The 1915 Boston Red Sox didn't have a modern day bullpen. And for good reason: The didn't need one!
They had a stacked pitching staff. So good, that only three pitchers made it to the hill in the '15 World Series. Two of their fine starters, failed to make it. Oh, did I mention who one of the unfortunate ones was? That would be their lefty pitcher with an 18-8 record. Babe Ruth.
Smokey Joe Wood, 15-7 and a league-leading 1.49 ERA, was also out of the frame in the World Series. That would probably have been due to him grabbing his shoulder in a 3-1 loss to Walter Johnson on October 2nd, 1915. Babe Ruth had to come in and get the last six outs. It did not help. Wood did, however, look sharp in his final appearance of the season, a three-inning scoreless appearance (And three strikeouts) four days later. It was the first game of a doubleheader Ruth, taking a cue for the sake of his value to the team with his next start, hurled a five-hitter later that day for his eighteenth win.
So, how come these two fine hurlers were not there in October. You know, both of them were good hitters, too. But so was another pitcher named Carl Mays, who finished with over 200 wins and a .268 batting average. Mays was not a part of the rotation, and fit into more of the modern day, long man. He started just six games for the Boston Red Sox in 1915, went 6-5 with seven saves and an ERA of 2,60. Mays, though, is best remembered for beaming Cleveland's Ray Chapman in the 1920 season. Chapman later died from his head injuries. Mays was also going to take this all in, from the sidelines. Now, before you say, "Wow, Ruth didn't even make it to the postseason in 1915?" let me explain what went down that Fall Classic almost a century ago.
Ernie Shore. You know him. The guy that relieved Ruth in that game two years later, after Ruth was ejected for arguing balls and strikes after walking the leadoff man. The runner was gunned down before Shore could retired a man. Shore retired the next twenty six men in succession. Ruht pitched a combined no-hitter. Well, sort of.
But Shore didn't need Babe Ruth in game one of the World Series that year against Philadelphia. He stymied the poor home team on a fine five-hitter. Boston scored only one run, however. Philly scored three to win this one. But who did Shore lose this game to? Why Grover Cleveland Alexander! The Red Sox had a man on with one out in the top of the ninth, and Shore left for a pinch hitter. It was Babe Ruth. But The Babe could only ground out. This was his only postseason appearance of 1915. But at least he made it!
But the Boston Red Sox were no ordinary team in 1915. Their best player was Tris Speaker, the centrefielder. The Red Sox pitching was their best asset. Shore was 19-8, as was Rube Foster (Not to be confused with the Negro League legend of the same name). Shore led the team in ERA with a low tally of 1.64. Dutch Leonard, like Wood, won 15 games. This was one fab five to deal with. Was it a small consolation that the Phillies would only have to face three of them?
Foster fired a three-hitter, giving up just one run, in a game two Red Sox win. That squared things as they headed to Boston.
Dutch Leonard was another Boston pitching star, too. While he posted an ERA of 2.36 that season, he'd set an all-time record of 0.96 the year before. Like Mays, he's famous for something negative. In 1925, he accused Ty Cobb and Speaker of fixing a game late in the 1919 season. Whether or not he was telling the truth, it was another stain on the game that season, and nearly led to both Hall Of Famers (Something Leonard was certainly not) being banished for life.
But Leonard was 52-24 with a 1.90 ERA from 1914 to 1916, so he was at a Hall-Of-Fame level at the time of this World Series. As was Smokey Joe Wood. The difference was, Leonard went out and pitched the second straight three-hitter for Boston in game three. Alexander finished with a fine six-hitter of his own, but the Red Sox took it, 2-1.
Shore won game four by that same score, but Philly got seven hits off him. When Foster got his second victory (5-4) in game five at The Baker Bowl, Boston had won their second Fall Classic.
For Wood, it was his second World Series win. Ruth was a winner for the first of what turned out to be many times. Seven to be exact. Wood even made it back with Cleveland in 1920, for his third. His pitching career, along with his stay in Boston, ended with his arm beyond repair after 1915. But for me, when I think of the Red Sox of this era, I think of Ruth. Wood, like him also is interesting because of his Ruth-like switch from pitcher to positioned player. Shore, is remembered for the "perfect game" he threw, but in 1991 it was relegated to just a no-hitter, the only by a relief pitcher. But because Babe Ruth was involved, it's got a place in every baseball historians memory banks.
However, it is wrong to exclude Foster, Leonard, and Shore (sans his 1917 gem) as mere mortals compared to Ruth, Wood and Carl Mays on the 1915 Red Sox. Ruth, in fact, had the highest ERA (It was a very new stat, but no doubt considered) of any of the Boston starters. Without The Big Three, Ruth and Wood aren't on the winning team anyways. It just amazes me, that in 1954, the great Bob Feller never made it to the mound in the Fall Classic. Ruth made a cameo in 1915, Wood nothing. The Red Sox were just that good on the mound that year, plain and simple!
