1909 Pittsburgh Pirates season
Encyclopedia
The 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates
won the National League
pennant
with a record of 110–42. Led by shortstop Honus Wagner
and outfielder-manager Fred Clarke
, the Pirates scored the most runs in the majors. Wagner led the league in batting average
, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and runs batted in. Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss
opened the Pirates' new ballpark, named Forbes Field
, on June 30, 1909.
The Pirates' 110 wins were then a league record, a record they set in the last game of the season by beating the Cincinnati Reds
7-4 in muddy conditions on October 5.
Fred Clarke
Tommy Leach
Dots Miller
Honus Wagner
Vic Willis
In the World Series, Pittsburgh faced the American League
champion Detroit Tigers
, led by triple crown winner Ty Cobb
. The matchup was largely billed as one between the major leagues' two superstars. Wagner thoroughly outplayed Cobb, and rookie Babe Adams
won all three of his starts, as the Pirates won in seven games.
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
won the 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...
pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
with a record of 110–42. Led by shortstop Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner
-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
and outfielder-manager Fred Clarke
Fred Clarke
Fred Clifford Clarke was a Major League Baseball player from 1894 to and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise...
, the Pirates scored the most runs in the majors. Wagner led the league in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and runs batted in. Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss
Barney Dreyfuss
Bernhard "Barney" Dreyfuss was an executive in Major League Baseball who owned the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise from 1900 to 1932....
opened the Pirates' new ballpark, named Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, on June 30, 1909.
The Pirates' 110 wins were then a league record, a record they set in the last game of the season by beating the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
7-4 in muddy conditions on October 5.
Notable transactions
- May 28, 1909: Ward MillerWard Miller (baseball)Ward Taylor Miller , was a professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from -. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Terriers, and St...
and cash were traded by the Pirates to the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Kid DurbinKid DurbinBlaine Alphonsus "Kid" Durbin was a left-handed Major League Baseball outfielder and pitcher. He was born in Lamar, Missouri...
.
Roster
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted inPos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | 150 | 510 | 135 | .265 | 2 | 52 | |
1B | 137 | 512 | 133 | .260 | 1 | 70 | |
2B | 151 | 560 | 156 | .279 | 3 | 87 | |
3B | 91 | 350 | 77 | .220 | 0 | 25 | |
SS | 137 | 495 | 168 | .339 | 5 | 100 | |
OF | 151 | 587 | 153 | .261 | 6 | 43 | |
OF | 152 | 550 | 158 | .287 | 3 | 68 | |
OF | 154 | 569 | 155 | .272 | 4 | 59 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted inPlayer | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
46 | 168 | 43 | .256 | 0 | 7 | |
36 | 87 | 20 | .230 | 1 | 16 | |
49 | 67 | 20 | .299 | 0 | 7 | |
15 | 56 | 8 | .143 | 0 | 4 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
39 | 289.2 | 22 | 11 | 2.24 | 95 | |
41 | 283 | 25 | 6 | 1.62 | 133 | |
31 | 203.1 | 13 | 8 | 2.21 | 56 | |
32 | 201.2 | 19 | 8 | 2.37 | 43 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 | 130 | 12 | 3 | 1.11 | 65 | |
19 | 70 | 8 | 1 | 2.83 | 23 | |
13 | 40.2 | 1 | 0 | 1.11 | 21 | |
8 | 36.1 | 2 | 1 | 2.48 | 11 | |
3 | 7.1 | 0 | 1 | 3.68 | 2 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = StrikeoutsPlayer | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 1 | |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.00 | 2 |
League top five finishers
Howie CamnitzHowie Camnitz
Samuel Howard Camnitz was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League and for the Pittsburgh Rebels in the Federal League...
- #2 in NL in wins (25)
- #4 in NL in ERA (1.62)
Fred Clarke
Fred Clarke
Fred Clifford Clarke was a Major League Baseball player from 1894 to and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise...
- #2 in NL in runs scored (97)
- #4 in NL in on-base percentage (.384)
Tommy Leach
Tommy Leach
Thomas Andrew Leach was a baseball player during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Leach participated in the first modern World Series in 1903 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting four triples to set a record that still stands...
