1909 World Series

In the 1909 World Series featured the Pittsburgh Pirates[1] and the Detroit Tigers. The Pirates won the Series in seven games to capture their first championship of the modern Major League Baseball era and the second championship in the club's history. This Series is best remembered for the amazing play by the two best players at the time, Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers.

1909 World Series
Team (Wins) Manager(s) Season
Pittsburgh Pirates (4) Fred Clarke (player/manager) 110–42, .724, GA: 6½
Detroit Tigers (3) Hughie Jennings 98–54, .645, GA: 3½
DatesOctober 8–16
UmpiresJim Johnstone (NL), Billy Evans (AL), Bill Klem (NL), Silk O'Loughlin (AL)
Hall of FamersUmpires:
Billy Evans
Bill Klem
Pirates:
Fred Clarke
Honus Wagner
Vic Willis
Tigers:
Sam Crawford
Ty Cobb
Hughie Jennings (manager)
Broadcast
World Series

Sites: games 1, 2 in Pittsburgh; games 3, 4 in Detroit; game 5 in Pittsburgh; games 6, 7 in Detroit.

The Pirates had won the pennant in 1909 behind the brilliant play of Honus Wagner, who led the league with a .339 batting average and 100 RBI.

Detroit returned for their third consecutive Fall Classic determined to erase the memories of their previous efforts. The Tigers were also backed up by the heavy bat of Ty Cobb (who had just won his third consecutive American League batting title) and a formidable pitching staff.

They might have finally won the Series in their third try, had it not been for Pirates rookie Babe Adams. Manager Fred Clarke started him, on a hunch, in Game 1. Adams won that game and two more, setting a World Series record for rookies.

The Tigers thus became the first AL team to win three consecutive pennants and the first team to lose three straight World Series (the New York Giants would lose three straight Series from 1911–13).

The Pirates ran at will against the weak Detroit catching corps, stealing 18 bases in seven games.

A Honus Wagner baseball card, c. 1909–1911
A Ty Cobb baseball card, c. 1909–1911

The "Krauthead" story

Ty Cobb had a fairly quiet Series, going 6-for-26 with two stolen bases and one caught stealing. There is a long-standing legend that Cobb, standing on first base, called the German-ancestored Honus Wagner "Krauthead", told him he was going to steal second, and was not only thrown out but that Wagner tagged him in the mouth, ball in hand, drawing blood from Cobb's lip. However, an examination of the play-by-play does not indicate that such a play occurred. In the one "caught stealing" charged to Cobb, during the first inning of Game 4, he was actually safe at second due to a throwing error by first baseman Bill Abstein. This story is largely attributed to the creative press at the time, and Wagner and Cobb were actually on good terms.

For the first time, four umpires were used at the same time, with the standard plate umpire and base umpire along with two outfield umpires.

On June 14, 2009, the series' 100th anniversary was celebrated, when the Tigers and Pirates played each other in Pittsburgh. Both teams wore throwback uniforms similar to those worn in 1909. The stadium's public address and sound systems were also turned off, simulating the game conditions in 1909. The Pirates won the game, 6–3.[2]

Summary

NL Pittsburgh Pirates (4) vs. AL Detroit Tigers (3)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 8Detroit Tigers – 1, Pittsburgh Pirates – 4Forbes Field1:5529,264[3] 
2October 9Detroit Tigers – 7, Pittsburgh Pirates – 2Forbes Field1:4530,915[4] 
3October 11Pittsburgh Pirates – 8, Detroit Tigers – 6Bennett Park1:5618,277[5] 
4October 12Pittsburgh Pirates – 0, Detroit Tigers – 5Bennett Park1:5717,036[6] 
5October 13Detroit Tigers – 4, Pittsburgh Pirates – 8Forbes Field1:4621,706[7] 
6October 14Pittsburgh Pirates – 4, Detroit Tigers – 5Bennett Park2:0010,535[8] 
7October 16Pittsburgh Pirates – 8, Detroit Tigers – 0Bennett Park2:1017,562[9]
Bennett Park on October 11, 1909, for the third game of the 1909 World Series.

Matchups

Game 1
Friday, October 8, 1909 2:00 pm (ET) at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Team123456789RHE
Detroit100000000164
Pittsburgh00012100X450
WP: Babe Adams (1–0)   LP: George Mullin (0–1)
Home runs:
DET: None
PIT: Fred Clarke (1)

I'll never forget the look on Adams' face when I told him I wanted him to pitch the opener.

