Bringing Baseball History to Center Field
 

World Series got its start in 1903

The baseball postseason experience was changed forever at the end of the 1903 season. The Boston Pilgrims (Americans, etc.) and the Pittsburg (no "h" at that time) Pirates squared off in a best of nine series. It didn't take long for this first series to give fans a glimpse of what was to come. Pittsburgh's Jimmy Sebring hit a home run in the first game. The game also featured the game's measuring stick for pitchers, Cy Young.

Game 7 is considered to be the turning point of the series. Boston beat Pittsburg starter Deacon Phillippe for the first time in the series and used the momentum to beat him a second time in Game 8 to capture the title.

1903 Scorecard

  1. Oct. 1 -- Pittsburg 7, Boston 3.
    W-Phillippe, L-Young. HR - Sebring (Pit)

  2. Oct. 2 -- Boston 3, Pittsburg 0.
    W-Dinneen, L-Leever. HR-Dougherty 2 (B)

  3. Oct 3 -- Pittsburg 4, Boston 2.
    W-Phillippe, L-Hughes.

  4. Oct. 6 -- Pittsburg 5, Boston 4.
    W-Phillippe, L-Dinneen

  5. Oct. 7 -- Boston 11, Pittsburg 2.
    W-Young, L-Kennedy

  6. Oct 8 -- Boston 6, Pittsburg 3
    W-Dinneen, L-Leever

  7. Oct 10 -- Boston 7, Pittsburg 3.
    W-Young, L-Phillippe

  8. Oct 13 -- Boston 3, Pittsburg 0.
    W-Dinneen, L-Phillippe

Series Winners

For a complete listing of World Series winners (and even for winners of championship series prior to the modern World Series), please click here.

Top Teams in WS

The top teams when it comes to winning World Series championships:

  • Yankees (26)
  • Cardinals & Athletics (9)
  • Dodgers (6)

World Series MVPs

These stars put in MVP performances

In 1955, baseball started to honor the outstanding performance in the World Series with the Most Valuable Player award. Johnny Podres of the Dodgers was the star of the series, pitching to a 2-0 record in a defeat of New York. For a look at World Series MVPs, click here.