Congratulations to the Red Sox and Dodgers! Not the First Time These Two Teams Met in the World Series!

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 1916 World Series Photo Gallery
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Congratulations to the Red Sox and Dodgers!

As we await the start of the 2018 World Series tonight, perhaps not everyone is aware that this is actually the second time the Brooklyn and Boston franchises have met in the Fall Classic. The first time was 102 years ago in 1916 when the Brooklyn Robins (later called the Dodgers) managed by Wilbert “Uncle Robbie” Robinson faced off against Bill Carrigan’s Boston Red Sox. The series was played from October 7-12, 1916 with the Sox winning the series in five games.

This was the first pennant in the post-1900 era for Brooklyn, which finished the season at 94-60; while the 91-63 Red Sox won their third pennant and third World Series championship in the last five years (1912, ’15, and ’16). Another championship awaited the Sox in the war-shortened season of 1918; while 1920 would find the Robins making a return trip to the World Series.

The Robins were the favorites as the series opened with the strong starting pitching of Jeff Pfeffer (a 25-game winner), Rube Marquard, Sherry Smith, and veteran Jack Coombs; plus the hitting of Zack Wheat and Jake Daubert. The Red Sox countered with strong starters Ernie Shore, Dutch Leonard, Carl Mays, Rube Foster, and a young lefty named Babe Ruth, who was also just starting to turn heads with his hitting.

Game Summaries:

Game One saw Ernie Shore enter the ninth with a 6-1 lead, but needed help from Carl Mays to hold on to a 6-5 Red Sox win.

Game Two was a matchup between a young lefty named Babe Ruth and star Sherry Smith. Ruth threw thirteen shutout innings, and won 2-1. He started a consecutive scoreless innings streak that would reach 29 in 1918, a World Series record that stood for 43 years.

With the Red Sox leading the series two-games-to-none, Game Three went to the Robins 4-3 behind the complete game performance of Jack Coombs. This was followed by Dutch Leonard’s 6-3 complete game victory in Game Four.  

Ernie Shore returned to the mound for Game Five and pitched another complete game for the Sox, giving them a 4-1 win and their second consecutive World Series title.

Here’s a few interesting tidbits about the 1916 World Series:

• None other than Casey Stengel was the hitting star for the Robins, hitting .364 in a losing cause.
• For the second World Series in a row, the Red Sox home games were played at the larger Braves Field. It proved to be a good decision, as the final game drew a then-record crowd of 43,620.
• Game Two was the longest in terms of innings (14) in World Series history until Game Three of the 2005 World Series.
• As was the case in the 1915 World Series, Red Sox pitching dominated, this time holding the Robins to a team .200 batting average, contributing to their easy 5-game victory.
• Game Three was the first ever World Series game ever played at the newly constructed Ebbets Field.
• Nine future Hall-of-Famers were on the field: Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth, Wilbert Robinson, Rube Marquard, Casey Stengel, Zack Wheat; plus umpires Tom Connolly and Hank O’Day.

Will this year’s version of the Red Sox and Dodgers result in another easy 4-1 World Series victory for Boston? I tend to doubt it, but we’ll soon find out!

Gary Livacari 

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: Excerpts edited from 1916 World Series Wikipedia page

Check out my two books, both now available on Amazon in e-book and paperback:  “Paul Pryor in His Own Words: The Life and TImes of a 20-Year Major League Umpire”and “Memorable World Series Moments.” All profits go to the Illinois Veterans Foundation