Baseball

Baseball's First World Series By Chip Westley

Baseball's first World Series was played in 1903. The contest to decide the World Champions of baseball resulted from player raids by the fledgling American League. This brand new league had declared itself to be a major league and contested with the senior National League for baseball talent. A bitter player war replete with lawsuits, dishonored contracts and much bitterness had raged across the baseball landscape for two years.

A detente of sort was reached in January of 1903 with both sides ending the player raids. Over that summer, they agreed to play a post-season championship. The owners of the champion Pittsburg* Pirates and Boston Americans signed a contract in which they agreed to face each other in a "World Series".

The Pirates were led by the soon-to-be legendary Honus Wagner. Wagner had batted .355 in capturing the batting title that season. The Boston Americans (later known as the Red Sox) were led by Cy Young and Eddie Collins.

Boston started Cy Young in Game 1 of the first ever World Series. The Pirates roughed him up for seven runs, winning the opener 7 to 3 behind the solid pitching of Deacon Phillipe. Boston came back in the second game for a 3 to 0 victory to even the best of nine series at one game each. A third game was played at Boston's Huntington Avenue Grouds before the World Series moved on to Pittsburg for four games. Boston was shut down by Phillipe once again. This time the Pirates won 4 to 2.

After a rain out the Series resumed in Pittsburg. The Pirates starting pitcher was none other than Deacon Phillipe! Amazingly, he won again although he showed signs of tiring in the later innings. Pittsburg held on to win 5-4 and took a three games to one lead.

The Red Sox came back to even the series behind first Cy Young and then Bill Dineen. In Game 7, a well rested Deacon Phillipe was shelled and lost to Cy Young 7-3.

The teams headed back to Boston where the Pirates amazingly sent Phillipe to the hill yet again. He held Boston to just three runs but that was enough as Bill Dineen held the Pirates scoreless. Boston took home the title of World Series Champions, but perhaps the saga of Deacon Phillipe is the most amazing part of this story.

* The city of Pittsburgh would add an 'h' to it's name later.