— Pirates manager Fred Clarke

Rookie Babe Adams, who had compiled a 12–3 record during the regular season, unexpectedly drew the start for Game 1. He responded with a six-hit, 4–1 victory sparked by Clarke's game-tying home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Game 2
Saturday, October 9, 1909 2:00 pm (ET) at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Team123456789RHE
Detroit023020000792
Pittsburgh200000000251
WP: Wild Bill Donovan (1–0)   LP: Howie Camnitz (0–1)

The Tigers began their 7–2 comeback win (after a two-run Pirate bottom of the first) with three runs in the top of the third, tying the Series at one game apiece. Ty Cobb stole home to start the rally.

Game 3
Monday, October 11, 1909 2:00 pm (ET) at Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan
Team123456789RHE
Pittsburgh5100000028102
Detroit0000004026115
WP: Nick Maddox (1–0)   LP: Ed Summers (0–1)

Honus Wagner had three hits, three RBI and three stolen bases as the Pirates regained the lead in the Series, two games to one.

Game 4
Tuesday, October 12, 1909 2:00 pm (ET) at Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan
Team123456789RHE
Pittsburgh000000000056
Detroit02030000X580
WP: George Mullin (1–1)   LP: Lefty Leifield (0–1)

The win-swapping continued with Detroit taking Game 4. Tiger ace George Mullin threw a five-hit shutout while striking out 10 Pirates, again evening the Series at two games apiece.

Game 5
Wednesday, October 13, 1909 2:00 pm (ET) at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Team123456789RHE
Detroit100002010461
Pittsburgh11100041X8102
WP: Babe Adams (2–0)   LP: Ed Summers (0–2)
Home runs:
DET: Davy Jones (1), Sam Crawford (1)
PIT: Fred Clarke (2)

Babe Adams threw another six-hitter, for an 8–4 triumph and a 3–2 Series lead for his Pirates.

Game 6
Thursday, October 14, 1909 2:00 pm (ET) at Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan
Team123456789RHE
Pittsburgh300000001481
Detroit10021100X5102
WP: George Mullin (2–1)   LP: Vic Willis (0–1)

Mullin, after being roughed up for three first-inning runs, surrendered only one more and wound up with the win, knotting the Series at three games apiece.

Game 7
Saturday, October 16, 1909 2:00 pm (ET) at Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan
Team123456789RHE
Pittsburgh020203010870
Detroit000000000063
WP: Babe Adams (3–0)   LP: Wild Bill Donovan (1–1)

With the Series coming down to a climactic seventh game (the first to go the distance), Pittsburgh's Fred Clarke went with two-game winner Babe Adams as his pitcher, while Detroit Manager Hugh Jennings decided on Bill Donovan, a complete-game winner in Game 2.

Donovan got off to a miserable start. He hit the first Pirate batter and went on to walk six in the first two innings. He was pulled after three with Adams confidently holding a 2–0 lead. Pittsburgh never looked back, as Babe nailed his third six-hitter and third win of the Series for an 8–0 championship victory.

Honus Wagner continued to prove his Cooperstown worthiness by hitting .333, with seven RBI and six stolen bases. On the other side, Ty Cobb didn't fare as well. Appearing in what would be his last Series (although he would remain active through 1928), Cobb batted only .231 although he did lead the Tigers, losers of their third Series in three years, with six RBI.

No two professional sports teams from Detroit and Pittsburgh would meet in a postseason game again until Game 1 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

It was the first time that one team won the odd-numbered games; the other, the even; it never happened again until 1997.

Composite line score

1909 World Series (4–3): Pittsburgh Pirates (N.L.) beat Detroit Tigers (A.L.)

Team123456789RHE
Pittsburgh Pirates1141324423345012
Detroit Tigers343533412285617
Total attendance: 145,295   Average attendance: 20,756
Winning player's share: $1,825   Losing player's share: $1,275[10]

Film coverage

The championship was recorded by Essanay Co., and sold double the expected number of copies. Studio manager A. M. Kennedy speculated that the film would set a world record for sales.[11]

Notes
  1. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the name of Pittsburgh was often spelled without the 'h'.
  2. "Tigers.com Game recap June 14, 2009". Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  3. "1909 World Series Game 1 – Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  4. "1909 World Series Game 2 – Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  5. "1909 World Series Game 3 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  6. "1909 World Series Game 4 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  7. "1909 World Series Game 5 – Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  8. "1909 World Series Game 6 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  9. "1909 World Series Game 7 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  10. "World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  11. McQuade, James S. (October 30, 1909). "Essanay's Great Special Release". Film Index. New York NY: Films Publishing Company. p. 9.
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References
  • Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 27–31. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
  • Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2117. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.
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