- MLB leader in runs scored (126)
Dots Miller
Dots Miller
John Barney "Dots" Miller was a professional baseball player who played first base and second base in Major League Baseball from 1909 to 1921. He would play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals.-Career:Miller started his major league career with the Pirates...
- #3 in NL in RBI (87)
Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner
-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
- NL leader in batting average (.339)
- NL leader in RBI (100)
- NL leader in on-base percentage (.420)
- NL leader in slugging percentage (.489)
- #3 in NL in runs scored (92)
Vic Willis
Vic Willis
Victor Gazaway Willis was a Major League Baseball player nicknamed "The Delaware Peach." He was a starting pitcher...
- #4 in NL in wins (22)
1909 World Series
In the World Series, Pittsburgh faced 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...
champion Detroit Tigers
1909 Detroit Tigers season
The 1909 Detroit Tigers won the American League pennant with a record of 96-56, but lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1909 World Series, 4 games to 3. The season was their 9th since they were charter members of the American League in 1901. It was the third consecutive season in which they won...
, led by triple crown winner Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
. The matchup was largely billed as one between the major leagues' two superstars. Wagner thoroughly outplayed Cobb, and rookie Babe Adams
Babe Adams
Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
won all three of his starts, as the Pirates won in seven games.
Game 1
October 8, 1909 at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit (AL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
Pittsburgh (NL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 5 | 0 |
W: Babe Adams Babe Adams Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates... (1–0) L: George Mullin George Mullin (baseball) George Joseph Mullin was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper of the Federal League.-Career Overview:Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers... (0–1) |
||||||||||||
HR: PIT – Fred Clarke Fred Clarke Fred Clifford Clarke was a Major League Baseball player from 1894 to and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise... (1) |
Game 2
October 9, 1909 at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit (AL) | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 3 |
Pittsburgh (NL) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
W: Bill Donovan (1–0) L: Howie Camnitz Howie Camnitz Samuel Howard Camnitz was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League and for the Pittsburgh Rebels in the Federal League... (0–1) |
Game 3
October 11, 1909 at Bennett Park in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh (NL) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 2 |
Detroit (AL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 5 |
W: Nick Maddox Nick Maddox Nicholas Maddox was a professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1907-10 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.... (1–0) L: Ed Summers Ed Summers Oron Edgar Summers , nicknamed "Kickapoo Ed," due to his Kickapoo ancestry. was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers .... (0–1) |
Game 4
October 12, 1909 at Bennett Park in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh (NL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
Detroit (AL) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 8 | 0 |
W: George Mullin George Mullin (baseball) George Joseph Mullin was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper of the Federal League.-Career Overview:Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers... (1–1) L: Lefty Leifield Lefty Leifield Albert Peter "Lefty" Leifield , was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1905-1920. He played for the St. Louis Browns, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cubs.-Baseball career:... (0–1) |
Game 5
October 13, 1909 at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit (AL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
Pittsburgh (NL) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | X | 8 | 10 | 2 |
W: Babe Adams Babe Adams Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates... (2–0) L: Ed Summers Ed Summers Oron Edgar Summers , nicknamed "Kickapoo Ed," due to his Kickapoo ancestry. was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers .... (0–2) |
||||||||||||
HR: DET – Davy Jones Davy Jones (baseball) David Jefferson "Davy" Jones , nicknamed "Kangaroo", was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played fifteen seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Rebels... (1), Sam Crawford Sam Crawford Samuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957.... (1) PIT – Fred Clarke Fred Clarke Fred Clifford Clarke was a Major League Baseball player from 1894 to and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise... (2) |
Game 6
October 14, 1909 at Bennett Park in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh (NL) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
Detroit (AL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 10 | 3 |
W: George Mullin George Mullin (baseball) George Joseph Mullin was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper of the Federal League.-Career Overview:Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers... (2–1) L: Vic Willis Vic Willis Victor Gazaway Willis was a Major League Baseball player nicknamed "The Delaware Peach." He was a starting pitcher... (0–1) |
Game 7
October 16, 1909 at Bennett Park in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh (NL) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
Detroit (AL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
W: Babe Adams Babe Adams Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates... (3–0) L: Bill Donovan (1–1) |