1903 Boston Americans
World Series Champions American League Champions
Boston Americans (sitting) and Pittsburgh Pirates (standing) at the 1903 World Series
League	American League
Ballpark	Huntington Avenue Grounds
City	Boston, Massachusetts
Record	91–47 (.659)
League place	1st
Owners	Henry Killilea
Managers	Jimmy Collins
Stats	ESPN.com BB-reference
← 1902 1904 →

The 1903 Boston Americans season was the third season for the professional baseball franchise that later became known as the Boston Red Sox. The Americans finished first in the American League (AL) with a record of 91 wins and 47 losses, 14+1⁄2 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. Boston went on to participate in the first World Series held between the AL and National League (NL) champions. The Americans won the 1903 World Series in eight games over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team was managed by Jimmy Collins and played its home games at Huntington Avenue Grounds.

Offseason and Spring Training

Transactions

• October 6, 1902: It is reported that George Stone will play for the Boston Americans.^[1]
• October 28, 1902: John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants, announces that Jack Warner of the Boston Americans had signed to play for the Giants.^[2] This decision came after weeks of speculation as to the future of Jack Warner. In an interview printed on September 25, 1902, Jimmy Collins stated that he had signed Warner to a two-year contract with the Americans the previous month.^[3] On October 13, 1902, Jimmy Collins had gone to New York after hearing reports that Warner had jumped to the New York Giants.^[4]
• March 18, 1903: Catcher Charles "Duke" Farrell announces that that he has accepted an offer to play for the Boston Americans.^[5]

Prior to the regular season, the team held spring training in Macon, Georgia.^[6][7] Cy Young was a coach for the Mercer University baseball team, also based in Macon.^[8][9]

The Boston Americans played an exhibition game against Mercer University (with Cy Young pitching for Mercer) on March 23; the outcome being a 13─2 victory for Boston.^[10]

Regular Season Overview

April 20 ─ Boston Vs. Philadelphia

April 20 (Game 1): Philadelphia 4 ─ Boston 9^[11] The Boston Americans began the season with a 9─4 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. Philadelphia pitcher Rube Waddell struck out the first four batters he faced. The Athletics scored first in the third inning; Ossee Schreckengost batted into what seemed to be a double play, but the throw to first base went into the bleachers allowing Schreckengost to score. The Athletics scored again in the fourth inning, but the Boston Americans responded by scoring five in their half of the inning, giving them the lead that would not be relinquished.

WP: George Winter

LP: Rube Waddell

April 20 (Game 2): Philadelphia 10 ─ Boston 7^[11] Cy Young began the game effectively, allowing only one opposing batter to reach first base for the first six innings. The Boston offense was also strong for the first six innings, scoring a total of six runs. Yet Philadelphia was able to tie the game in the seventh inning, scoring six runs off of Young. Philadelphia then took the lead in the eighth inning with a run scored, and scored three more in the ninth to give them ten runs. Boston could only score one more in the ninth; a single by Chick Stahl led to him being driven home by a double hit by Buck Freeman, giving Boston a total of seven runs.

WP: Charles Bender

LP: Cy Young

April 22: Boston 1 ─ Philadelphia 6^[12]

The Boston Americans lost their first game away from home at Philadelphia. Rube Waddell's pitching stopped Boston from making gains; the only run scored by Boston came in the eighth inning, Farrell scoring off of a single hit by Collins, which tied the game with one run each. Philadelphia replied by scoring five in their half of the inning, giving the final score of 6─1.

WP: Rube Waddell (10K; )

LP: Bill Dinneen

April 23: Boston 4 ─ Philadelphia 7^[13]

Philadelphia took the lead in the second inning; Seybold hit a double and was driven in by a single hit by Murphy, Murphy then scored on a single to left field hit by Cross, and Cross came home after Henley hit to center field, giving Philadelphia three runs. Boston managed to load the bases in the third inning, allowing Winter to score after three consecutive walks. Pickering scored for the Athletics in the fourth, Davis for the Athletics in the fifth, with Murphy and Pickering scoring in the sixth to give the Athletics a total of seven runs.

More runs came for Boston in the seventh and eighth innings. Collins hit a triple in the seventh to score Farrell and Dougherty; Parent scored in the eighth off of a single hit by Ferris. This gave the total of runs scored by Boston at four.

