1901 World Series and Finale

World Series Game One, Tuesday, October 8, 1901

The heat of the long hot Chicago summer had broken just in time for the commencement of the inaugural World Series and it was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon at South Side Park in Chicago. The home team, the Chicago White Stockings, had not played an official game in ten days, but were happy for the time off and were happy to have catcher Billy Sullivan back and able to play after his finger injury in the last week of the season plus pitcher Roy Patterson had rejoined the club after he had been allowed to return home before the end of the season. The visitors, the Pittsburgh Pirates, had just completed their regular season two days previous, but were happy for the day off on Monday and were ready to go as well.

South Side Park, Chicago IL

There was a concern as to whether this event would ever happen as both the leagues were still at war with each other, but both leagues, both teams, and the players all saw an opportunity to cash in based on the expressed interest of baseball fans across the country. The swords were sheathed for the moment, agreements were struck, a schedule was put forward, and play began today. Both league presidents were on-hand, but sat on opposite sides of the field and refused to pose for a picture together when pestered by the press. It was also reported that both presidents had visited their respective clubhouses before the game and exhorted their players to play hard and win this exhibition for the benefit of their league.

Promptly at 3:00 PM representatives from both teams strode out to home plate to present their lineup cards to the two umpires that would be working these games (two umpires had been the norm all season and neither league saw the need to pay for a third or fourth umpire, even for this grand of an occasion). A gentleman with a megaphone yelled out the lineups to the throng of fans that ringed the field and with a final roar, the home team took the field and the home plate umpire yelled "play ball."

Both teams put runners on early, but to no avail. Catchers from both teams threw out runners trying to steal as both teams probed the other for weaknesses. In the top of the third Herm McFarland muffed a fly ball and allowed Chief Zimmer to reach second base. Jesse Tannehill bunted Zimmer to third, but also reached first when Chicago tried for the out at third. Lefty Davis then drove home the first run of the game on a long sacrifice fly, with Tannehill advancing to second on the throw home, Pittsburgh now with a 1-0 lead. One batter later Ginger Beaumont singled Tannehill home and the Pirates led 2-0.

Sam Mertes delighted the home fans when he homered in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 2-1. Both pitchers settled down at this point and there was no more scoring until the bottom of the eighth where Frank Shugart doubled to lead off the inning, was bunted to third by Billy Sullivan, and then Clark Griffith tied the score at 2-2 with a sharp single to left. Chicago then proceeded to load the bases with only one out, but failed to produce a run and take the lead.

In the top of the ninth Beaumont hit a hard grounder right through the legs of first baseman Frank Isbell, with Beaumont able to reach second base. Honus Wagner bunted Beaumont to third, drawing the Chicago defense in. Kitty Bransfield hit a sharp grounder to second and Mertes promptly threw home in an attempt to cut down the lead run. Beaumont escaped the rundown and made it back to third though, with Bransfield advancing to second. Claude Ritchey hit a long sacrifice fly to give the Pirates the 3-2 lead and then Tommy Leach punched a clutch two-out single to plate Bransfield, the Pirates now up 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Chicago did get two runners on in the bottom of the frame but Tannehill was able to escape with no further damage and the Pittsburgh Pirates had won Game One by the score of 4-2.

World Series Game Two, Wednesday, October 9, 1901

The Chicago fans were pretty confident yesterday, but today that confidence had been shaken slightly and a feeling of unease filled the stands. The fans know there are two trains waiting at the station to transport the two teams to Pittsburgh overnight for the resumption of play tomorrow and nobody wanted to be down 2-0 and going on the road for the next three games.

Chicago struck first when Dummy Hoy singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice, and then scored one batter later when Herm McFarland singled him in to put the home team up 1-0. Two Pittsburgh errors on the fifth inning led to four runs and a 5-0 Chicago lead after the fifth inning and Pittsburgh still didn’t have a hit yet at this point.

Pittsburgh finally get a hit and two runs in the top of the sixth, but that was all Jimmy Callahan would give up today. Chicago responded with an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Sam Mertes led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on an infield out and then scored when Frank Isbell lined a double.

The damage was now done and Callahan got the win by retiring Pittsburgh quietly in the ninth. Deacon Phillippe took the loss, but four of the six runs he allowed were unearned.

Many of the Chicago fans, their spirits now buoyed, followed their heroes to the train station and cheered them in a rousing fashion as their train departed for Pittsburgh and Game Three tomorrow.

World Series Game Three, Thursday, October 10, 1901

Today was the opportunity for the Pittsburgh fans to welcome home their boys after their season-ending and pennant clinching road trip and after a split in the first two games of the newfangled World Series. The stands were filled and the streets around the park were teeming with people as loyal Pirates fans rooted loudly for their team to close this thing out at home.

