1903 World Series (Game 1)

Boston's Cy Young does his thing.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off their most successful season of yet, by sweeping the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1902 World Series. In fact, if things have swung the Pirates way against the Chicago White Sox, during the 1901 World Series (in which Pittsburgh lost the series 4-3), the Pirates could be trying for a three-peat in the 1903 World Series edition of the World Series Replays project.

The 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates (91-49) will have to go to Boston to face Cy Young and the Boston Americans, who also won 91 games (91-47).

Cy Young is coming off a 28-9 season, with a 2.08 ERA & 176 K's (341.2 IP). Young will face off against 25-7 Sam Leever, who had a 2.06 ERA with 90 K's (284.1 innings).

Game 1 (at Boston (A))
1st inning, Fred Clarke hits a one-out single to right between the second & first. Honus Wagner fails to make contact with a hit & run put into motion while Clarke was a dead duck at second, on a great throw by Lou Criger. Young walks Wagner, Leach flies out to deep center for third out.

Lead-off double for Claude Ritchey, top of the second, for Pirates, but he's left stranded at third for Pittsburgh. Bottom of the inning, Boston's Buck Freeman hits a lead-off double into right-field corner. Chick Stahl bunts Freeman down to third, in a successful sacrifice bunt. Hobe Ferris pops out to short, as Sam Leever walks the next batter in George LaChance. Lou Criger smacks one into the left-field corner causing problems for left fielder Fred Clarke, Freeman scores easily, LaChance is going for third, he rounds third, the relay throw comes in amd LaChance scores, as Criger dives into third with a two-run triple for the Americans. Cy Young grounds it to the mound for the final out, but the Boston Americans strike first, 2-0.

Top of third, Ginger Beaumont hits one-out single to right. Fred Clarke hits into a fielder's choice, as Boston gets the lead runner at second. Honus Wagner powers into this one, it stays fair, but misses the wall and bounces in the corner, Buck Freeman is there, Beaumont is heading home, the quick relay from Freddy Parent, and they nail him! The Boston fans are loving it!

Lou Criger showing he can do it all, draws a walk during the bottom of the 5th. He made it over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cy Young & a ground out by Pat Dougherty. With two outs, and Criger on third, the Pirates' catcher Ed Phelps is responsible for a passed ball, allowing Criger to score. Boston leads 3-0 after five innings.

Criger played a huge part in Game 1.

Lou Criger back at it again, hits a liner to left, Fred Clarke goes to dive for it, and it scoots by him, and is rolling to the wall, Clarke is chasing after it, Criger is around second, the throw, and Criger is going to make it to third, for his second triple of the day -- Great work today by the #8 hitter! Criger would score on a RBI double to right by Cy Young. Sam Leever walks Pat Dougherty, runners now on 1st & 2nd, two outs for Freddy Parent. Leever delivers the pitch, grounded down the line to Kitty Bransfield, who scoops it up, runs to first, tags the base, side retired. Boston pads it's lead to 4-0 now.

Cy Young strikes out the side in the top of the 8th, by striking out Jimmy Sebring, Ed Phelps and Bucs' starter Sam Leever. Young now has 7 K's for the night, and has not allowed a hit, since the third inning -- as the Pirates have only logged four hits. It's not like Boston is racking up the hits, but with their 5 hits, they have made them count.

Young would allow a 5th hit in the 9th, the second hit in the game by Fred Clarke, but the Pirates could do no more, as Young completes the Game 1 shutout in front of the home crowd

FINAL: Boston 4, Pittsburgh 0