1925 World Series

1925 World Series

Griffith Stadium during the series
Team (Wins) Manager Season Pittsburgh Pirates (4) Bill McKechnie 95–58, .621, GA:  8 ^1⁄2 Washington Senators (3) Bucky Harris (player/manager) 96–55, .636, GA:  8 ^1⁄2
Dates:	October 7–15
Radio:	Westinghouse
Radio announcers:	Graham McNamee
Umpires:	Cy Rigler (NL), Brick Owens (AL), Barry McCormick (NL), George Moriarty (AL)
Hall of Famers:	Pirates: Bill McKechnie (mgr.), Max Carey, Kiki Cuyler, Pie Traynor. Senators: Stan Coveleski, Goose Goslin, Bucky Harris (p/mgr), Walter Johnson, Sam Rice.

In the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.

In a reversal of fortune on all counts from the previous 1924 World Series, when Washington's Walter Johnson had come back from two losses to win the seventh and deciding game, Johnson dominated in Games 1 and 4, but lost Game 7.

The Senators built up a 3–1 Series lead. After Pittsburgh won the next two games, Johnson again took the mound for Game 7, and carried a 6–4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. But errors by shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh in both the seventh and eighth innings led to four unearned runs, and the Pirates become the first team in a best-of-seven Series to overcome a 3–1 Series deficit to win the championship. Peckinpaugh, the Senators' regular shortstop and the 1925 American League Most Valuable Player, had a tough Series in the field, committing a record eight errors.

Playing conditions were of no help. The 1925 Series was postponed twice due to poor weather, and Game 7 was played in what soon became a steady downpour, described as "probably the worst conditions ever for a World Series game."^[1] Senators outfielder Goose Goslin reported that the fog prevented him from clearly seeing the infield during the last three innings of the game, and claimed that the Series-winning hit was actually a foul ball.^[2][3] In the next day's New York Times, James Harrison wrote "In a grave of mud was buried Walter Johnson's ambition to join the select panel of pitchers who have won three victories in one World Series. With mud shackling his ankles and water running down his neck, the grand old man of baseball succumbed to weariness, a sore leg, wretched support and the most miserable weather conditions that ever confronted a pitcher."^[4]

A memorable play occurred during the eighth inning of Game 3. The Senators' Sam Rice ran after an Earl Smith line drive hit into right center field. Rice made a diving "catch" into the temporary stands, but did not emerge with the ball for approximately fifteen seconds. The Pirates contested the play, saying a fan probably stuffed the ball into Rice's glove. The call stood and Rice parried questions about the incident for the rest of his life—never explicitly saying whether he had or had not really made the catch. His typical answer (including to Commissioner Landis, who said it was a good answer) was always "The umpire said I caught it." Rice left a sealed letter at the Hall of Fame to be opened after his death. In it, he had written: "At no time did I lose possession of the ball."

Writer Lamont Buchanan wrote, "In 1925, the Senators hopped the Big Train once too often... earning Bucky [Harris] the criticism of many fans and American League head [Ban] Johnson who dispatched an irate wire to the Senators manager." In his telegram, Ban Johnson accused the manager of failing to relieve Walter Johnson "for sentimental reasons." Despite the second-guessing, Harris always said, 'If I had it to do over again, I'd still pitch Johnson.'" ^[5]

Summary

NL Pittsburgh Pirates (4) vs. AL Washington Senators (3)

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	October 7	Washington Senators – 4, Pittsburgh Pirates – 1	Forbes Field	1:57	41,723[6]
2	October 8	Washington Senators – 2, Pittsburgh Pirates – 3	Forbes Field	2:04	43,364[7]
3	October 10	Pittsburgh Pirates – 3, Washington Senators – 4	Griffith Stadium	2:10	36,495[8]
4	October 11	Pittsburgh Pirates – 0, Washington Senators – 4	Griffith Stadium	2:00	38,701[9]
5	October 12	Pittsburgh Pirates – 6, Washington Senators – 3	Griffith Stadium	2:26	35,899[10]
6	October 13	Washington Senators – 2, Pittsburgh Pirates – 3	Forbes Field	1:57	43,810[11]
7	October 15	Washington Senators – 7, Pittsburgh Pirates – 9	Forbes Field	2:31	42,856[12]

