1903 World Series

Lore & Background

The Pirates were plagued by injuries and bizarre misfortunes. Honus Wagner, bothered by injuries, batted only 6-for-27 (.222) in the Series and committed six errors. He was deeply distraught, later writing, 'I was too bum last year... I was a joke in that Boston-Pittsburgh Series.' Pittsburgh pitcher Sam Leever injured his shoulder while trap shooting, so his teammate Deacon Phillippe pitched five complete games, winning three. Boston pitchers Bill Dinneen and Cy Young led Boston to victory. In Game 1, Phillippe struck out ten Boston batters; the next day, Dinneen struck out 11 Pittsburgh batters in Game 2. Due to overflow crowds at Exposition Park in Allegheny City, if a batted ball rolled under a rope in the outfield, a 'ground-rule triple' was scored; 10 such triples were hit in the four games there. Boston's 'Royal Rooters' traveled to Exposition Park and sang 'Tessie' to distract opposing players, especially Wagner. Boston won 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.

In Their Own Story

Smoke from cheap cigars clung to the damp October air over Huntington Avenue Grounds, swirling with the dust kicked up by cleats on the dirt infield. It was October 13, 1903, and a tension thicker than the New England fog hung over the wooden grandstands. A man in a bowler hat leaned forward, white-knuckled on the railing, watching Cy Young coil for another pitch. The crowd didn't just cheer; they roared for validation of an entire league. When the final out was recorded, the sound erupted into a deafening cacophony that rolled through Boston's streets, marking the moment the city seized its first piece of baseball immortality.

Reader's Guide

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. Boston came back from a three games to one deficit, winning the final four games to capture the title. Such a large comeback would not happen again until the Pirates came back to defeat the Washington Senators in the 1925 World Series, and has happened only 11 times in baseball history.

Did You Know?

• The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series in Major League Baseball.
• Pittsburgh pitcher Sam Leever injured his shoulder trap shooting, forcing Deacon Phillippe to pitch five complete games.
• Honus Wagner batted only .222 in the Series and committed six errors, later calling himself 'a joke.'
• 10 ground-rule triples were hit in the four games played at Exposition Park in Allegheny City.
• Boston's 'Royal Rooters' sang 'Tessie' to distract Pirates players, especially Honus Wagner.