Exposition Park, Pittsburgh PA

The roar of the excited crowd reached a crescendo as the lineups were announced and the home town team took the field and with the first pitch the excitement continued to build.

And the home fans got quite a treat today as Pittsburgh scored five times in the bottom of the third and then ran off to a decisive Game Three victory. Third baseman Tommy Leach got the excitement started in the  third with a double, then Chief Zimmer reached first on an infield error, and then a successful sacrifice from Jack Chesbro left runners on second and third with only one out. Lefty Davis drove in two runs with a single, followed by a single and then another single to put Pittsburgh up 4-0. Honus Wagner flew to center for out number two, but Kitty Bransfield kept the inning going with a two-out two-run triple.

Chicago did respond with two in the top of the fourth, but then Pittsburgh plated four in the fifth and put the game out of reach. Out, single, HBP, and a walk and Pittsburgh had the bases loaded for Claude Ritchey who promptly grounded to first and Frank Isbell was able to fire the ball home and get the lead runner and keep the score at 5-2. Now with two outs and Tommy Leach at-bat Roy Patterson uncorked a wild pitch that scored a run and then Leach bounced an infield single up the middle that scored another. An error allowed another run to score and then another wild pitch and all of a sudden Chicago was down 9-2.

Ginger Beaumont knocked a two-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth which necessitated the replacement of Patterson on the mound with Wiley Piatt. In the seventh Bransfield hit his second two-run triple of the game, making the score 13-2 and Chesbro kept the Chicago bats quiet the rest of the way to get the Game Three win.

World Series Game Four, Friday, October 11, 1901

With the memories of the previous days drubbing of Chicago still fresh in their minds the Pittsburgh fans filled the ballpark in anticipation of another thumping of their opponent. That confidence went quiet quickly as after a lead-off out Fielder Jones singled and was then sent to third on a hit-and-run single by second baseman Sam Mertes. Herm McFarland brought home the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly and Chicago had a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third after a lead-off out Lefty Davis singled and then advanced the third on a long single by Fred Clarke. Ginger Beaumont then drove a Clark Griffith pitch off the outfield wall for a two-run double and Pittsburgh had their first lead at 2-1.

There the score stayed until the bottom of the seventh when catcher Chief Zimmer dribbled a single up the middle to start the inning and pitcher Jesse Tannehill stepped to the plate with instructions to bunt him over. Tannehill took a pitch off his shoulder and after some deliberation, it was determined he should not continue. With runners on first and second and the top of the order up Davis also tried to bunt and also got plunked, loading the bases, and igniting the fans and the Pirates in a rage. After order was restored Clarke drove the first pitch he saw for a two-run double and Pittsburgh was up 4-1.

Griffith got out of the inning with no more damage and Ed Doheny came in to pitch the last two innings and secure the win and Pittsburgh now found themselves up 3-to-1 with another home game coming up tomorrow.

  

World Series Game Five, Saturday, October 12, 1901

If the Pirates fans were stoked before they were really boisterous today. They had read all the so-called baseball experts going on and on about how strong Chicago was and how Pittsburgh didn’t stand a chance, and now here they stood, one victory away from the championship. Some thought it was in the bag, but some also knew that the visitors would be at their toughest when their backs were up against the wall.

Chicago got the scoring started in the fourth when Dummy Hoy led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a bunt single by Fielder Jones, and then scored on a single by Sam Mertes. Herm McFarland followed that up with a two-run triple and then McFarland scored on an infield out, putting Chicago up 4-0. In the meantime Jimmy Callahan was holding Pittsburgh scoreless.

Chicago added a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly and then two more when Callahan stroked a two-out double and then scored on a triple by Hoy. Hoy then scored on an error and the scoring was complete at 7-0 and Chicago was going back home down 3-to-2.

World Series Game Six, Monday, October 14, 1901

When the schedule was made it was determined that Sunday would be an off-day. Pittsburgh was still subject to Sunday Blue Laws so there wouldn’t be a game there, and while Chicago had hosted Sunday games on both sides of town all season, the leagues decided to not push it - let the teams make the trip back to the Midwest and then be fresh to play on Monday.

Chicago fans, so confident just a few days ago, were perplexed why their team had struggled so. Even so, they were not going to miss an opportunity to get to the stadium and root for their team and hopefully see two wins coming their way.

Pittsburgh wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Lefty Davis led off with a single, Fred Clarke bunted for a single, a fly out, and then Honus Wagner lined a double off the wall to score two. Kitty Bransfield doubled home Wagner and Pittsburgh had a 3-0 lead. Chicago answered with one in the bottom half of the inning, but that was it for their highlights as Jack Chesbro held Chicago to only three hits on the day and went all the way for the Game Six and World Series victory.

And this marks the end of my 1901 replay, World Series and all. Thanks to all for reading and for the comments and expect to see me reappear with a 1957 replay in a few months. Have a great summer all.