Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - A Classic Fall Classic: 1905

Episode Date: November 3, 2020

Continuing to remember great World Series of the past, D.C. goes way back to 1905 in this episode. Christy Mathewson almost single-handedly won the Series for the New York Giants against the Philadelphia Athletics, pitching three complete game shutouts. However, there were some other great pitching performances as well; every single game of this Fall Classic was a shutout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thank you for tuning in to Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Here's your host, D.C. Lundberg. Thank you very much, Joey Martin. Today is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020, Year of Our Lord, Election Day across these great United States of ours. I am not going to endorse a single candidate or proposition or anything on the ballot, but wherever you are, I certainly hope that you have had the opportunity to exercise your right to vote. In Washington State, we have... It's entirely absentee voting here in Washington State, and I hope you've been able to get your ballot in as you're listening to this show.

Because if not, it's probably too late. In any case, welcome to Lockdown Mariners, parts of the Locked-on podcast network or T-L-O-P-N. Or Slopin, please remember to download rate and subscribe to this program on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or whichever podcasting app that you personally care to you. That gets weirder and weirder every time. Ask your smart device to play Locked on Mariner's,

Podcast or any program here on Tlopin. All you got to do is say, hey, smart device, play locked on TVM here podcast. Follow us on Twitter at L-O-U-O-U-S-Skor Marriners and follow me on Twitter at D-C-U-Sk-L-U-N-D-E-R-G if you're scoring at home. Yeah, we're going to talk about the 1905 World Series today. It may be Election Day, it may be the most political day in the United States every four years. Business as usual on this show, going back to talk about a classic World Series, it took place over 100 years ago. And yesterday we did 1968,

which surprisingly was full of blowouts, despite it being the so-called year of the pitcher. The MVP of that 1968 series was Mickey Lollich, who threw three complete games and won all three of those ball games. Going back to 1905, there's a very similar pitching performance, and this gentleman outdid Mickey Lollich in that all three of his complete games were shutouts. Yes, of course, I speak of the last.

legendary Christy Matthewson, one of my favorite pictures of all time, one of the elite of the very elite. Yes, indeed, ladies and gentlemen. This is 1905 World Series. You're going to see some very different numbers because the game was just different back then. This was a five-game series. Well, no, it was a seven-game series, but it was clinched before the seven, in any case, New York Giants won this over the Philadelphia Athletics, four games to one. All five of these games were shutouts. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, all five games were shutouts.

And going over some of the season's statistics for some of these teams, the New York Giants had the number one batting average, number one on base percentage, number one slugging percentage in the National League. They collected the second most hits. They scored the most runs. were at or very near the top of the leaderboard in every single important offensive category, they slashed as a team 273, 351, 368. Yes, they hit 273 as a team. That doesn't happen anymore. Also, their 39 home runs were most in the National League. They hit more triples than home runs.

That is what I'm talking about, that these numbers are going to be very, very different from what you're seeing today. The home run ball was not nearly as prevalent. Their team leader had seven home runs. That was a tie with Bill Dallin and Mike Donlin. The entire National League only hit 182 home runs that season, and there were 641 triples hit in the National League that season. The league slashed 255, 315, 332.

Just to kind of give you some perspective on how different, these numbers are going to be that we're looking at 115 years ago. The Philadelphia Athletics on the other side, they also had the number one batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging in the American League, and they also scored the most runs in their league. They slashed 255-3-10-3-38. They hit 24 home runs as a team,

which was second-most in the American League, and they hit 51 triples, more than twice as many triples as they did home runs. I find these numbers very, very interesting. Harry Davis led their team in home runs with eight. They had the second highest, pardon me, second lowest earned run average in the American League at 219, and two of their starting pitchers had ERAs under two.

Rube Waddell Hall of Famer had a 148 ERA, and Andy Coakley, a 184 ERA. Chief Bender, who was also a Hall of Famer, had a 283 ERA for the athletics that. season. And talking about the Giants pitching staff, they also had the second best ERA in their league, led of course by the aforementioned Christy Matthewsson with a 1-28 ERA. Other notable pitchers that they had, Joe McGinnity, who went 21 and 15, pitched in 46 games, 38 of them were starts, had an ERA of 287. McGinnity is a member of the

Hall of Fame, ladies and gentlemen. Matthewsson went 31 and 9, 43 games, 37 them starts. 338 and 2 thirds innings pitched. These numbers, you're never going to see numbers like this again. But let's start talking about the World Series. Game one was a matchup of future Hall of Famers, Christy Matthewsson and Eddie Plank, and they would both go the distance. They would both pitch complete games. They would both pitch nine innings with the Philadelphia Athletics, the home team in Columbia Park on Monday, October 9th, 1905, in front of 17,000. 955 fans. First on the mount was Eddie Plank, and he would blank the Giants.

