Historic Photos: 1918 Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were baseball's dominant team in the first couple decades of the 20th century; they won the first ever World Series in 1903, and would go on to win again in 1912, 1915, 1916, and finally in 1918. It meant out of 15 World Series, Boston won a third of them (there was no World Series in 1904, although Boston won the AL pennant that year). But, as any baseball fan is aware, it would be the last time the team would win in the 20th century. In many ways, this was the end of an era - in just over a year, pitcher Babe Ruth would be sold to the Yankees, which changed the way the game was played and marked the end of the Dead Ball Era.  In the meantime, though, the Red Sox were baseball's best team in 1918, and they beat the Chicago Cubs in six games.

Historic Photos: 1916 Boston Red Sox

The 1916 World Series champion Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Brooklyn Robins 4 games to 1; to this day, the 1915 and 1916 teams are the only Red Sox teams to win back-to-back World Series titles.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: 1915 Boston Red Sox

The 1915 World Series champion Boston Red Sox; it was the second of four championships that the Red Sox would win between 1912 and 1918, when they beat the Phillies 4 games to 1.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: 1912 Boston Red Sox

The 1912 World Series champion Boston Red Sox, taken shortly before the Series, in which they defeated the New York Giants in eight games (including one tie), culminating in a walk-off sacrifice fly by Larry Gardner.

The player identification, courtesy of the Library of Congress:

Top row (left to right): Joseph Quirk (trainer), Tris Speaker, unidentified girl, Joe Wood, Hick Cady, Pinch Thomas, Buck O'Brien, Hugh Bradley, Duffy Lewis. Middle row: Harry Hooper, Bill Carrigan, Steve Yerkes, Olaf Henriksen, Clyde Engle, Les Nunamaker, Charlie Hall, Larry Gardner, Ray Collins, Jake Stahl. Front row: Heinie Wagner, Hugh Bedient, mascot, Larry Pape, Marty Krug.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: Calvin Coolidge, 1924 World Series

On October 4, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge threw out the first ball of the 1924 World Series between the Washington Senators and the New York Giants.  The series would end up as one of the most memorable in World Series history, with Washington tying the score in the bottom of the 8th inning of Game 7 thanks to a 2-out, bases loaded ground ball that took a bad hop over third baseman Freddy Lindstrom.  Washington would go on to win it in the 12th inning behind the relief pitching of Walter Johnson, with the winning hit coming on another ground ball that took a bad hop on Lindstrom (Giants players named Fred seem to have problems fielding the ball in extra innings in the final game of the World Series. See Snodgrass, Fred). In the end, though, Walter Johnson, possibly the greatest pitcher in baseball history, finally had his first and only World Series title.  Things would also end well for Calvin Coolidge - exactly a month after this photo was taken, he was re-elected in a landslide.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Historic Photos: 1903 World Series

Taken at Boston's Huntington Avenue Grounds, this photo shows the two teams that competed in the first World Series: the Boston Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It was a best of 9 series, which Boston won in 8 games.

The players, according to the description provided by the Boston Public Library, are as follows:

The Pirates: (Top, left to right)- second baseman Claude Ritchey, catcher Harry Smith, catcher Eddie Phelps, outfielder Ginger Beaumont, pitcher Deacon Phillippe, pitcher Sam Leever, pitcher Bucky Veil, pitcher Gus Thompson, outfielder Tommy Leach, outfielder Jimmy Sebring, pitcher Brickyard Kennedy, catcher Fred Carisch and shortstop Honus Wagner. Middle: Pirate manager and outfielder Fred Clarke. Boston players: third baseman-manager Jimmie Collins, outfielder Chick Stahl, pitcher Bill Dineen, outfielder Buck Freeman, pitcher Cy Young, first baseman Candy LaChance, outfielder Patsy Dougherty, pitcher George Winter, catcher Duke Farrell, outfielder Jack O'Brien, pitcher Long Tom Hughes. Bottom: shortstop Fred Parent, catcher Lou Criger, second baseman Hobe Ferris.

Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library

Past World Series Results

Exactly how good of a chance does a team have of winning the World Series if they win Game 1?  In recognition of the Red Sox winning last night, I decided to take a look at past winners and find out.  For the purposes of this, I have excluded the four World Series that were played in a best-of-nine format, so that everything is consistent.  So, here are the World Series win-loss records, and winning percentages, of teams that have:

• Won Game 1:                              66-38 (63%)
• Won Games 1 & 2:                      41-10 (80%)
• Won Games 1, 2, and 3:              24-0 (100%)
• Won Game 1, lost Game 2:          25-28 (47%)
• Won Games 1 & 2, lost Game 3:  17-10 (63%)
• Lead 2 games to 1 after 3:            54-26 (68%)
• Lead 3 games to 2 after 5:            40-19 (68%)