1903 Boston Americans season
Encyclopedia
The Boston Americans
season was a season in American baseball
. The team finished first in the American League
with a record of 91 wins and 47 losses. They went on to participate in the first World Series
held between the American League and National League
champions. They won the 1903 World Series
in 8 games over the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
The team was managed by Jimmy Collins
and played their home games at Huntington Avenue Grounds
.
. The Americans were led by Buck Freeman
, who hit 13 home runs and drove in 104 runs, his third straight 100-RBI
campaign for the Boston club. Meanwhile, they won 10 straight games in early June to put themselves in the AL lead for good. They met the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the first modern World Series
, an agreement between the AL and the NL as a post-season tournament. The "Amerks" won the series in 8 games, winning the 8th game at Huntington Avenue Grounds to clinch the championship.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
season was a season in American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. The team finished first in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with a record of 91 wins and 47 losses. They went on to participate in the first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
held between the American League and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
champions. They won the 1903 World Series
1903 World Series
The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the Boston Americans of the American League against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last...
in 8 games over the Pittsburgh Pirates
1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National...
.
The team was managed by Jimmy Collins
Jimmy Collins
James Joseph Collins was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century who was widely regarded as being the best third baseman prior to Brooks Robinson...
and played their home games at Huntington Avenue Grounds
Huntington Avenue Grounds
Huntington Avenue American League Base Ball Grounds is the full name of the baseball stadium that formerly stood in Boston, Massachusetts and was home to the Boston Red Sox from 1901-1911...
.
Season summary
The 1903 Boston Americans won the American League championship by finishing 14½ games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics1903 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 2nd in the American League with a record of 75 wins and 60 losses, 14½ games behind the Boston Americans.- Offseason :...
. The Americans were led by Buck Freeman
Buck Freeman
John Frank "Buck" Freeman was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball at the turn of the 20th century. Freeman was one of the top sluggers of his era, his most famous feat being the 25 home runs he hit during the 1899 season.A native of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, Freeman showed talent as...
, who hit 13 home runs and drove in 104 runs, his third straight 100-RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
campaign for the Boston club. Meanwhile, they won 10 straight games in early June to put themselves in the AL lead for good. They met the Pittsburgh Pirates
1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National...
in the first modern World Series
1903 World Series
The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the Boston Americans of the American League against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last...
, an agreement between the AL and the NL as a post-season tournament. The "Amerks" won the series in 8 games, winning the 8th game at Huntington Avenue Grounds to clinch the championship.
Opening Day lineup
| Patsy Dougherty Patsy Dougherty Patrick Henry Dougherty was a Major League baseball outfielder. Dougherty was born in Andover, New York.He was the first player to hit two home runs in a single World Series game, doing so with the Boston Americans in Game 2 of the first modern World Series... |
LF |
| Jimmy Collins Jimmy Collins James Joseph Collins was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century who was widely regarded as being the best third baseman prior to Brooks Robinson... |
3B |
| Chick Stahl Chick Stahl Charles Sylvester "Chick" Stahl was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who was among the most feared and consistent hitters in his time. In his rookie 1897 season with the Boston Beaneaters, he batted .354, and over his first six seasons, he averaged over .300... |
CF |
| Buck Freeman Buck Freeman John Frank "Buck" Freeman was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball at the turn of the 20th century. Freeman was one of the top sluggers of his era, his most famous feat being the 25 home runs he hit during the 1899 season.A native of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, Freeman showed talent as... |
RF |
| Freddy Parent Freddy Parent Frederick Alfred Parent was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1899 and 1911, for the St. Louis Perfectos , Boston Americans and Chicago White Sox , primarily as a shortstop. Parent batted and threw right-handed... |
SS |
| Candy LaChance Candy LaChance George Joseph LaChance was a first baseman who played in Major League Baseball between 1893 and . LaChance was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed... |
1B |
| Hobe Ferris Hobe Ferris Albert Sayles "Hobe" Ferris, , was a Major League second baseman during the 1900s. He holds the record for the lowest on base percentage of any player in Major League Baseball history with over 5000 plate appearances, recording an OBP of just .265... |
2B |
| Duke Farrell Duke Farrell Charles Andrew Farrell was a 19th century Major League Baseball catcher. Born in Oakdale, Massachusetts, he played for eight teams during his 18 year career... |
C |
| George Winter George Winter (baseball) George Lovington Winter [Sassafrass] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1901 through 1908 for the Boston Americans /Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers . Listed at 5' 8", 155 lb., Winter batted and threw right-handed... |
P |
Roster
| 1903 Boston Americans | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| valign="top" | Pitchers |
valign="top" | Catchers Infielders |
valign="top" | Outfielders Other batters |
valign="top" | Manager |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 96 | 317 | 61 | .192 | 3 | 31 | |
| 1B | 141 | 522 | 134 | .257 | 1 | 53 | |
| 2B | 141 | 525 | 132 | .251 | 9 | 66 | |
| 3B | 130 | 540 | 160 | .296 | 5 | 72 | |
| SS | 139 | 560 | 170 | .304 | 4 | 80 | |
| OF | 141 | 567 | 163 | .287 | 13 | 104 | |
| OF | 139 | 590 | 195 | .331 | 4 | 59 | |
| OF | 77 | 299 | 82 | .274 | 2 | 44 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | 338 | 71 | .210 | 3 | 38 | |
| 40 | 92 | 22 | .239 | 2 | 8 | |
| 17 | 52 | 21 | .404 | 0 | 8 | |
| 11 | 33 | 10 | .303 | 0 | 4 | |
| 6 | 13 | 2 | .154 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 341.7 | 28 | 9 | 2.08 | 176 | |
| 37 | 299 | 21 | 13 | 2.26 | 148 | |
| 33 | 244.7 | 20 | 7 | 2.57 | 112 | |
| 24 | 183.3 | 13 | 9 | 3.19 | 76 | |
| 24 | 178.3 | 9 | 8 | 3.08 | 64 | |
| 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9.00 | 3 |
World series
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record (BOS-PIT) |
Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 1 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
7 | Boston Americans | 3 | 0-1 | 16,242 |
| 2 | October 2 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
0 | Boston Americans | 3 | 1-1 | 9,415 |
| 3 | October 3 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
4 | Boston Americans | 2 | 1-2 | 18,801 |
| 4 | October 6 | Boston Americans | 4 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
5 | 1-3 | 7,600 |
| 5 | October 7 | Boston Americans | 11 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
2 | 2-3 | 12,322 |
| 6 | October 8 | Boston Americans | 6 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
3 | 3-3 | 11,556 |
| 7 | October 10 | Boston Americans | 7 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
3 | 4-3 | 17,038 |
| 8 | October 13 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates season The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 24th in franchise history. The Pirates finished the season as National League champions, beating the second-place New York Giants by 6½ games. They went on to participate in the 1903 World Series, the first to be played between the champions of the National... |
0 | Boston Americans | 3 | 5-3 | 7,455 |