110 Wins and a midseason move
 |
| 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates | | Home Fields: Exposition Park / Forbes Field |
| World Champions | | Hit: #1 R, BA |
| W - 110 L - 42 | | Pitch: #2 OR, ERA |
| Manager: Fred Clarke | | Def: #1 FA |
The 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates are the only team other than the Yankees to win 110 games in a
season and win the World Series. In doing so the Bucs outdistanced the Cubs, winners of the
previous three N.L. pennants, by 6 1/2 games to take the pennant.
Player-manager Fred Clarke, shortstop Honus Wagner, and center fielder Tommy Leach were the
only regulars from Pittsburgh's last pennant winner six years earlier and each played a vital
role in the team's success. The trio represented the league's top three run scorers, with
Leach the leader in that department. Wagner was the loop's batting and RBI champion.
The pitching was solid, led by Howie Camnitz and Vic Willis. Camnitz led the way with a
25-6 mark and a 1.62 ERA. Willis chipped in with a 22-11 mark.
In the World Series, the Pirates faced the Detroit Tigers, who were hungry for a championship
after losing in the previous two fall classics. Pittsburgh's staff bottled up Detroit's top
two hitter. Ty Cobb hit just .231 and Sam Crawford hit .250. Unheralded hurler Babe Adams
was the star, pitching three complete game victories against the Tigers including an 8-0
triumph in Game 7 at Detroit to wrap it up.
1909 was significant for another reason. That June,the Pirates moved from Exposition Park to
Forbes Field, ushering in a new era in Pittsburgh baseball. Forbes Field would be home to the
Pirates for more than 60 years.
| Pos |
Player |
Bats |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
BA |
NL Rank |
C |
George Gibson |
R |
510 |
135 |
42 |
2 |
52 |
.265 |
|
1B |
Bill Abstein |
R |
512 |
133 |
51 |
1 |
70 |
.260 |
|
2B |
Dots Miller |
R |
560 |
156 |
71 |
3 |
87 |
.279 |
#3 RBI |
SS |
Honus Wagner |
R |
495 |
168 |
92 |
5 |
100 |
.339 |
#1 BA, RBI; #3t R |
3B |
Jap Barbeau |
R |
350 |
77 |
60 |
0 |
25 |
.220 |
|
LF |
Fred Clarke |
L |
550 |
158 |
97 |
3 |
68 |
.287 |
#2 R |
CF-3B |
Tommy Leach |
R |
587 |
153 |
126 |
6 |
43 |
.261 |
#1 R; #2t HR |
RF |
Owen Wilson |
L |
569 |
155 |
64 |
4 |
59 |
.272 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3B |
Bobby Byrne |
R |
168 |
43 |
31 |
0 |
7 |
.256 |
|
1B-3B |
Alan Storke |
R |
118 |
30 |
12 |
0 |
12 |
.254 |
|
SS-2B |
Ed Abbaticchio |
R |
87 |
20 |
13 |
1 |
16 |
.230 |
|
OF-1B |
Ham Hyatt |
L |
67 |
20 |
9 |
0 |
7 |
.299 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total: |
Team |
|
5129 |
1332 |
701 |
25 |
585 |
.260 |
|
|
League Average |
|
40649 |
9907 |
4541 |
151 |
3702 |
.244 |
|
|
Pitcher |
Throw |
G |
IP |
W |
L |
ERA |
PCT |
NL Rank |
|
Howie Camnitz |
R |
41 |
283 |
25 |
6 |
1.62 |
.806 |
#2t W, #4 ERA |
|
Vic Willis |
R |
39 |
290 |
22 |
11 |
2.23 |
.667 |
#4 W |
|
Lefty Leifeld |
L |
32 |
202 |
19 |
8 |
2.36 |
.704 |
|
|
Nick Maddox |
R |
31 |
203 |
13 |
8 |
2.22 |
.619 |
|
|
Babe Adams |
R |
25 |
130 |
12 |
3 |
1.11 |
.800 |
|
|
Deacon Phillippe |
R |
22 |
132 |
8 |
3 |
2.32 |
.727 |
|
|
Sam Leever |
R |
19 |
70 |
8 |
1 |
2.83 |
.889 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total: |
Team |
|
|
|
110 |
42 |
2.07 |
|
|
|
League Average |
|
|
|
|
|
2.59 |
|
|
Back to the Mike & Maria Home Page
Back to the Greatest Teams of All Time
You are visitor number: 
.