View source for 1909 World Series

{{Short description|1909 Major League Baseball championship series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox World Series Expanded
| image = 1909WorldSeries.png
| image_size = 250
| caption = Program from the series
| country = World
| year = 1909
| champion = [[1909 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] (4)
| champion_manager = [[Fred Clarke]] (player/manager)
| champion_games = 110–42, {{winpct|110|42}}, GA: {{frac|6|1|2}}
| runnerup = [[1909 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]] (3)
| runnerup_manager = [[Hughie Jennings]]
| runnerup_games = 98–54, {{winpct|98|54}}, GA: {{frac|3|1|2}}
| date = October 8–16
| venue = [[Forbes Field]] (Pittsburgh)<br />[[Bennett Park (Detroit)|Bennett Park]] (Detroit)
| MVP = <!-- none -->
| television = <!-- none -->
| announcers = <!-- none -->
| radio_network = <!-- none -->
| radio_announcers = <!-- none -->
| umpires =  [[Jim Johnstone (umpire)|Jim Johnstone]] (NL), [[Billy Evans]] (AL), [[Bill Klem]] (NL), [[Silk O'Loughlin]] (AL)
| HOFers ='''Umpires:''' <br>[[Billy Evans]]<br>[[Bill Klem]]<br /> '''Pirates:''' <br>[[Fred Clarke]]<br>[[Honus Wagner]]<br>[[Vic Willis]]<br /> '''Tigers:''' <br>[[Sam Crawford]]<br>[[Ty Cobb]]<br>[[Hughie Jennings]] (manager)
| ALCS = <!-- none -->
| NLCS = <!-- none -->
| image2 = <!-- none -->
}}
The '''1909 [[World Series]]''' was the championship series in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[1909 in baseball|1909 season]]. The sixth edition of the World Series, it featured the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] champion [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]{{efn|In the early 20th century and earlier, the [[Name of Pittsburgh|name of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] was variably spelled with or without the "h".}} against the [[American League]] champion [[Detroit Tigers]]. The Pirates won the Series in seven games to capture their first championship of the modern [[Major League Baseball]] era and the second championship in the club's history. This Series is best remembered for featuring two of the very best players of the time, Pittsburgh [[shortstop]] [[Honus Wagner]], and Detroit [[outfielder]] [[Ty Cobb]].

==Series recap==

Sites: games 1, 2 in Pittsburgh; games 3, 4 in Detroit; game 5 in Pittsburgh; games 6, 7 in Detroit.

The Pirates had won the National League pennant in 1909 behind the brilliant play of Honus Wagner, who led the league with a .339 [[batting average]] and 100 [[Run batted in|runs batted in]].

Detroit returned for their third consecutive Fall Classic, determined to erase the memories of their previous efforts. The Tigers were also backed up by the heavy bat of [[Ty Cobb]] (who had just won his third consecutive [[American League]] batting title) and a formidable pitching staff. They might have finally won the Series in their third try, had it not been for Pirates rookie [[Babe Adams]]. Manager [[Fred Clarke]] started him, on a hunch, in Game 1. Adams won that game and two more, setting a World Series record for rookies. The Tigers thus became the first AL team to win three consecutive pennants and the first team to lose three straight World Series (the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] would lose three straight Series from 1911 to 1913).

The Pirates ran at will against the weak Detroit catching corps, stealing 18 bases in seven games.

For the first time, four umpires were used at the same time, with the standard plate umpire and base umpire along with two outfield umpires.

