Memory Lane Inc. | The Leader in Vintage Sports Cards & Memorabilia
Fully Scored w/Deacon Phillippe beating Cy Young 7-3!
WORLD SERIES FIRST!!! The advent of the highly touted World Series event dates back some 119 years to 1903, when the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Americans owners (Barney Dreyfus and Henry Killilea, respectively) agreed to have their pennant-winning clubs meet in a "best of nine games" contest in October to ultimately decide who would be crowned the "true" World's Champion. Largely supporting this new idea was American League founder and President Ban Johnson who started the Junior Circuit in 1901, and was clear bent on proving to the baseball community that his newly established American League was as formidable as the Senior Circuit. Arguably considered the most significant occurrence in MLB history, this inaugural Fall Classic set the tone for a sport that would ultimately be dubbed America's National Pastime. Its unparalleled historical standing stems from the fact it was the first of a soon to be traditional ending to every baseball campaign, and the hobby has tagged any of the few remaining World Series programs from that inaugural Series as the undisputed Holy Grails of all baseball publications.
That said, Memory Lane is proud to present the key periodical from this earth-shattering Boston Red Sox program collection, a 1903 Huntington Grounds heirloom that is completely scored from game one! One of only three 1903 World Series Game #1 examples known to exist, this exact offering sold for $108k in the Fall of 2021, before previously selling some eleven years earlier for $94k. This miraculous offering has been scored in light period-style pencil, thoroughly accounting for Deacon Phillippe's 7-3 victory over the immortal Cy Young. Obviously, any program from the 1903 Fall Classic is worthy of Cooperstown, New York, let alone a program that stands as one of the few known irrefutable game one periodicals that officially commemorates the inaugural World Series contest. For the most passionate and advanced collector, this extremely rare marvel is a bona fide "must have", for any world-class periodical gathering could never be considered complete without a 1903 World Series program, and imagine capturing one of the three known examples that jump-started this iconic post-season event.
We cannot even begin to visualize the utmost euphoria that took place at Huntington Grounds on October 1, 1903 with 16,242 ardent fans storming the gates to watch their team face-off against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were led by their iconic shortstop Honus Wagner. Spearheading the Boston fan base was the legendary "Third Base" saloon owner "Nuf Ced" McGreevy, who was the leader of the most fanatical group of baseball fans ever known, the exalted Royal Rooters. These rowdy group of fans never missed a Boston home game, belittling the opposition with a seemingly never-ending rant of vocal slurs as well as their "Tessie" theme song that rattled even the great Wagner. McGreevy's popularity amongst the Boston faithful was at such a pinnacle level that he and his classic "Nuff said" quote were incredibly placed on the front cover of this fold-over Huntington Grounds program, along with portrait images of Hall of Famer player/managers Jimmy Collins and Fred Clarke. The game itself would see both team's aces face-off against each other, with A.L. victories leader Cy Young (28 wins) and Pirates 25-game winner Deacon Phillippe towing the rubber.
Phillippe would best Cy Young by a 7-3 score, with the Pirates battering Young for four runs in the first inning to basically put the game away early. Both pitchers would go the distance, and Phillippe's 10 strikeouts were a sign of the quality stuff he brought to the table this October 1st Fall afternoon. While only three of the seven runs yielded by Young were earned, he would surrender 12 hits including a homer to left-fielder Jimmy Sebring who was the game's batting star via his three hits and four RBIs. Phillippe would continue his masterful pitching by winning three Series games to give the Pirates a commanding 3-1 Series edge. However, led by Cy Young's two victories in games five and seven, Boston would win the next four games with Bill Dineen posting his third win (a 3-0 shutout) in the clinching game eight against Deacon Phillippe to capture the World Championship.
Regarding the condition of this fragile 5-1/2" x 8-1/8" treasure, its eye appeal is consistent with any EX+ periodical. However, for full disclosure, it should be noted that it has been ably assisted from professional restoration implemented at the highest standards. Indeed, none of the prior glaring flaws can be detected without the assistance of high magnification, starting with the three front cover tears previously held together by clear tape as well as several corner chips that were completely rebuilt (upper right front cover and upper left back cover). The three tears were repaired and the tape removed, with the once partially separated spine (primarily along the upper half) reattached to the finest standards, resulting in a slight uneven fold when the program is closed. As most sophisticated enthusiasts realize, a majority of the few remaining 1903 World Series programs have likewise undergone the standard practice of some level of restoration for the purposes of presenting these original Cooperstown worthy heirlooms to their original state.
It's no secret among hobbyists that the overall visual appeal of any artifact is its foremost attribute, and considering no additional coloring or verbiage/print has been added to any of the four pages during the restoration process, a majority of the original integrity remains intact. The front cover includes portrait images of McGreevy, Collins and Clarke enclosed in an elaborate frame that includes a multitude of crossed bats and baseballs. Captions include: "SOUVENIR CARD 10 CENTS - World's Championship Games – Boston vs. Pittsburgh", and other than some standard toning, no obtrusive surface flaws are evident. The back cover includes various period-style advertisements, and miraculously, there is no vertical fold in the center, typically seen on many vintage programs due to its original purchaser folding the program in half and placing it in their pocket. Most significantly, the interior scorecard pages have been fully scored in pencil, with the original game attendee utilizing a simple "1-2-3" system to record the three outs for each inning, and bold dots for the ten players who scored runs. The Boston scorecard includes pre-printed pitchers Hughes, Young and Dineen, while the Pittsburgh page reveals Seever and Phillippe as potential starters. The pre-printed Pirates lineup has Fred Clarke and Honus Wagner batting second and fourth, respectively. The Flying Dutchman would stroke a hit while scoring and knocking in a run, with left-fielder/manager Clarke posting two safeties against the immortal Cy Young.
Boston's lineup reflects Hall of Fame third sacker/manager Jimmy Collins in the second spot, who would be held hitless by Phillippe. Interestingly enough, this would be the only World Series whereby the loser's bonus would surpass the winner's share, with each Pirate player receiving $1,316.25 versus the $1,182 paid to each Boston player. This payment irregularity was solely due to Pittsburgh's benevolent owner Barney Dreyfuss augmenting his player's bonuses in a losing effort due to the immense gate receipts incurred at his Exposition Park home field. Although the 1904 Fall Classic would be canceled due to John McGraw withdrawing his N.L. Pennant-winning Giants to spite his arch-enemy Ban Johnson (who had previously suspended McGraw as a Baltimore player), the World Series would resume in 1905, now forever standing as one of the most illustrious sporting events on the globe.
This fully scored inaugural Game #1 program from the 1903 World Series resides as one of the most captivating and historical collectibles imaginable, for it kicked-off the revered Fall Classic event that remains the cornerstone of our National Pastime. The bona fide Magna Carta of all sporting publications, its Game #1 stature merits this program a final resting place in not only any esteemed gathering, but the illustrious baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York!