| 1892 World's Championship Series | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||
| Dates | October 17–24 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | South End Grounds (Boston) League Park (Cleveland) | |||||||||
| ||||||||||
The1892 World Series followed the firstsplit season inNational League history, with the first-half championBoston Beaneaters (102–48) playing the second-half championCleveland Spiders (93–56) in a best-of-nine postseason series to determine the overall champion of the1892 baseball season. After the first game ended in a 0–0 tie due to darkness, Boston won the next five games to win the championship.
Contemporary newspaper reports referred to the games as the "World's Championship Series"[1] or "World's Series".[2] This was the last of thepre-modern-era World Series, and followed similar annual postseason competitions held from 1884 to 1890 between the champions of the National League and theAmerican Association (which collapsed after the 1891 season). Later, theTemple Cup would be awarded to the winner of an annual postseason series between National League teams, from 1894 to 1897.
Boston managerFrank Selee worried that late-October weather conditions would lead to postponements and low attendance. Cleveland's player-managerPatsy Tebeau suggested that "the [Boston] Beaneaters fear the humiliation of possible defeat." Tebeau toldSporting Life that the cold weather was a "dodge … simply an excuse to avoid playing Cleveland."[3]
Bookies had the Spiders as the favorite, due to their pitching staff.Cy Young had gone 36–12 in 49 starts, with a 1.93earned-run average.[4] Meanwhile, Boston starMike "King" Kelly had abatting average of only .189 for the year,[5] and was described as "one of the biggest failures of the base ball season."[3]
Boston won the series, 5–0–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 17 | Boston – 0, Cleveland – 0(11) | League Park,Cleveland |
| 2 | October 18 | Boston – 4, Cleveland – 3 | League Park, Cleveland |
| 3 | October 19 | Boston – 3, Cleveland – 2 | League Park, Cleveland |
| 4 | October 21 | Cleveland – 0,Boston – 4 | South End Grounds,Boston |
| 5 | October 22 | Cleveland – 7,Boston – 12 | South End Grounds, Boston |
| 6 | October 24 | Cleveland – 3,Boston – 8 | South End Grounds, Boston |
Hugh Duffy of Boston batted .462 with nineruns batted in and six extra-base hits including ahome run.[6]
Had the series required more than six games to complete, the remaining games would have been played inNew York City.[7]
The first game, which had started at three o'clock, had gone 11 scoreless innings when it was stopped at five o'clock due to darkness.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Starting pitchers: BOS:Jack Stivetts CLE:Cy Young Attendance: 5,800 to 6,000 Notes: Game duration 2:00 Game called on account of darkness. Umpires:Pop Snyder andBob Emslie[8][9] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Harry Staley (1–0) LP:John Clarkson (0–1) Attendance: 6,700 to 7,500 Notes: Game duration 1:35 Umpires:Jack McQuaid andJohn Gaffney[10][11] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Jack Stivetts (1–0) LP:Cy Young (0–1) Attendance: 7,500 Notes: Game duration 1:50 Umpires:Bob Emslie andPop Snyder[12][13][14] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After a travel day for the teams, the series moved to Boston with the Beaneaters leading, two games to none.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Kid Nichols (1–0) LP:George Cuppy (0–1) Home runs: CLE: None BOS:Hugh Duffy Attendance: 6,547 Notes: Game duration 1:48 Umpires:John Gaffney andJack McQuaid[15][16] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Clarkson started for Cleveland in place of Cy Young, who complained of a "lame arm".
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | X | 12 | 14 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Jack Stivetts (2–0) LP:John Clarkson (0–2) Home runs: CLE:John Clarkson BOS:Tommy Tucker Attendance: 3,400 Notes: Game duration 1:50 Umpires:Pop Snyder andBob Emslie[17][18] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After an off-day (professional baseball games were not allowed on Sundays in Boston until 1929)[19] the Beaneaters won their fifth game of the series to capture the championship. The 13 players on their roster split $1000 prize money.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | X | 8 | 11 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Kid Nichols (2–0) LP:Cy Young (0–2) Home runs: CLE: None BOS:Charlie Bennett Notes: Game duration 1:55 Umpires:Jack McQuaid andJohn Gaffney[20][21] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TheNational League abolished thesplit season format for 1893,[3] and did not play another split season until1981, which was caused by aplayers' strike.
Multiple participants in the series were later inducted to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame:
John Clarkson had started the season with the Beaneaters, and signed with the Spiders after being released at the end of June. PitcherLee Viau also played for both Boston and Cleveland during 1892.
The Beaneaters were later known as the Doves (1907–1910) and the Rustlers (1911) before adopting the nickname of "Braves" in 1912. The franchise relocated toMilwaukee in 1953, and then moved toAtlanta in 1966, where they remain members of the National League as theAtlanta Braves. The Spiders' final season was 1899, when they compiled a record of 20–134 (establishing a longstanding record for theworst major league season) after ownership moved their best players to theSt. Louis Cardinals, and were one of four teams contracted out of the National League when the league reduced its size to eight teams prior to the1900 season.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Franchise | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ballparks |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Culture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rivalries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key personnel |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series Championships (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National League Championships (18) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World's Championship Series Championships (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National Association Championships (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division titles (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wild card berths (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minor league affiliates |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