I didn't realize that would rhyme until just now. Christy Mathewson then sets down the A's. 1, 2, 3 in his half of the first inning. As a matter of fact, the Giants would not score until the fifth. On an Eddie Plank RBI single and a Sam Mertis ground rule double, two runs score in that fifth inning, and the way Matthewson was pitching, pretty much over by that point. Matthew Sin set down the A's 1-2-3 the very next half-inning

and didn't allow anything, basically for the rest of the ballgame, Giants would tack on an insurance run on a Roger Abreschenahan RBI single in the top of the ninth inning. And while Matthew Sin did not have a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning, he very nearly did so. The A's lead-off hitter, Topsy Hartzl, would lead off the 9th inning. He'd ground out. Next would be Briss Lord who would strikeout. Harry Davis then hit a ground rule double, so he's on its second base. Maybe the A's are going to get something started?

Nope. Lave Cross then grounds out to the third baseman. And the shutout is over. Christy Matthewson, nine innings, only four hits, six strikeouts, no walks. Eddie Plank, nine innings, ten hits, three runs. They're all earned.

Two walks and five strikeouts. While the star of this game and the series was Matthewson, Bender did not do. that badly himself. Game two, obviously, another shutout, as I mentioned above. Philadelphia was on the winning side of this one, and this is also a 3-0 victory. On the mound for the A's this day, Hall of Famer Chief Bender. Joe McGinnity would start for the New York Giants, and oddly enough, no complete game for him, he would pitch eight innings, however, and he would give up all three Philadelphia runs, none of which were

earned. Leading off the top of the third inning, Aussie Shrek and Gost would reach on an error, and he would later come around to score on an RBI single from Briss Lord. So that run is unearned. The two other runs that they would score would both come on the top of the eighth inning. They'd also both be unearned. Monti Cross leads off with a strikeout. Shrek and Gost would reach with a single. Chief Bender would pop out to right field.

Topsie Hartzell would then hit a double. Sheck and Grost would score, but it's an unearned run as there was an error on the catcher who failed to catch the ball. Briss Lord then hit another RBI single to score Hartzell, and that run is also counted as an unearned run. So there were no earned runs given up in this ball game at all, which is very, very interesting. Bender's pitching line, nine innings, four hits, three walks, and nine strikeouts.

McGinnity, eight innings pitched, five hits, three runs, none of them earned, two strikeouts, and no walks. Red Ames would pitch the final inning for the Giants, one inning, one hit, a walk, no runs given up, and a strikeout. We've got three more games to talk about. Game three is kind of an odd one when talking about this particular world series, and we'll talk about it in a little bit. Do you have a question or comment, or maybe just want to hear your name on the air?

Send a question or comment to Lockdown Mariners at gmail.com for use in a future mailbag episode. Questions or comments on any subject are welcome and encouraged. Just make sure it's appropriate. This is a family show. about bowling, you know, I'm a huge bowling fan. Curling season will hopefully start up, you know, in a couple of months. Ask me about rock and roll.

I love rock and roll. Or, you know, ask me baseball questions. It's hot stove season. Ask me about what I think the Mariners might be doing. Ask me about what I think other teams might be doing. All questions and comments can be sent to Lockedon Mariners at gmail.com, and I will read them and reply to them on the air. We'll continue looking back at the 1905 World Series in a jiff.

Now back to Locked on Mariners and your host. D.C. Lundberg. Thank you very much. J.M. Locked on Mariners has returned talking about the 1905 World Series. So far, Christy Mathewson has shut out the Philadelphia Athletics in game one, and in game two, Chief Bender shut out the New York Giants. Christy Matthewsson would be back on the hill in game three for those giants, and he would do his stuff once again. In fact, both starters would go the distance, Andy Coakley pitching for the Philadelphia Athletics. And though he would go the distance. His pitching line is rather interesting. He'd give up two runs in the first inning. Roger Brezhnehan would lead off the game by being hit by a pitch from Coakley. George Brown would

