1903 World Series Game 8

Game 8: Boston: 3 Pittsburgh: 0 (Boston wins 5 games to 3)
WP: Dinneen (3-1)

LP: Phillippe (3-2)

The Pirates had to win Game 8 or they would suffer the humiliation of losing to an American League team. They turned to Deacon Phillippe again for his fifth start in eight games. Boston countered with Bill Dinneen for the fourth time. Phillippe was worn out and it showed. The game was scoreless into the fourth when Hobe Ferris slapped a two-run single. Ferris knocked in the game's third and final run in the sixth with another single. Dinneen only needed one run. He tossed a four hit shutout, his second of the series, and struck out 7, including Honus Wagner to end the series.

If the writers' awarded a World Series MVP in 1903, then Bill Dinneen probably wins. He started four games, won three times, threw two shutouts, and struck out 28 in 35 innings. Cy Young won two games and had the key triple to turn the series around in Game 5. Hall of Famer Jimmy Collins hit .250 for Boston. Chick Stahl batted .303 with a .839 OPS and Patsy Dougherty had a two home run game and .827 OPS.

For the Bucs, Deacon Phillippe started five games and went 3-2. No other pitcher notched a victory. Jimmy Seebring hit .333 with a home run and .855 OPS. The great Honus Wagner managed just .222 with 3 RBI and .582 OPS against Boston pitching. Pittsburgh's other Hall of Famer, Fred Clarke, hit .265 with a .668 OPS.

The Pirates experienced a World Series hangover in 1904 and finished fourth. They returned to the Fall Classic in 1909 where Wagner redeemed himself at a .333 clip. Boston repeated as AL Champs in 1904, but New York Giants dictator John McGraw refused to play the junior circuit in the World Series. As a result, the Sox did not get the opportunity to defend their crown. They would appear in their next World Series in 1912.

1903 World Series Game 6

Game 6: Boston: 6 Pittsburgh: 3 (Series tied 3-3)
WP: Dinneen (2-1)

LP: Leever (0-2)

Sam Leever managed to pitch more than a solitary inning in his second start of the 1903 World Series. Leever made it the whole 9 innings in his second start, but took another loss. Bill Dinneen bested him for the second time in the series with a complete game of his own. Both starters allowed 10 hits, but Dinneen limited the damage to three runs while Leever surrendered four earned.

The game was scoreless until the third when Boston put up three on three singles, a walk, and an error. The Americans put the game away in the fifth with two more runs. They scored their final run in the seventh on a Candy LaChance double. Pittsburgh tallied three in the bottom of the seventh on a Ginger Beaumont single and a 2-run double by Fred Clarke. Beaumont had four hits, Clarke and Jimmy Sebring had two each. Chick Stahl and Hobe Ferris had two knocks each for Boston.

1903 World Series Game 1

Game 1: Pirates: 7 Americans: 3 (Pittsburgh leads 1-0)
WP: Phillippe (1-0)

LP: Young (0-1)

Boston's Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds hosted the first World Series game on October 1, 1903. Boston started baseball's all-time winningest pitcher Cy Young against Pirates ace Deacon Phillippe. As was the practice at the time, both starters pitched complete games.

The Pirates ambushed Young for four in the first. They added solo runs in the third, fourth, and seventh to make it a laugher. Jimmy Sebring homered in the seventh for the final Pirate run. Boston scored three slop runs in the later innings to make the game appear closer.

Sebring led the offense in Game 1. He went 3-for-5 with a home run, run scored, and four RBI. He knocked in two in the first, one in the third, and a final run in the seventh on the homer. Tommy Leach went 4-for-5 and Fred Clarke added two hits. Phillippe pitched a complete game six hitter, walked none, struck out 10, and gave up 2 earned runs. The strikeout total is amazing for the era. Buck Freeman was the only Boston starter to not strikeout. Second baseman Hobe Ferris punched out twice.

While Phillippe starred for the Pirates, Young was hammered. He allowed 12 hits, seven runs, three earned runs, walked three, and struck out five in nine innings. Freddy Parent and Freeman each had two safeties. Candy LaChance knocked in two American runs.

1903 World Series overview

The American League formed in 1901 to rival the old National League. Two years later, the two leagues agreed to have their respective champions play in a "world's series" for bragging rights. The Pittsburgh Pirates won their third consecutive NL Pennant in 1903 with a 91-49 record. The Boston Americans, aka Pilgrims, topped the AL with a 91-47 record. The Americans eventually became the Red Sox.

Honus Wagner led the Pirates with a .355 average in the regular season while Deacon Phillippe won 24 games and Sam Leever 25. Player manager Fred Clarke hit .351 for the Bucs. On the other side, Cy Young led the Americans with a 28-9 season. Boston had two other 20-game winners with Bill Dinneen and Long Tom Hughes. Patsy Dougherty (.331) and Buck Freeman (104 RBI) led the Boston offense. Their outfield, which included Dougherty, Freeman, and Chick Stahl might have been the best in baseball at the time.

Many prognasticators believed the outcome depended on injured Honus Wagner. The shortstop suffered a major leg injury in September, which he did not recover from until the following year. The money was on Boston if Wagner did not play. In the end, the Americans won the best-of-nine series in eight games. It is considered one of the wildest World Series in history and turned on a triple by Cy Young.

Fred Clarke: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1945

Born: October 3, 1872

1892: Signed with a pro team

Debut: June 30, 1894 (Louisville Colonels)

1895: 35-game hitting streak

1897: Became player-manager (180-212 as Louisville manager)

1899: Traded to the Pirates (1422-969 as Pirates manager)

1901: Won the NL Pennant

1902: Won the NL Pennant

1903: Won NL Pennant; Lost the first World Series to the Red Sox

1909: Pirates won the World Series

1910: Tied ML record with 4 outfield assists in a game

1915: Retired. He spent time as a coach and Pirate executive following his playing days.

1926: Served as assistant manager for Pirates leading to a player revolt. Pirate management released the players including Babe Adams and Max Carey.

1945: Elected to Hall of Fame

1947: Involved in ice fishing accident and survived a gas furnace explosion

1960: Died

Accomplishments:

Managerial Record:
1602-1181 (.576)- 4 pennants and 1 world title

Two 100-win seasons

103-36 (.741) record in 1902

110-42 (.724) record in 1909

1909 World Champion

.312 career hitter

35 game hit streak (1895)

67 Home runs

1015 RBI

2678 hits

1622 runs scored

220 triples

100+ runs: 5x

200+ hits: 2x

30+ doubles: 2x

Led league in doubles in 1903 (32)

10+ triples: 14

Led league in triples (13) in 1906

20+ stolen bases: 14x

30+ stolen bases: 7x

40+ stolen bases: 4x

59 steals in 1897

509 career steals

Led league in walks (80) in 1909

Hit .300+: 11x

.400+ OBP: 5x

.500+ Slugging: 2x

Led league in slugging (.532) in 1903

Led league in OPS (.946) in 1903

Led league in HBP (14): in 1902

Postseason: .245 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI (1903 and 1909 World Series)