1901 World Series (Game 7)

It's all even 3-3, the White Sox will go with Roy Patterson, who has been terrific this World Series, and even though he had 20 wins this season, he had the highest ERA among the trio with a 3.37 ERA -- while the Pirates go with southpaw Jesse Tannehill, who had a great start in Game 3 against the White Sox, and will face 5 lefties in that Chicago lineup.

Game 7 (at Chicago (A))

The Pirates get things started in the top of the second as Tommy Leach hits a surprising two-run HR off of Patterson, flying deep over the center field wall. Leach only had one HR all season, in 374 at-bats.

Leach hits first HR in World Series history.

During the bottom of the third, Fielder Jones reaches first on a fielder's choice, steals second. With two outs, Fred Hartman puts a charge into the balls that flies out of reach of Ginger Beaumont's glove, hitting the base of the right field wall at a funny angle, driving in the run, and Hartman reaching third safely -- cutting the lead in half. Sam Mertes fails to knock in Hartman, as he grounds to first.

Bottom of the 6th, Fielder Jones hits a hard, line-drive to the track (that appeared to be gone), but chased down and caught by Ginger Beaumont. Fred Hartman follows the play with a double in the right field gap between Fred Clarke & Beaumont. Sam Mertes grounds out to second, failing to advance the runner. Jesse Tannehill walks his first batter in Billy Hoy. Herm McFarland hits a deep fly to right, which just hits fair grounds, scoring in two base-runners, to take 3-2 lead; McDonald entered the at-bat 1-for-20 (.050 avg). Mound meeting, Clarke is going to let Tannehill pitch to lefty Frank Isbell. Tannehill delivers, Isbell flies out. Chicago leads 3-2 entering the 7th.

The bottom of the 7th, Jesse Tannehill is still out there, the Bucs' pitcher is slated to come up, and instead of wasting a valuable arm, they will go with Tannehill & likely pinch-hit for him in the top of the 8th. Frank Shugart leads the inning off with a single to right. Joe Sugden hits into a force, while White Sox pitcher Roy Patterson lays down a bunt to move Sugden over to second, two outs. Tannehill to face the lefty Fielder Jones, it's scorched, but right at SS-Honus Wagner, third out.

Top of the 8th, Roy Patterson still out there for Chicago. The Pirates choose to have George Merritt to pinch-hit for Tannehill, Merritt came through before with a two-run triple in Game 4, let's see if he still has some magic in the tank for the Bucs. Patterson winds up, this one is hit towards the gap, Herm McFarland chases it down, caught, one down. Al Davis hits his 3rd hit of the ballgame, with a double to the right center gap. Clark Griffith will come in to try and close things out for the White Sox, he will face Fred Clarke. Clarke checks his swing, ball four, and he trots down to first. Ginger Beaumont with runners on 1st & 2nd for the Pirates. Beaumont pops it up, he slams his bat, knowing that's not the pitch he wanted, as Hartman makes the catch behind third, two outs. 8th Inning, and this brings up Honus Wagner, Wagner has struggled, batting .192 (5-for-23) with 3 RBI this series. The pitch, Wagner smacks this one to right, it drops in for a hit, Davis scores, the game is tied, Clarke is rounding third, but he's not testing Billy Hoy's strong arm, as the ball is already reaching 1B-Frank Isbell's glove. Kitty Bransfield, Game 6's hero, is now in another clutch situation with runners on second & third, two outs. Griffith delivers, the ball reaches the outside corner, and the ump says ball four, Bransfield trots down to first, bases loaded, as Griffith shakes his head in displeasure with the call. This brings up Tommy Leach, only batting .208 in the series, but he hit the series' only home run, earlier in this ball-game, a blast over the center field wall during the 2nd Inning. Leach hits it to Shugart at short, goes to Mertes at second for the force, third out. We go to the bottom of the 8th, all tied up.

The Pirates' Honus Wagner.

Jack Chesbro comes in to pitch in the bottom of the 8th, he enters with a 2.45 ERA & two losses this series, this is his 5th appearance, they are likely saving Deacon Phillippe for a possible save situation, in case they take the lead. He will first half to get past the heart of the White Sox' lineup in Hartman, Mertes & Hoy. Fred Hartman hits this one hard & deep, Beaumont chases it down, and catches it at the wall -- nothing but a loud out, the other two batters go down in order.

