The 1904 Cleveland Blues-Pittsburgh Pirates Postseason Series

The Cleveland Blues, seen here in 1903 or 1904, were part of the new American League, which many in the long-established National League considered inferior. (Wikimedia Commons)

 

The first modern World Series played in 1903 was between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Americans of the recently established American League.1 Boston prevailed in the best-of-nine series, five games to three. No World Series was played in 1904. The National League champion New York Giants refused to play Boston, winners again of the American League. However, there were two postseason series played between American and National league teams in the fall of 1904. The two St. Louis teams, the Browns and the Cardinals, played a traditional “city series.” The other postseason series, played between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Blues (also known as the Napoleons or Naps after their star second baseman, Napoleon Lajoie) was unusual and notable. The series was significant both on the field as it brought together two of baseball’s biggest stars, Honus Wagner and Napoleon Lajoie, and off the field because it maintained something of an amicable relationship between the two leagues.

The New York Giants dominated the National League in 1904, finishing with a record of 106-47-5, thirteen games ahead of the second place Chicago Cubs. The Pirates finished in fourth place, with a disappointing record of 87-66-3, due in large part to injuries to Fred Clarke and Honus Wagner. Just as Boston had done in 1903, they finished atop the American League. Like the Pirates, Cleveland finished in fourth place, with a record of 86-65-3. The Giants refused to play Boston in what would have been the 1904 World Series for several reasons, including that Giants’ owner John Brush and manager John McGraw had a mutual disdain for American League President Ban Johnson. Likewise, Brush and McGraw seemingly did not want to risk losing a postseason series to the American League, which they deemed inferior.2

Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss, on the other hand, was willing to work with the American League and specifically with Cleveland owners Charles Somers and John Kilfoyl. These men pursued the scheduling of the series in part to keep the relatively new relationship between the National and American Leagues cordial.3 The best-of-five-game series was played from October 10 to October 14 in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

The Pirates had their regular lineup set for the series, including future Hall of Famers Clarke and Wagner. Player-manager Clarke had essentially been out of the lineup since July 15 and Wagner missed the last two weeks of the season with rheumatism. Cleveland featured three future Hall of Fame members: second baseman Lajoie, right fielder Elmer Flick, and pitcher Addie Joss. The leadoff hitter and left fielder in the series for Cleveland was 25-year-old rookie outfielder Rube Vinson. Vinson began the season with the Providence Grays of the Eastern League, where he led the league in batting with a .360 average. He was acquired by Cleveland on August 27 and played in the final fifteen games of the season, hitting approximately .306. Vinson would prove to be quite impactful in the series.

The typical series lineups for the two teams were as follows:

 

 

GAME ONE: October 10, 1904
League Park, Cleveland
Cleveland Blues 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

The weather was threatening as 3,845 fans made their way to see the Monday afternoon game. Bill Klem was named the sole umpire for all the games in the series. Klem had umped in the American Association in 1904 and was scheduled to move up the National League in 1905—the beginning of his Hall of Fame career.

Otto Hess, a 25-year-old lefty, got the start for Cleveland against fellow southpaw Patsy Flaherty, the ace of the Bucs staff. In the top of the third with one out, Ginger Beaumont drew a walk. After another out, Wagner stepped to the plate and drove a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run home run. During the regular season Wagner had slugged just four home runs but led the team in round-trippers. With the Pirates leading 2-0, rain began to fall in the fourth inning. Flaherty, who relied on his spitball as his best pitch, lost control due to the rain and walked Bill Bradley and Flick to start the inning. Lajoie came to bat. Despite calls from the crowd to match Wagner’s power, he sacrificed to move both runners into scoring position. Bradley then scored on a groundout and Flick scored on a passed ball dropped third strike to tie the game. Flaherty was able to get out of the inning without further damage. Despite the rain, the game continued. In the top of the sixth, Bransfield led off with a double, but was stranded there when Umpire Klem called the game due to the rain-soaked field, ending the game in a 2-2 tie.4

GAME TWO: October 11, 1904
League Park, Cleveland
Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Cleveland Blues 4

The second game of the series was played the next afternoon. Unseasonably cold weather and the fact that the park did not open to fans until 30 minutes before game time held the crowd to only 1,488 paid fans. Bill Bernhard, ace of the Cleveland staff, started the game against Sam Leever for the Pirates. Both pitchers started strong and did not allow any runs for the first five innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Cleveland rookie outfielder Vinson led off with a double, scored when Flick bunted for a base hit, and then Lajoie squeezed out a single. Terry Turner then doubled to send his teammates home and the Blues had a 3-0 lead. But the Pirates answered back in the seventh. Beaumont walked to lead off the inning, and then McCormick and Wagner both singled to load the bases. Bransfield singled to score Beaumont and keep the bases loaded. Harry McCormick then scored on a Tommy Leach groundout, and Wagner was plated on a Claude Ritchey groundout to tie the game, 3-3. Brans-field was ejected from the game for arguing with Umpire Klem, and Wagner took over at first with Otto Krueger coming into the game to play shortstop.

GAME THREE: October 12, 1904
Exposition Park, Pittsburgh 
Cleveland Blues 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 3

The teams moved on to Pittsburgh for game three. The weather was cold and windy. Addie Joss started the game for Cleveland against Pittsburgh’s Charlie Case. No runs were scored in the first four innings. In the top of the fifth, Cleveland got on the board when Lajoie singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on an infield out. In the seventh, Wagner led off with a single, advanced all the way to third base on a bunt, and scored on a double play to tie the game. In the top of the ninth, Cleveland scored twice. Vinson led off the inning with a single and scored on a bunt inducing error by Bradley. Bradley then scored on a long triple by Elmer Flick. In the bottom of the ninth after the Pirates quickly made two outs, Bransfield grounded to third but beat out the throw to reach safely. Cleveland was not happy with Umpire Klem’s call. Leach then singled, and he and Bransfield scored on a double by Ritchey. The Pirates nearly won the game when Phelps hit a smash to third, but Ritchey was thrown out at the plate, sending the game to extra innings.

