With the 2013
World Series still ahead of us and lots of anticipation and some angst in
the air, the first World Series in an earlier and more innocent time in the
history of baseball, seems a wordy topic to reflect
on. It is especially relevant
for your loyal scribe who is still hard at work on a mainly oral history
REMEMBERING THE FIRST SUPER BOWL and still eagerly awaits contacts from any
with info or memories of that 1967 event.
Back
in the 1880s for a period of seven years there had been play-offs between
National League and American Association champs. Once the play-offs went
to
15 games - 1887 between St. Louis and
Detroit.
In 1903, Pittsburgh won its third straight National League pennant
in Boston won the brand new American League title by 14 l/2 games over the
Philadelphia Athletics. The Pirates bragged about Honus Wagner whose .355
average earned him the batting title. Their swashbuckling manager Fred Clarke
was runner-up with a .351 average. Boston bragged about its two 20-game winners
Deacon Phillippe and Sam
Leever.
The
first modern World Series came about at the suggestion of Boston owner Henry
J. Killilea and Pittsburgh's owner Barney Dreyfuss. It was called "Championship
of the United States," a five of nine games affair. The matchup was
a voluntary agreement between the two clubs not the
leagues.
On
October l, 1903 the first game was played at Boston's Huntington Avenue Baseball
Grounds before 16,242, quite a turnout underscoring the appeal of the
first World Series. Each team provided one umpire. Hank O'Day
represented the National League while Tommy Connolly was the American League
choice.
Right-hander Deacon Phillippe, age 31, winner of 25 game in 1903,
matched up against Boston's Cy Young, who had won 28 games that season and
was in the 14th season of a legendary 22
year career.
The Pirates jumped all
over Young in the first inning. After their first two hitters, Ginger Beaumont
and Clarke, made easy outs, Tommy Leach tripled. Then the great Honus Wagner
singled him in for the first run in World Series history. An error by Boston
second baseman Hobe Ferris on Kitty Bransfield's ground ball prolonged the
inning. The all hell broke loose. Boston catcher Lou Criger would commit
two more errors; the Pirates would steal three bases. And by the time pitcher
Phillippe struck out ending the inning, the American Leaguers were in a 4-0
hole. Pittsburgh won the game, 7-3
victor.
Throughout the game and
the series Boston's rabid fans serenaded Pittsburgh players with a popular
song of the day, "Tessie." Moreover, they substituted their own vulgar words
for the regular lyrics. "It was that damn song that caused us problems,"
grumbled Buc player Tommy
Leach.
Deacon Phillippe won three of the first four games of the series for
Pittsburgh but then faltered. Boston then swept the last four games. Bill
Dinneen and Cy Young accounted for all five Boston
victories.
On October 13, only 7,455 showed up - the smallest crowd of that first
Fall Classic. Phillippe pitched his
fifth complete game of the series but lost, 3-0 to Dinneen. Boston
had the
championship.
Right after the game ended players from both clubs
lined up for
a combination team photo. That
surprised many and was a remarkable display of good sportsmanship considering
the bitterness that had existed between the junior American League and the
senior National
League.
Deacon Phillippe made out very well. He was heroic in his efforts
in the series with five decisions in 44 innings pitched, still World
Series records.
His reward- -
a bonus
and
10 shares of stock in the
Pirates.
An oddity of the World Series was that the losing players received
more money that than the winners. Buc Owner Dreyfuss put his club's share
of the gate receipts into the players' pool. Each Pittsburgh player netted
$1,316 while each Boston player netted
$1,182.
That
first Fall Classic was a far cry from the way the competition has evolved.
Nevertheless, it triggered all that has taken place through these many decades.
So bring on the 2013 Fall
Classic.
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