On June 14, 2009, the series' 100th anniversary was celebrated, when the Tigers and Pirates played each other in Pittsburgh. Both teams wore throwback uniforms similar to those worn in 1909. The stadium's public address and sound systems were also turned off, simulating the game conditions in 1909. The Pirates won the game, 6–3.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tigers.com Game recap June 14, 2009 |url=http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20090614&content_id=5322452&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=away |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617065733/http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20090614&content_id=5322452&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=away |archive-date=June 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 15, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

===The "Krauthead" story===
{{multiple image
|align= right
|direction =horizontal
|total_width= 250
|image1 = Honus wagner t206 baseball card.jpg
|image2 = 1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb bat on shoulder.jpg 
|footer = [[Honus Wagner]] and [[Ty Cobb]] displayed on [[T206]] [[baseball card]]s
}}[[File:Ty-Cobb-1913-NPC.jpeg | thumb | right | Ty Cobb in 1913]][[File:Honus Wagner Pittsburgh.jpg | thumb | right | Honus Wagner ]]
[[Ty Cobb]] had a fairly quiet Series, going 6-for-26 with two stolen bases and one caught stealing. There is a long-standing legend that Cobb, standing on first base, called the German-ancestored [[Honus Wagner]] a "[[wikt:Krauthead|krauthead]]", told him he was going to steal second, and was not only thrown out but that Wagner tagged him in the mouth, ball in hand, drawing blood from Cobb's lip. However, an examination of the play-by-play does not indicate that such a play occurred. In the one "caught stealing" charged to Cobb, during the first inning of Game 4, he was actually safe at second due to a throwing error by first baseman [[Bill Abstein]]. This story is largely attributed to the creative press at the time, and Wagner and Cobb were actually on good terms.

== Summary ==
{{MLB Playoff Summary
| summary = NL [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (4) vs. AL [[Detroit Tigers]] (3)
| winner =
| score =
| score1 = Detroit Tigers – 1, '''Pittsburgh Pirates''' – 4
| date1 = October 8
| loc1 = [[Forbes Field]]
| time1 = 1:55
| att1 = 29,264
| ref1 = <ref name="Game1">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1909/B10080PIT1909.htm|title=1909 World Series Game 1 – Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score2 = '''Detroit Tigers''' – 7, Pittsburgh Pirates – 2
| date2 = October 9
| loc2 = Forbes Field
| time2 = 1:45
| att2 = 30,915
| ref2 = <ref name="Game2">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1909/B10090PIT1909.htm|title=1909 World Series Game 2 – Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score3 = '''Pittsburgh Pirates''' – 8, Detroit Tigers – 6
| date3 = October 11
| loc3 = [[Bennett Park (Detroit)|Bennett Park]]
| time3 = 1:56
| att3 = 18,277
| ref3 = <ref name="Game3">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1909/B10110DET1909.htm|title=1909 World Series Game 3 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score4 = Pittsburgh Pirates – 0, '''Detroit Tigers''' – 5
| date4 = October 12
| loc4 = Bennett Park
| time4 = 1:57
| att4 = 17,036
| ref4 = <ref name="Game4">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1909/B10120DET1909.htm|title=1909 World Series Game 4 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score5 = Detroit Tigers – 4, '''Pittsburgh Pirates''' – 8
| date5 = October 13
| loc5 = Forbes Field
| time5 = 1:46
| att5 = 21,706
| ref5 = <ref name="Game5">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1909/B10130PIT1909.htm|title=1909 World Series Game 5 – Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score6 = Pittsburgh Pirates – 4, '''Detroit Tigers''' – 5
| date6 = October 14
| loc6 = Bennett Park
| time6 = 2:00
| att6 = 10,535
| ref6 = <ref name="Game6">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1909/B10140DET1909.htm|title=1909 World Series Game 6 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score7 = '''Pittsburgh Pirates''' – 8, Detroit Tigers – 0
| date7 = October 16
| loc7 = Bennett Park
| time7 = 2:10
| att7 = 17,562
| ref7 = <ref name="Game7">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1909/B10160DET1909.htm|title=1909 World Series Game 7 – Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
}}

[[Image:Bennett-park-1909-world-series.jpg|1000px|thumb|center|<div style="text-align: center;">[[Bennett Park (Detroit)|Bennett Park]] on October 11, 1909, for the third game of the 1909 World Series.</div>]]

