Remembering Philly's 1915 World Series run
Philadelphia was the site of six of the first 12 World Series. Five involved the American League Philadelphia Athletics, who lost to the Boston Braves in 1914. In 1915 the lassic was played for the first time in the city's National League park, Baker Bowl, when the Phillies faced the Red Sox.
Although Fenway Park was the home of the Red Sox, they played their home games in the Series at the newly-constructed Braves Field (40,000 capacity). The Philadelphia A's offered Shibe Park to the Phillies, also because its capacity (23,000) was greater than Baker Bowl (18,000), but owner William Baker declined. Instead, Baker added extra seats in front of the left- and center-field walls in an effort to increase the gate. Baker was criticized for the addition. A ball bouncing into the seats was ruled a ground-rule home run and in the end, it cost the Phillies. The World Series share for the Phils was $2,520.
Game 1: Oct. 8, 1915
The Phillies produced two runs in the eighth inning on two walks and a pair of infield singles by Fred Luderus and Possum Whitted to break a 1-1 tie, giving the Phils their first World Series win, 3-1. Grover Cleveland Alexander scattered eight singles in a complete-game victory. Babe Ruth, a 20-year-old left-handed pitcher who led the AL with 18 wins, was used as a pinch-hitter in his first World Series appearance, which would be his only one in that year. He grounded out to first base in the ninth inning.
Game 1
| Team | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOS | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| PHI | 3 | 5 | 1 |
Game 2: Oct. 9, 1915
Woodrow Wilson became the first U. S. President to attend a World Series game and throw out the first pitch. Rube Foster three-hit the Phillies and singled in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning.
Game 2
| Team | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOS | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| PHI | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Game 3: Oct. 11, 1915
Another three-hitter, this one by Dutch Leonard, produced another 2-1 Boston victory. Duffy Lewis' two-out single to center drove in Harry Hooper with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game in Boston drew 42,300 fans, a World Series record.
Game 3
| Team | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHI | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| BOS | 2 | 6 | 1 |
Game 4: Oct. 12, 1915
Ernie Shore pitched Boston to its third straight 2-1 win. Luderus had three of the Phillies' seven hits, including the lone RBI in the eighth inning. The series returned to Philadelphia with Boston leading, 3-1.
Game 4
| Team | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHI | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| BOS | 2 | 8 | 1 |
Game 5: Oct. 13, 1915
Because of an ailing right arm, Alexander was unable to start, and Erskine Mayer got the nod. The Phillies scored twice in the first inning and could have had more except for a strange decision by manager Pat Moran. With the bases-loaded, no outs and a 3-2 count on the NL home run leader, Gavvy Cravath, Moran called for a squeeze bunt. Cravath bunted into a 1-2-3 double play. Luderus followed with an RBI double and added another run on a homer over the right-field wall in the sixth. Boston rallied and won as Foster pitched the club's fifth straight complete game. Hooper belted two homers and Lewis had one, which was a ground-rule homer. Hooper's second home run was the game-winner in the top of the ninth inning, another hit that bounced into the additional seats in left field. The victory gave the Red Sox their third World Series championship, after 1905 and '12.
Game 5
| Team | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOS | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| PHI | 4 | 9 | 1 |