They had a stacked pitching staff. So good, that only three pitchers made it to the hill in the '15 World Series. Two of their fine starters, failed to make it. Oh, did I mention who one of the unfortunate ones was? That would be their lefty pitcher with an 18-8 record. Babe Ruth.
Smokey Joe Wood, 15-7 and a league-leading 1.49 ERA, was also out of the frame in the World Series. That would probably have been due to him grabbing his shoulder in a 3-1 loss to Walter Johnson on October 2nd, 1915. Babe Ruth had to come in and get the last six outs. It did not help. Wood did, however, look sharp in his final appearance of the season, a three-inning scoreless appearance (And three strikeouts) four days later. It was the first game of a doubleheader Ruth, taking a cue for the sake of his value to the team with his next start, hurled a five-hitter later that day for his eighteenth win.
So, how come these two fine hurlers were not there in October. You know, both of them were good hitters, too. But so was another pitcher named Carl Mays, who finished with over 200 wins and a .268 batting average. Mays was not a part of the rotation, and fit into more of the modern day, long man. He started just six games for the Boston Red Sox in 1915, went 6-5 with seven saves and an ERA of 2,60. Mays, though, is best remembered for beaming Cleveland's Ray Chapman in the 1920 season. Chapman later died from his head injuries. Mays was also going to take this all in, from the sidelines. Now, before you say, "Wow, Ruth didn't even make it to the postseason in 1915?" let me explain what went down that Fall Classic almost a century ago.
Ernie Shore. You know him. The guy that relieved Ruth in that game two years later, after Ruth was ejected for arguing balls and strikes after walking the leadoff man. The runner was gunned down before Shore could retired a man. Shore retired the next twenty six men in succession. Ruht pitched a combined no-hitter. Well, sort of.
But Shore didn't need Babe Ruth in game one of the World Series that year against Philadelphia. He stymied the poor home team on a fine five-hitter. Boston scored only one run, however. Philly scored three to win this one. But who did Shore lose this game to? Why Grover Cleveland Alexander! The Red Sox had a man on with one out in the top of the ninth, and Shore left for a pinch hitter. It was Babe Ruth. But The Babe could only ground out. This was his only postseason appearance of 1915. But at least he made it!
But the Boston Red Sox were no ordinary team in 1915. Their best player was Tris Speaker, the centrefielder. The Red Sox pitching was their best asset. Shore was 19-8, as was Rube Foster (Not to be confused with the Negro League legend of the same name). Shore led the team in ERA with a low tally of 1.64. Dutch Leonard, like Wood, won 15 games. This was one fab five to deal with. Was it a small consolation that the Phillies would only have to face three of them?
Foster fired a three-hitter, giving up just one run, in a game two Red Sox win. That squared things as they headed to Boston.
Dutch Leonard was another Boston pitching star, too. While he posted an ERA of 2.36 that season, he'd set an all-time record of 0.96 the year before. Like Mays, he's famous for something negative. In 1925, he accused Ty Cobb and Speaker of fixing a game late in the 1919 season. Whether or not he was telling the truth, it was another stain on the game that season, and nearly led to both Hall Of Famers (Something Leonard was certainly not) being banished for life.
But Leonard was 52-24 with a 1.90 ERA from 1914 to 1916, so he was at a Hall-Of-Fame level at the time of this World Series. As was Smokey Joe Wood. The difference was, Leonard went out and pitched the second straight three-hitter for Boston in game three. Alexander finished with a fine six-hitter of his own, but the Red Sox took it, 2-1.
Shore won game four by that same score, but Philly got seven hits off him. When Foster got his second victory (5-4) in game five at The Baker Bowl, Boston had won their second Fall Classic.
For Wood, it was his second World Series win. Ruth was a winner for the first of what turned out to be many times. Seven to be exact. Wood even made it back with Cleveland in 1920, for his third. His pitching career, along with his stay in Boston, ended with his arm beyond repair after 1915. But for me, when I think of the Red Sox of this era, I think of Ruth. Wood, like him also is interesting because of his Ruth-like switch from pitcher to positioned player. Shore, is remembered for the "perfect game" he threw, but in 1991 it was relegated to just a no-hitter, the only by a relief pitcher. But because Babe Ruth was involved, it's got a place in every baseball historians memory banks.
However, it is wrong to exclude Foster, Leonard, and Shore (sans his 1917 gem) as mere mortals compared to Ruth, Wood and Carl Mays on the 1915 Red Sox. Ruth, in fact, had the highest ERA (It was a very new stat, but no doubt considered) of any of the Boston starters. Without The Big Three, Ruth and Wood aren't on the winning team anyways. It just amazes me, that in 1954, the great Bob Feller never made it to the mound in the Fall Classic. Ruth made a cameo in 1915, Wood nothing. The Red Sox were just that good on the mound that year, plain and simple!
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