The game went 14 innings. No runs were scored in the final five innings, although the Pirates did have a baserunner in each inning. At the end of the 14th inning, Klem called the game on account of darkness, ending it in a 3-3 tie. With the tie—the second of the series—the Pirates remained in the lead in the series, one game to none.

Both pitchers went all fourteen innings. Neither pitcher walked a batter, and Joss struck out eight. The game was played in two hours and twenty-five minutes and paid attendance was 3,716.6

GAME FOUR: October 13, 1904
Exposition Park, Pittsburgh
Cleveland Blues 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2

For game four, Barton Emory “Dusty” Rhoads started on the mound for Cleveland against Mike Lynch for Pittsburgh. Cleveland got on the board early with classic deadball-era baseball. In the top of the first Vinson led off with a walk followed by a single by Bradley. After a sacrifice by Flick to advance the runners, Lajoie reached on an infield single that scored Vinson. On a double steal, Bradley was cut down at the plate while Lajoie advanced to second. Lajoie then scored on a single by George Stovall. In the sixth, Vinson got things started once again when he singled and advanced to third on a Bradley double down the third base line. Vinson then scored on an errant throw by Honus Wagner, which pulled Bransfield off first. In the seventh, the Pirates finally tallied a run. Bransfield reached on an infield hit and advanced to third on a Leach double. Bransfield then scored on a groundout by Ritchey. In the bottom of the ninth, the Pirates mounted a two-out rally. Ritchey singled and scored on a double by Ed Phelps. But Jack Gilbert, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, struck out to end the game. Pitching had dominated the game, with both pitchers going the distance. Rhoads got the win, allowing two runs while walking nine and striking out eight, including Honus Wagner twice. Mike Lynch took the loss, allowing only two earned runs while striking out seven and walking only the first batter in the game.

Paid attendance was 3,465 and the game was played in an hour and forty minutes. It was reported that players from both teams were guests at The Grand Theater that evening and were the focus of many jokes by the vaudeville performers. With the series now tied at one game apiece, it was announced that the first team to win two games would win the series.7

GAME FIVE: October 14, 1904
Cleveland Blues 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Exposition Park, Pittsburgh

The fifth and deciding game of the series was played in front of 3,620 fans. Hess started the game for Cleveland against Chick Robitaille for Pittsburgh. Scoring started in the bottom of the second inning when Wagner led off and smacked a double down the third base line. Wagner advanced to third on a ground out by Bransfield and scored on a long fly ball by Leach. Both pitchers were strong and there was no scoring until the top of the seventh when Cleveland rallied. Turner led off with a single and was advanced to second on a sacrifice by Lush. Harry Bemis followed with a triple, driving in Turner. Hess then singled, driving in Bemis for the second run of the inning. Vinson reached on an infield single, but the inning ended without any other scoring. In the seventh, the Blues rallied again. Stovall singled and scored on a triple by Lush. Lush in turn was plated on a double by Bemis, ending the scoring and giving the Blues a 4-1 lead. The Pirates could not mount any offense, and the Blues went on to win the game and the series. Hess pitched a stellar game, allowing only two hits and one run while striking out six and walking three.

 

The 1904 Pittsburgh Pirates were the National League champions, but they couldn’t get the job done against the Cleveland Blues, losing their second straight postseason series to the upstart American League. (Wikimedia Commons)

 

Series Postscript

Cleveland’s Ernest Vinson was arguably the best player in the series. He was the only player to get a hit in each game, amassing ten hits in the five games and finishing the series with a slash line of .476/.522/.619.8 Vinson would start the 1905 season with Cleveland, but he struggled, hitting only .194 in 39 games. In August he was suspended for dissipation and later sold to the Chicago White Sox.9 Napoleon Lajoie hit .263 for the series. Honus Wagner hit .286 and slugged the only home run in the series. Bill Klem, who umpired the entire series by himself, stated, “It was hardest series of games I ever umpired.” Klem would go on to umpire in the National League in 1905 and every season until 1941. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown posthumously in 1953.

The team owners agreed to split the series money between the players after expenses were paid, resulting in a payment of about $100 to each player. With their defeat in the series, the Pirates had lost two consecutive postseason series to the upstart American League. This did not support Brush and McGraw’s criticism of the new league nor the Giants’ refusal to play a World Series in 1904. As a result of the criticism the Giants received, John Brush took the lead in establishing a perennial championship series between the American and National Leagues going forward. Pittsburgh did not appear again in the postseason until 1909, and Cleveland would wait until 1920. 

RICHARD J. PUERZER is the chairperson of the Department of Engineering at Hofstra University. His writing on baseball has appeared in several SABR books, including Moments of Joy and Heartbreak: 66 Significant Episodes in the History of the Pittsburgh Pirates (2018) and Pride of Smoketown: The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords (2020), as well as in Nine: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture; Black Ball; The National Pastime; The Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture proceedings; Zisk; and Spitball. He and his wife, Clare, have four children, Casey, Aaron, Josh, and Addie.

 

1904 Cleveland-Pittsburgh series line scores