pop out to the third baseman. Mike Donlin would hit a single, sending Brezhnehan to third base. Dan McGahn hits a single scoring Brezhnehan. Donlin goes to third. Sam Mertes then hits a ground ball to second baseman, Danny Murphy, which goes for an error. Donlin scores. McGahn winds up at second and Mertis at first, so that run is unearned. Bill Dahlin walks to load the bases, but then Art Devlin grounds into a double play to end the inning. New York scores two times, only one of those runs is earned. In the bottom of the first, the first batter that Matthewson would face, Topsy Hartzell, would reach base on an error by third baseman Art Devlin. He would then steal second base, Briss Lord would strikeout, Harry Davis would hit into a few,

dealer's choice with Hartzl being out at third base and Davis reaches first, but that's kind of insignificant because Lave Cross grounds out to end the inning. Both pitchers would take turns, shutting out the opposition until the top of the fifth. Andy Coakley still on the mound. Lead-off batterer is Christy Mathewson. He grounds out to the shortstop. Roger Brezhnehan walks. George Brown then hits a single. Brezhnehan going to third base, Brown winds up at second on the throw to third. Mike Donnellin is then intentionally walked to load the bases. Dan McGahn

hits a ground ball to second baseman, Danny Murphy, which Murphy boots again. His second error of the game. Brezhnehan scores, Brown to third base. Donland's on it second, and McGahn reaches first. No out-recorded basers are still loaded with another

run across the plate. Sam Mertis then hits a single to right field to score Brown. Bases are still loaded. Bill Dahlin then grounds out to the second baseman. The force out is at second base. Donlan scores this run is counted as unearned, and McGahn winds up in third. During the next at-bat, Dahlin steals second base,

and Art Devlin hits a line drive single through the hole at shortstop. McGahn scores, it's an un-earned run, and Dallin winds up at third base. And during the next at bat, Dahlin steals home, and it's another unerunerun. run. Art Devlin steals second on the play. Billy Gilbert then flies out to center field to end the inning, but not before the Giants push five runs across, three of them unearned runs. Christy Mathewson does his stuff in the bottom of the fifth inning, fly ball to center field, ground out to the third baseman, and a base hit, but then a fly out to center field. Both Mathewson and Coakley would take turns again shutting out the opposition until the top of the ninth, when the Giants would plate two more.

him. Christy Matthews who would lead off this inning once again, grounding out to the second baseman. Roger Brezhnehan fly out to left field. So two quick outs and Coakley looks like it's going to be another quick inning for him. However, George Brown hits a single and steals second base. Mike Donlin walks and then the next at bat, Brown steals third and Donlan goes to second base on an error. Yes, another error on second baseman Danny Murphy, his third of the ball game. Dan McGahn then doubles, scoring both runs, both of them are unearned. And then McGahn is picked off of second base, catcher to shortstop. Giants play two more.

It's now a 9-0-0 lead. Christine Matthewsson strikes out Briss Lord to begin the inning, induces a Harry Davis ground out to the third baseman, Lave Cross singles to left field, but then Sox Seibold strikes out to end the ballgame and another complete game shutout for Christy Matthewson. Nine innings, four hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts. Andy Coakley, nine innings, nine hits, nine runs, only three of them are earned. He did walk five, however, and only struck out two.

Very, very weird pitching line. But this is also the days, ladies and gentlemen, where even if a pitcher was struggling, he was still probably going to be in there because teams did not carry a lot of relief pitchers, just different times. back then. And remember, Coakley's defense let him down in a major way. Danny Murphy alone, the second baseman, made three errors,

all three of which led to a lot of runs. If his defense was a lot better that day, who knows what could have happened. New York probably would have wound up winning anyway, just because Matthew Sun was doing what he was doing. But Cochley's pitching line may have looked a lot better if his defense did not let him down as they did. Game four was Joe McGinnity,

versus Eddie Plank, another brilliant pitching matchup, and this one was close, gang. Joe McGinnity getting the better of Eddie Plank, but not by much. The only run of the ball game was scored in the bottom of the fourth inning. Eddie Plank would lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, reaching on an error by shortstop Monty Cross. He winds up at first base.

