First World Series Champs
1903 Boston Red SoxHome Field: Huntington Ave. Baseball Grounds
World ChampionsHit: #1 R; #1 BA
W - 91 L - 47Pitch: #1 OR; #1 ERA
Manager: Jimmy CollinsDef: #2 FA

The American League was only in its third year of direct competition with the National League when Boston claimed its first league pennant. The club, then known as the Pilgrims, had stocked itself with some prize players from the rival league, including pitcher Cy Young, third baseman Jimmy Collins, and outfielders Buck Freeman and Chick Stahl. Collins doubled as player-manager.

The 1903 squad ran away from the American League field to win the pennant by 14 1/2 games. The club boasted the top offense and top pitching in the league. Freeman led the loops in homers and RBIs and outfielder Patsy Dougherty led the league in runs scored and hits. Boston's pitching staff boasted three 20 game winners led by the legendary Cy Young.

Before the season ended, the owners of Boston and Pittsburgh agreed to participate in an interleague playoff, a best of nine series, when the season ended. The Pirates, champions of the National League for a third straight year, were heavily favored to defeat the Pilgrims, a club that many still considered to be a minor league team. The first World Series began on October 1 in Boston, and Pittsburgh won the game 7-3. The NL champs won three of the first four contests. In Game 5, Boston jumped on Pittsburgh for an 11-2 game which turned the tide for the remainder of the series. Boston won four in a row to capture the first modern World Series. Hurler Bill Dineen sealed the series with a Game 8 whitewash, his third win and second shutout of the series.

Boston repeated as American League champs in 1904, edging New York for the crown on the season's final weekend. But there would be no repeat World Championship for Boston. The New York Giants led by John McGraw won the National League pennant that year, and they refused to participate in a post season series. The leagues did make peace afterwards, and the World Series became a baseball institution.



Pos Player Bats AB H R HR RBI BA    AL Rank
C Lou Criger R 317 61 41 3 31 .192  
1B Candy LaChance B 522 134 60 1 53 .257  
2B Hobe Ferris R 525 132 69 9 66 .251    #3 HR
SS Freddie Parent R 560 170 83 4 80 .304  
3B Jimmy Collins R 540 160 87 5 72 .296  
LF Patsy Dougherty L 590 195 108 4 59 .331    #1 R, #3 BA
CF Chick Stahl L 299 82 60 2 44 .274  
RF Buck Freeman L 567 163 74 13 104 .287    #1 HR, #1 RBI, #3 SA
                   
OF-3B Jack O'Brien L 338 71 44 3 38 .210  
C Jake Stahl R 92 22 14 2 8 .239  
C Duke Farrell R 52 21 5 0 8 .404  
                   
Total: Team   4919 1336 707 48 609 .272  
League Average   37434 9553 4543 183 3802 .255  


Pitcher Throw G IP W L ERA PCT    AL Rank
  Cy Young R 40 342 28 9 2.08 .757    #1 W, #2 ERA
  Bill Dinneen R 37 299 21 11 2.23 .656  
  Long Tom Hughes R 33 245 20 7 2.57 .741  
  Norwood Gibson R 24 183 13 11 3.20 .542  
  George Winter R 24 178 9 8 3.08 .529  
                   
Total: Team       91 47 2.56    
  League Average           2.95    

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