== Matchups ==
=== Game 1 ===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Friday, October 8, 1909
|Time=2:00 pm ([[Eastern Time Zone|ET]])
|Location=[[Forbes Field]] in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]]
|Road=Detroit|RoadAbr=DET
|R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=6|RE=4
|Home='''Pittsburgh'''|HomeAbr=PIT
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=2|H6=1|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=4|HH=5|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Babe Adams]] (1–0)|LP=[[George Mullin (baseball)|George Mullin]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=[[Fred Clarke]] (1)
|}}

{{blockquote|I'll never forget the look on Adams' face when I told him I wanted him to pitch the opener.|Pirates manager Fred Clarke}}

Rookie Babe Adams, who had compiled a 12–3 record during the regular season, unexpectedly drew the start for Game 1. He responded with a six-hit, 4–1 victory sparked by Clarke's game-tying home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

=== Game 2 ===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 9, 1909
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|Road='''Detroit'''|RoadAbr=DET
|R1=0|R2=2|R3=3|R4=0|R5=2|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=7|RH=9|RE=2
|Home=Pittsburgh|HomeAbr=PIT
|H1=2|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=2|HH=5|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Wild Bill Donovan (baseball)|Wild Bill Donovan]] (1–0)|LP=[[Howie Camnitz]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

The Tigers began their 7–2 comeback win (after a two-run Pirate bottom of the first) with three runs in the top of the third, tying the Series at one game apiece. Ty Cobb stole home to start the rally.

=== Game 3 ===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Monday, October 11, 1909
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=[[Bennett Park (Detroit)|Bennett Park]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]
|Road='''Pittsburgh'''|RoadAbr=PIT
|R1=5|R2=1|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=2|RR=8|RH=10|RE=2
|Home=Detroit|HomeAbr=DET
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=4|H8=0|H9=2|HR=6|HH=11|HE=5
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Nick Maddox]] (1–0)|LP=[[Ed Summers]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

Honus Wagner had three hits, three RBI and three stolen bases as the Pirates regained the lead in the Series, two games to one.

=== Game 4 ===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Tuesday, October 12, 1909
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan
|Road=Pittsburgh|RoadAbr=PIT
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=0|RH=5|RE=6
|Home='''Detroit'''|HomeAbr=DET
|H1=0|H2=2|H3=0|H4=3|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=5|HH=8|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[George Mullin (baseball)|George Mullin]] (1–1)|LP=[[Lefty Leifield]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

The win-swapping continued with Detroit taking Game 4. Tiger ace [[George Mullin (baseball)|George Mullin]] threw a five-hit shutout while striking out 10 Pirates, again evening the Series at two games apiece.

=== Game 5 ===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Wednesday, October 13, 1909
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|Road=Detroit|RoadAbr=DET
|R1=1|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=2|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|RR=4|RH=6|RE=1
|Home='''Pittsburgh'''|HomeAbr=PIT
|H1=1|H2=1|H3=1|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=4|H8=1|H9=X|HR=8|HH=10|HE=2
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Babe Adams]] (2–0)|LP=[[Ed Summers]] (0–2)|SV=
|RoadHR=[[Davy Jones (baseball)|Davy Jones]] (1), [[Sam Crawford]] (1)|HomeHR=[[Fred Clarke]] (2)
|}}

Babe Adams threw another six-hitter, for an 8–4 triumph and a 3–2 Series lead for his Pirates.

=== Game 6 ===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Thursday, October 14, 1909
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan
|Road=Pittsburgh|RoadAbr=PIT
|R1=3|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=1|RR=4|RH=8|RE=1
|Home='''Detroit'''|HomeAbr=DET
|H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=2|H5=1|H6=1|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=5|HH=10|HE=2
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[George Mullin (baseball)|George Mullin]] (2–1)|LP=[[Vic Willis]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

Mullin, after being roughed up for three first-inning runs, surrendered only one more and wound up with the win, knotting the Series at three games apiece.