Top of the ninth, Jack Chesbro with two outs, hits a fly ball off of Clark Griffith to center that tails away from center fielder Fielder Jones, as slow Chesbro reaches second; Chesbro only batted .216 during the season in 116 at-bats. Decisions, decisions, does the Pirates elect to pinch-run, and go to Phillippe much sooner than expected? Fred Clarke decides to bring speedy, Jimmy Burke off the bench to pinch-run for Chesbro -- Now let's see if Al Davis, who entered the game batting .208 in 24 at-bats, but has 3 hits in this one, can continue his Game 7 luck, he's a lefty against the righty Clark Griffith. Griffith delivers, this one is hit to Sam Mertes at second, he scoops it up, throws it to Isbell at first, and it's in the dirt, this one gets past Isbell, Burke is around third, oh wait.. he's holding, as Davis reaches second on the error -- the second error of the game for Mertes, Wow! They are not making it easy on Griffith, bringing up another lefty in the dangerous Fred Clarke. Griffith delivers, Clarke swings, no he held up.. Catcher calls for second opinion from first base ump -- no, he went too far apparently, strike three! Clarke is upset, as he jaws back at the first base ump, the ump tells him he won't have anymore of that, and gives him a stern warning. Clarke strands the go-ahead run, and we go to the bottom of the 9th, with the game tied 3-3.

Interesting move: Bucs go to Doheny.

The Pirates' Fred Clarke will go with a peculiar move of having Ed Doheny, a southpaw to face the lefty Herm McFarland, normally that makes sense, but Doheny has saw no action in this entire series and now puts him in, during the biggest part of the game & series. Frank Isbell will follow McFarland, also a lefty, so Clarke must be hoping for Doheny to play left-handed specialist here, we'll see how this one plays out. Doheny throws an off-speed pitch, and he walks the winning run. Doheny delivers to Isbell, strike, McFarland is off & running, and he's out, what a throw by Charlie Zimmer behind the plate. WAIT! What's this both McFarland & Honus Wagner is down, both teams' trainers are out, McFarland will be okay to return, but Wagner out the remainder of this game & series. Clarke will need to move players around, Clarke himself will play short, while moving Al Davis to center from left. Jack O'Connor, normally a catcher, will come in off the bench & play left field, he has a strong arm -- this could get really interesting. No one on, one out, Doheny will still pitch to Isbell. Doheny sets, the pitch, it's a grounder to Leach, the long throw across the diamond, and they get him, two away.

Clarke waives towards the bullpen, here comes Deacon Phillippe, he will likely stay in as long as Clarke needs him. Deacon enters with a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings, with a 2-1 record, he will face switch-hitting shortstop Frank Shugart (batting .208 in 24 AB's). Phillippe delivers, and Shugart is caught looking! We go to extras.

Griffith makes the call, and yanks himself out for Jimmy Callahan. He enters with a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings, this is 6th appearance -- he has been Griffith's late inning guy, Callahan only started one game this series, while starting 22 games during the season -- earning a 15-8 record & 2.42 ERA. Callahan to face Ginger Beaumont, Beaumont grounds to first. Jack O'Connor is now in the 4th slot that has been vacated by Honus Wagner, injured on a play in the 9th. The pitch to O'Connor, a hard, deep grounder to Frank Shugart at short, up with the long throw, and they just nail him, what a good defensive play! Kitty Bransfield pops up for final out of the inning.

Sam Mertes of the White Sox.

Joe Sugden, in his second start of the series, hits a lead-off double into the right-center gap off of Deacon Phillippe -- making it Sugden's first hit of the series (in 7 at-bats), but for now, it's a big one. This brings up the White Sox' pitcher Jimmy Callahan, who can hit, he batted .331, 1 HR & 19 RBI (.849 OPS) for the season, in 118 at-bats. Phillippe walks Callahan, runners on first & second, no outs. Stepping up to the plate is lead-off man Fielder Jones, a lefty, who batted .311 during the season, but has struggled during the World Series with a .208 average. Jones drops a bunt towards the first base side, Bransfield runs up, picks it up, flips to Ritchey covering first, for the first out -- the Runners have moved up, the winning run is on third. The Bucs are in trouble, and now have to face Fred Hartman, who batted .309 during the season, with 3 HR's & 89 RBI -- even worse, he's batting .346 this series with 5 RBI. Phillippe, who has been dominating all series, will be forced to intentionally walk Hartman, and hope for Sam Mertes to ground into a inning-ending double-play. Mertes is batting .286 this series, and is still a power threat. The Pirates bring their infield in, Mertes squares, Sugden coming at full speed, and it's fouled. Phillippe resets, infield still in, the pitch, this one is flied to right, Beaumont at the track, it's caught, he has a strong arm fires it to home, the play at the plate, and Sugden's safe! THE WHITE SOX WIN! THE WHITE SOX WIN! 

A walk-off winner in the first-ever World Series, are you kidding me?! What an excellent game, these last few innings alone, just proved why it came down to these two teams to battle it out for the World Title. Chicago meet your World Champions.

World Series MVP - Sam Mertes 8-for-28 (.286) with team-leading 7 RBI, 3 triples, a double, two stolen bases & the walk-off winning sacrifice fly.