Retroactive All-Star Game Project: AL stars win 1917 series
Editor’s note: This game summary is from the Retroactive All-Star Game Project. Voting was conducted to select retroactive MLB All-Star teams from the 1917 season and the games were simulated using Out of the Park 14.
By Mike Lynch
In another battle of stars in the annual mid-summer All-Star Series that began in 1916, the American League’s best from 1917 took Games 1 and 3 of a three-game series at New York’s Polo Grounds to even the All-Star series at one win apiece. The opening contest was a back-and-forth affair that was finally settled in the 10th inning on an RBI hit by Ray Chapman, who went 5 for 5 in the 5-4 victory.
- Related: Learn more about the Retroactive All-Star Game Project by clicking here
- Vote for 1919 All-Stars: Make your selections for the retroactive 1919 All-Star teams
Game 2 was a 7-1 blowout at the hands of the National League, who used a quartet of hurlers to hold the juniors to only three hits. The deciding contest was never really close as the A.L. pocketed a 6-3 win behind four innings of fantastic relief by Babe Ruth and three hits off the bat of George Sisler.
Highlights and outstanding players include:
- Ray Chapman and Tris Speaker combining to go 7 for 7 for the AL with three RBIs and two runs in Game 1; George Burns collecting two hits, two runs and two steals for the NL, and Pete Alexander allowing only one hit in three innings.
- Honus Wagner driving in three runs for the NL in Game 2, and the three-hit pitching by Hippo Vaughn, Leon Cadore, Al Demaree and Fred Toney.
- George Sisler going 3 for 5 with two RBIs for the AL in Game 3; Larry Doyle’s long home run to right center field, and Ruth’s four scoreless innings of relief.
- Chapman going 7 for 14 (.500) and driving in five runs in the series.
- Ruth and Carl Mays combining for a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings in the series.
- Gavvy Cravath slugging .727 with a homer and three RBIs in the series.
- Honus Wagner hitting .444 with four RBIs in the series.
- Hippo Vaughn, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Leon Cadore allowing no earned runs in 14 combined innings.
- William Fischer throwing out all three would-be base thieves in the series.
You can find full accounts of all three games, box scores, game logs and stats here.
Learn more about the Retroactive All-Star Game Project by clicking here.
Originally published: October 17, 2013. Last Updated: October 17, 2013.