Bill Dallin flies out to right field. Art Devlin then grounds out to the pitcher, sending Mertis to second base. The next batter is Billy Gilbert, and he hits a single to left field to score Mertis, and yes, it's an unearned run, continuing a theme that we have seen throughout this World Series. Gilbert winds up at second base on the throw home. Pitcher Joe McGinnity would fly out to center field to end the inning,

but that one run wound up being all that he would need this day. He'd pitch nine innings, five hits, no runs, three walks, four strikeouts. Eddie Plank, eight innings, which is a complete game. Eddie Plank also pitched a complete game. Eight innings, five hits, one run. It was unearned, two walks and six strikeouts. Very, very similar pitching lines for these two gentlemen. Who knows what would have happened if Cross had not made that error,

which allowed the run to score. Maybe it goes extras. You know, who knows? It's impossible to say, and why guess? As this stands, this was still a great pitchers duel with two Hall of Fame pitchers opposing each other. Game 7 took place the very next day, still at the polo grounds in front of 24,187 fans,

and they witnessed another great pitching matchup, Christy Matthewson versus Chief Bender. New York would score in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sam Mertis leads off the inning with a walk. Bill Dallin follows with another walk. Art Devlin sacrifices both runners along. Play goes five, three. Mertis winds up at third base,

Dallin at second base. Billy Gilbert then hits a sacrifice fly to score Mertis and Dallin winds up being out at third base, being caught in something of a rundown. The play goes 7-2-5, which is left-fielder, catcher, third baseman. That ends the inning, but New York does get on the board,

and the score is 1-0 at this point. Topsie Hartzell leads off the top of the 6th for Philadelphia, and he hits a ground ball to Matthewson, but he boots it, and Hartzle winds up at first base. Next batter is Briss Lord, who grounds out to the second base. The play goes to second base, Hartzels out at second. Lord is on at first base, and then he's picked off. Harry Davis singles, but Lave Cross grounds out to end the inning. Interesting inning, but, you

know, no runs come across, and the next scoring play wouldn't occur until the bottom of the eighth inning. Billy Gilbert leads off by lining out to center field. Christy Matthewson then walks. He's on at first base, and then Roger Brezhnehan hits a ground rule double, sending Matthewson to third base. George Brown is the next batter, and he grabs. out, but Matthewston scores on the play. Brezhnehan goes to third. So it's two nothing giants at this point. Mike Donlin strikes out to end that inning, and Christy Matthewson heads back out to the pitching mound for the top of the ninth inning to face Briss Lord, Harry Davis, and Lave Cross. First batter grounds out to the pitcher. Second batter grounds out to the pitcher.

Lave Cross is the Philadelphia Athletics Final Hope, down two nothing with two outs in the ninth inning. out to shortstop. Ending game five of the 1905 World Series and giving the New York Giants their fourth win and a 1905 World Series championship. Pitching line for Matthew Sid in this game, nine innings, five hits, no walks, no runs, four strikeouts. Chief Bender also did pretty well, ladies and gentlemen. Eight innings, five hits, two runs, they were both earned, three walks and four strikeouts.

Those eight innings did constitute a complete game since there was no bottom of the ninth inning. This is amazing that all five games of this world series were shutouts. Those are the kind of games that I like to see. Game three was interesting because it was a nine nothing score. But again, that was really because of the defense and not because of Andy Coakley. And to kind of bounce off that point a little bit further, of the 15 runs that Philadelphia pitching gave up in this series, only eight of them were earned. And of the three runs that New York gave up, Joe McGinnity gave up all three, none of them were earned. Very, very interesting pitching lines, as I said, once again, defense really was not on display.

Christy Matthewsson's pitching line for the series. Three games, all starts, all of them complete games, 27 innings, no runs given up. That is amazing, ladies and gentlemen. One of the best pitched world series by an individual pitcher of all time, if not the best World Series pitched by an individual pitcher. We're going to continue looking at these classic World Series tomorrow. I haven't decided which one I'm going to. going to look at yet. I got a few ideas swimming around in my head. The only thing I know for sure

about tomorrow's program is that I will be joined by Senator Lance Prevert, Boobber Fragel, and a tie clip. Download rate and subscribe, gang, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or any podcasting app that may happen to spring into your brainhead. Follow us on Twitter at L.O. underscore Mariners, and follow me on Twitter at D.C. underscore Lundberg. Thanks again for listening today, ladies and gentlemen, in a few hours we may know the results of the presidential election or any state races that you also may be keeping an eye on. I will not be celebrating or lamenting anything

on this program. I do not believe sports and politics are a good combination in the slightest, or politics and entertainment of any kind for that matter. But I do hope that you had the opportunity to do your civic duty today, and I don't think that's a political statement. I think it's a patriotic one.

No matter the outcome of any of the elections tomorrow across the country, we're going to We're going to be right back here tomorrow talking about another great fall classic of the past. Talk to you then. This is Joey Martin speaking for Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.