young lady.
November 18, 2021 at 12:05 AM
Goodnight, little brother. I gotta fix dinner for Ken.
November 18, 2021 at 8:44 AM
Hope you slept well! and are still sleeping
November 18, 2021 at 7:30 PM
Rolled out of bed around 2pm… We be night critters.
November 18, 2021 at 7:33 PM
LOL…Yes we be!
November 18, 2021 at 7:41 PM
LOL!