WP: Weldon Henley

LP: George Winter

April 24: Boston 2 ─ Philadelphia 1^[14]

A pitcher's duel between Cy Young and Eddie Plank led to a 2─1 victory for Boston. The only run scored by Philadelphia was by Seybold, who scored a run on a wild pitch thrown by Young in the first inning. Boston scored in the third inning on a double hit by Ferris, who advanced to third on a sacrifice fly hit by Farrell, then came home on a wild pitch thrown by Plank. Boston then took the lead in the fourth inning after Freeman doubled to left and was then driven home on a double to right center hit by Parent.

WP: Cy Young

LP: Eddie Plank

April 25: Boston 4 ─ Philadelphia 0^[15]

The Boston Americans, led by the pitching of Tom Hughes, shutout Philadelphia.

Freeman and LaChance scored for Boston in the second inning; Parent scored the third run in the fourth inning, and the fourth run in the eighth.

WP: Tom Hughes

LP: Rube Waddell

April 27: Boston 3 ─ Washington 6^[16]

The game between Boston and Washington was a close one throughout until the final inning of the game won it for Washington.

Boston's runs came in the first and third innings. In the first inning Dougherty was driven home on a hit by Collins; this was repeated in the third inning, with Dougherty scoring on a double hit by Collins, whilst Collins himself was driven home on a hit by Freeman. Washington's runs came in the first, fifth, and eighth innings. Washington scored once in the first inning and once in the fifth inning but scored four runs in the eighth to give them the victory over Boston.

WP: Al Orth

LP: Bill Dineen

April 28: Boston 11 ─ Washington 4^[17]

Boston's offense exploded to take a convincing win over Washington. After scoring a run each in the first and second innings, Boston scored four runs in the fourth: Ferris hit a single to drive in Parent, but was tagged in between first and second base; Criger walked to first and Young had a hit to left, Dougherty then hit a home run to drive in three runs. Boston then scored three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to give them their final run tally of eleven.

Washington scored three runs off of a hit by Holmes in the sixth inning and one more in the ninth to bring their total to four.

WP: Cy Young

LP: Wyatt Lee

April 29: Boston 5 ─ Washington 9^[18]

Boston ended its series in Washington with a defeat. Washington scored a run in the first inning but Boston equalled the score in the second inning; Washington took the lead in the second inning, scoring two runs to take the lead.

WP: Casey Patton

LP: Norwood Gibson

April 30: Philadelphia 12 ─ Boston 2^[19]

• May 12: After a slow start to the season, the team has a winning record for the first time, at 10–9, with a 10–5 win over the Cleveland Naps at League Park in Cleveland.
• June 1: With a 20–15 record, Boston moves into first place in the AL, a half-game ahead of the St. Louis Browns.^[135]
• June 9: The team's longest winning streak of the season, 11 games between May 28 and June 8, comes to an end with a loss to the visiting Detroit Tigers.^[136]
• June 16: With a 28–18 record, Boston falls a game behind Philadelphia in the AL standings.^[137]
• June 21: Buck Freeman is the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, in a road win at Cleveland.^[138]
• June 23: With a 33–20 record, Boston regains the AL lead,^[139] which they will not relinquish through the end of the season.
• June 30: Nick Altrock starts and pitches eight innings in a 10–3 road loss to the Chicago White Sox;^[136] these are the only innings in the entire season not pitched by members of the five-man rotation, led by Cy Young.
• July 29: Patsy Dougherty hits for the cycle against the visiting New York Highlanders.^[138] It is also Boston's highest scoring game of the year, a 15–14 loss.^[136]
• September 28: The season ends with a home doubleheader against the Browns, with Boston winning both games; 8–7 and 6–0.^[136]

The team's longest losing streak was three games, which occurred twice; April 20–23 and September 22–23. The team's longest game was 12 innings, which occurred three times.

Transactions

• May 1, 1903: The Boston Americans acquire University of Illinois Athlete Jake Stahl, who agrees to join the team after receiving his diploma in June.^[140] Henry Killilea had met with Stahl on April 27, 1903, promising him $500 a month to play catcher for the Boston Americans.^[141] Stahl would make his debut with the Americans on June 6.^[142]
• July 2: Pitcher Nick Altrock is released by the Boston Americans, and is immediately signed by the Chicago White Sox.^[143]

Statistical leaders

The offense was led by Buck Freeman, who hit 13 home runs and had 104 RBIs, and Patsy Dougherty with a .331 batting average. It was Freeman's third consecutive season with at least 100 RBIs. The pitching staff was led by Cy Young, who made 40 appearances (35 starts) and pitched 34 complete games with a 28–9 record and 2.08 ERA, while striking out 176 in 341+2⁄3 innings. The team had two other 20-game winners; Bill Dinneen (21–13) and Tom Hughes (20–7).

Season Log