=== Game 7 ===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 16, 1909
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=Bennett Park in Detroit, Michigan
|Road='''Pittsburgh'''|RoadAbr=PIT
|R1=0|R2=2|R3=0|R4=2|R5=0|R6=3|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|RR=8|RH=7|RE=0
|Home=Detroit|HomeAbr=DET
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=0|HH=6|HE=3
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Babe Adams]] (3–0)|LP=[[Wild Bill Donovan (baseball)|Wild Bill Donovan]] (1–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

With the Series coming down to a climactic seventh game (the first to go the distance), Pittsburgh's Fred Clarke went with two-game winner Babe Adams as his pitcher, while Detroit Manager [[Hugh Jennings]] decided on Bill Donovan, a complete-game winner in Game 2.

Donovan got off to a miserable start. He hit the first Pirate batter and went on to walk six in the first two innings. He was pulled after three with Adams confidently holding a 2–0 lead. Pittsburgh never looked back, as Babe nailed his third six-hitter and third win of the Series for an 8–0 championship victory.

Honus Wagner continued to prove his Cooperstown worthiness by hitting .333, with seven RBI and six stolen bases (the latter total standing as a Series record until [[Lou Brock]] surpassed it in {{wsy|1967}}). On the other side, Ty Cobb did not fare as well. Appearing in what would be his last Series (although he would remain active through 1928), Cobb batted only .231 although he did lead the Tigers, losers of their third Series in three years, with six RBI.

No two professional sports teams from [[Detroit]] and [[Pittsburgh]] would play for a major professional sports championship again until the [[2008 Stanley Cup Finals]] between the [[Detroit Red Wings]] and [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].

This would be the last World Series appearance for the Pirates until [[1925 World Series|1925]] while the Tigers would not play in another Fall Classic for [[1934 World Series|25 years]].

It was the first time that one team won the odd-numbered games; the other, the even; it did not happen again until {{wsy|1962}}.

== Composite line score ==
1909 World Series '''(4–3): [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (N.L.)''' beat [[Detroit Tigers]] (A.L.)
{{Linescore|
|Road='''[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]'''
|R1=11|R2=4|R3=1|R4=3|R5=2|R6=4|R7=4|R8=2|R9=3|RR=34|RH=50|RE=12
|Home='''[[Detroit Tigers]]'''
|H1=3|H2=4|H3=3|H4=5|H5=3|H6=3|H7=4|H8=1|H9=2|HR=28|HH=56|HE=17
|TotalAttendance=145,295 |AveAttendance=20,756
|WinPlayerShare=$1,825 |LosePlayerShare=$1,275<ref name="wsshares">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml|title=World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares|access-date=June 14, 2009|publisher=Baseball Almanac}}</ref>
}}

== Film coverage ==
The championship was recorded by [[Essanay Studios|Essanay Co.]], and sold double the expected number of copies. Studio manager A. M. Kennedy speculated that the film would set a world record for sales.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McQuade |first1=James S. |title=Essanay's Great Special Release |url=https://archive.org/details/filmindex190907film |work=Film Index |publisher=Films Publishing Company |date=30 October 1909 |location=New York NY |page=[https://archive.org/details/filmindex190907film/page/n14 9]}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{WSRefs|year=1909|cohenpp=27–31|reichlerp=2117}}

== External links ==
{{WSExtLinks|year=1909}}

{{WorldSeries}}
{{1909 MLB season by team}}
{{1909 Pittsburgh Pirates}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates}}
{{Detroit Tigers}}

[[Category:1909 Major League Baseball season|World Series]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers postseason]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates postseason]]
[[Category:World Series]]
[[Category:1909 in sports in Michigan|World Series]]
[[Category:1909 in sports in Pennsylvania|World Series]]
[[Category:1909 in Detroit|World Series]]
[[Category:1900s in Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:October 1909 sports events in the United States|World Series]]
[[Category:Baseball competitions in Detroit]]
[[Category:Baseball competitions in Pittsburgh]]