[JimServo]

World Series

Predictions for the series picked a clear winner: Pirates, easy. Nobody in Pittsburgh, and no National League fans (this author included) anywhere felt the American League upstarts stood much of a chance.

Game 1 in Pittsburgh
11,000 fans jam packed into Exposition Park for the first game, and but seemed only mildly interested as the two pitchers (dependable Jesse Tannehill for the Pirates, and Red Donahue for the Browns) set the batters down in inning after inning. The fans seem quite assured of the Pirates ultimate success. Tannehill and Donahue keep going as the innings go by…6…7…8…John Anderson leads off the Browns side of the 9th, grounding out. 1 down. Mike Kahoe, one of St. Louis’s platooning set of catcher’s, singles to right center. Hemphill grounds to short, and it appears to be a inning ending double play, but Honus Wagner bobbles the ball, and the Browns have two on with just one out. Dick Padden steps up to the plate and slaps a single to right, scoring Brian Maloney, who came in as a pinch runner after Kahoe’s single. 1 to nothing Browns, and Hemphill is at third, with 1 out. Barry McCormick flies out the center, deep enough to get him home. 2-nothing. Donahue sets the Pirates down in order in the bottom of the ninth of the Pirates are down 1 game to none.
FINAL SCORE: BROWNS 2, PIRATES 0

Game 2 in Pittsburgh
Which, of course, means that the Browns are going into the second game up 1 game to none. They leave it up 2 games to none after pounding the Pirates into the ground 9 to zip. The Pirates started Jack Chesbro, and it became clear of the way things were going when he gave up 4 runs in the 1st inning. To be fair to Chesbro, that’s just how many of the runs were earned as the Pirates were hit particularly hard by 4 errors. Bobby Wallace went 3 for 5, and Charlie Hemphill scored 3 times, but the real star of the game was another Jack, this one named Powell, who shutout out the Pirates on 6 hits and a couple of walks.
FINAL SCORE: BROWNS 9, PIRATES 0

Game 3 in St. Louis
The series shifts to Sportsman’s Park as the Browns seek to take complete domination of the series. The Pirates finally score a run in the second inning, and the Browns get that back in the 4th. The Pirates jumped back on top of this apparent pitching duel in the 7th, but the Browns took over with a 4-run 8th inning rally capped by a 2-run Emmet Hendrick triple. The Pirates go down quickly in the 9th and the Browns are now in complete control of the series. Willie Sudhoff gets the win. Sam Leever took the loss
FINAL SCORE: BROWNS 5, PIRATES 2

Game 4 in St. Louis
A World Series Classic in what seemed to be a pointless series. It is a rematch of game 1, and either figures to be another pitchers duel assuming that Pittsburgh bothers to show it. It soon becomes apparent that Jesse Tannehill did not. After getting a run of support from his squad in the first, he gives up 4 runs in the 3rd through 5th innings, and the Browns appear ready to finish the sweep. But in the 8th inning the Pirates come alive, and score 2 times (on back-to-back singles by Kitty Bransfield and Ginger Beaumont). Tannehill has since settled down, and has not given up any more runs. We move to the top on the 9th, 3 outs and the Browns are the World Champs. They get two quick outs and it seems that they will soon be champs as pitcher Jesse Tannehill struts to the plate. No pinch hitter for him, this is his game. He sends a shot down the line in right which bounces around in the corner enough for him to speed around to third. Honus Wagner comes up and singles him home, and the Pirates are still alive. Wagner steals second, but Bransfield flies out. Tannehill sets the Browns down in the 10th and the Browns again quickly get the first two outs. Only then, Tommy Leach singles, steals second, and gets to third on a single. Then Jimmy Burke singles him home. The Pirates are still alive…
FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 5, BROWNS 4 (10)

Game 5 in St. Louis
…but they are down 4 games to 1. Jack Chesbro looks like he may be trouble again when he gives up runs in the 1st and 3rd innings, but then he settles down. The Pirates still need to come back, and they do. They score 2 in the 5th, 1 in the 6th, and 2 in the 7th. They give up a run in a brief scare in the ninth but have survived long enough to bring to series back home to Pittsburgh.
FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 5, BROWNS 3

Game 6 in Pittsburgh
Both Willie Sudhoff and Sam Leever keep men off base for most of the game. Ginger Beaumont’s first inning solo home run looked like it would be enough, but the Pirates added a couple of runs in the 7th on a 2-run single. This proved vital as the Browns staged a 8th inning rally which appeared on the way to possibly tying to game, but Leever stopped it at one run. The Pirates had fought back to tie the series.
FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 3, BROWNS 1

Game 7 in Pittsburgh
The final game of the series was a disappointment and it seemed clear that the St. Louis Browns were drained, both physically, and emotionally. The Pirates scored 7 runs by the 6th inning before getting sloppy and making 6 errors and allowing the Browns to get 4 runs. Still, this game was decided before either team took the field.
FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 7, BROWNS 4

The first series turns into a comeback of proportions that will haven’t seen to this day in the real life Majors. As I had guessed, the Pirates had won, but not in the way I had guessed.

Series MVP: Jesse Tannehill (3 GS, 2-1, 28 IP, 24 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 6 K)