Matchups

Game 1

Wednesday, October 7, 1925, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Washington	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	4	8	1
Pittsburgh	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
WP: Walter Johnson (1–0)   LP: Lee Meadows (0–1) Home runs: WAS: Joe Harris (1) PIT: Pie Traynor (1)

This game remains to date the last road World Series game the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins franchise has won. They have lost their last fourteen since.

Game 2

Thursday, October 8, 1925, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Washington	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	8	2
Pittsburgh	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	X	3	7	0
WP: Vic Aldridge (1–0)   LP: Stan Coveleski (0–1) Home runs: WAS: Joe Judge (1) PIT: Glenn Wright (1), Kiki Cuyler (1)

Game 3

Saturday, October 10, 1925, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	8	2
Washington	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	0	X	4	10	1
WP: Alex Ferguson (1–0)   LP: Ray Kremer (0–1)   Sv: Firpo Marberry (1) Home runs: PIT: None WAS: Goose Goslin (1)

Game 4

Sunday, October 11, 1925, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1
Washington	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	X	4	12	0
WP: Walter Johnson (2–0)   LP: Emil Yde (0–1) Home runs: PIT: None WAS: Goose Goslin (2), Joe Harris (2)

Game 5

Monday, October 12, 1925, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	1	1	6	13	0
Washington	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	8	1
WP: Vic Aldridge (2–0)   LP: Stan Coveleski (0–2) Home runs: PIT: None WAS: Joe Harris (3)

Game 6

Tuesday, October 13, 1925, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Washington	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	2
Pittsburgh	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	X	3	7	1
WP: Ray Kremer (1–1)   LP: Alex Ferguson (1–1) Home runs: WAS: Goose Goslin (3) PIT: Eddie Moore (1)

Game 7

Thursday, October 15, 1925, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Washington	4	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	7	7	2
Pittsburgh	0	0	3	0	1	0	2	3	X	9	15	3
WP: Ray Kremer (2–1)   LP: Walter Johnson (2–1)   Sv: Red Oldham (1) Home runs: WAS: Roger Peckinpaugh (1) PIT: None

Composite line score

1925 World Series (4–3): Pittsburgh Pirates (N.L.) over Washington Senators (A.L.)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh Pirates	0	1	7	2	3	1	4	6	1	25	61	7
Washington Senators	6	3	5	3	2	1	3	1	2	26	59	9
Total attendance: 282,848   Average attendance: 40,407 Winning player's share: $5,333   Losing player's share: $3,735[13]

Notes

1. Schoenfield, David (October 26, 2011). "Important delays in World Series history". ESPN.com.
2. "The Columnists: John Shiffert | BaseballLibrary.com". Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
3. "BIOPROJ.SABR.ORG :: The Baseball Biography Project.". Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
4. "Even the Greats Have Bad Days – I". Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
5. Buchanan, Lamont (1951). The World Series and Highlights of Baseball. New York: Dutton. LCCN 51011428. OCLC 1478115.
6. "1925 World Series Game 1 – Washington Senators vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
7. "1925 World Series Game 2 – Washington Senators vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
8. "1925 World Series Game 3 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Senators". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
9. "1925 World Series Game 4 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Senators". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
10. "1925 World Series Game 5 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Senators". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
11. "1925 World Series Game 6 – Washington Senators vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
12. "1925 World Series Game 7 – Washington Senators vs. Pittsburgh Pirates". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
13. "World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved June 14, 2009.

References

• Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 108–113. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
• Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2133. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.

External links

• 1925 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
• 1925 World Series at Baseball Almanac
• 1925 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com
• The 1925 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) at Retrosheet
• History of the World Series - 1925 at The SportingNews. Archived from the original on 2008.