The 1912 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1912 season. The ninth edition of the World Series, it matched the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National League (NL) champion New York Giants. The Red Sox won the Series four games to three (with one tie).
This series, featuring close games and controversial decisions, was regarded as one of the most exciting World Series of its era. Nearly all of the games were close. Four games in this Series were decided by one run. A fifth ended in a tie. A sixth was decided by two runs. Game 7 was the only one with a margin greater than three runs. Two games, including the decisive Game 8, went to extra innings. In Games 1 and 3, the losing team had the tying and winning runs on base when the game ended. To date, this is the only World Series to end on a sacrifice fly.
The series showcased star pitching from Giant Christy Mathewson and Red Sox fireballer Smoky Joe Wood. Wood won two of his three starts and pitched in relief in the final game. In the deciding game, Boston rallied for two runs in the tenth inning thanks to two costly Giants fielding misplays.
This was one of only four World Series to go to eight games, and the only best-of-seven Series to do so. While the 1912 Series was extended to eight games due to a tie game being called on account of darkness, the , , and 1921 World Series were all best-of-nine affairs that happened to run eight games. This was the first World Series where a venue (Fenway Park) hosted five home games; of the four occasions this has occurred (1912, 1921, 1944, 2020), 1912 was the only one to have alternating venues.
This was the first of seven meetings between teams from Boston and New York City for a major professional sports championship. This occurred again in two more World Series (1916, 1986), two Stanley Cup Finals (1929, 1972), and two Super Bowls (2008, 2012).
In 2020, ESPN ranked the 1912 World Series as the 8th best World Series ever played.
Summary
thumb|250px|right|Managers John McGraw and Jake Stahl during the 1912 World Series
Matchups
Game 1
right|thumb|250px|Polo Grounds crowd at Game 1
In batting practice before Game 1, Tris Speaker drove a ball not only over the right field grandstand but completely out of the Polo Grounds.
Game 2
left|thumb|250px|Christy Mathewson in 1910
Christy Mathewson later said of the moment when he took the mound at Fenway Park, "This was the only place in the world that I wanted to be. I could think of nothing greater than pitching this game for the glory of the New York Giants." Hooper flied out to deep center—Snodgrass making a fine running catch
Christy Mathewson later wrote that "As I look back upon the 1912 series, when we lost to the Boston Red Sox, I see it was the same. Pitchers, outfielders, the whole team collapsed under the strain." He had been ill-served by his team's defense. Five New York errors led to all six runs' being unearned in the Game 2 tie, an error scored the second run in Boston's 2–1 Game 5 victory and Snodgrass's $30,000 muff, along with the failure to catch Speaker's foul pop, resulted in the loss in Game 8. Mathewson started three games, completed all three and compiled a 0.94 earned-run average for the Series, but was charged with two losses and a no-decision for his efforts. The 1912 World Series was the second of three consecutive Fall Classic appearances for the Giants, all of which they lost, and Mathewson retired in 1916 with the 1905 championship the only one of his brilliant career, in which he pitched three complete-game shutouts for 27 scoreless innings, Series records that may never be equaled.
After the Series was over, McAleer issued a statement apologizing to the Royal Rooters for selling their Game 7 seats out from under them.
Composite line score
1912 World Series (4–3–1): Boston Red Sox (A.L.) over New York Giants (N.L.)
Series statistics
Boston Red Sox
Batting
Note: GP=Games played; AB=At bats; R=Runs; H=Hits; 2B=Doubles; 3B=Triples; HR=Home runs; RBI=Runs batted in; BB=Walks; AVG=Batting average; OBP=On base percentage; SLG=Slugging percentage
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="9%" |GP
! width="9%" |AB
!R
! width="9%" |H
!2B
!3B
! width="9%" |HR
! width="9%" |RBI
!BB
! width="9%" |AVG
!OBP
!SLG
!Reference
|-
|Hick Cady
|7
|22
|1
|3
|0
|0
|0
|1
|0
|.136
|.136
|.136
|
|-
|Jake Stahl
|8
|32
|3
|8
|2
|0
|0
|2
|0
|.250
|.250
|.313
|
|-
|Steve Yerkes
|8
|32
|3
|8
|0
|2
|0
|4
|2
|.250
|.294
|.375
|
|-
|Larry Gardner
|8
|28
|4
|5
|2
|1
|1
|5
|2
|.179
|.258
|.429
|
|-
|Heinie Wagner
|8
|30
|1
|5
|1
|0
|0
|0
|3
|.167
|.242
|.200
|
|-
|Duffy Lewis
|8
|32
|4
|6
|3
|0
|0
|1
|3
|.188
|.235
|.281
|
|-
|Tris Speaker
|8
|30
|4
|9
|1
|2
|0
|2
|4
|.300
|.382
|.467
|
|-
|Harry Hooper
|8
|31
|3
|9
|2
|1
|0
|2
|4
|.290
|.371
|.419
|
|-
|Bill Carrigan
|2
|7
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|
|-
|Clyde Engle
|3
|3
|1
|1
|1
|0
|0
|2
|0
|.333
|.333
|.667
|
|-
|Neal Ball
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|
|-
|Olaf Henriksen
|2
|1
|0
|1
|1
|0
|0
|1
|0
|1.000
|1.000
|2.000
|
|-
|Joe Wood
|4
|7
|1
|2
|0
|0
|0
|1
|1
|.286
|.375
|.286
|
|-
|Hugh Bedient
|4
|6
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|
|-
|Ray Collins
|2
|5
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|
|-
|Charley Hall
|2
|4
|0
|3
|1
|0
|0
|0
|1
|.750
|.800
|1.000
|
|-
|Buck O'Brien
|2
|2
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|
|}
Pitching
Note: G=Games Played; GS=Games Started; IP=Innings Pitched; H=Hits; BB=Walks; R=Runs; ER=Earned Runs; SO=Strikeouts; W=Wins; L=Losses; SV=Saves; ERA=Earned Run Average
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="5%" |G
! width="5%" |GS
! width="5%" |IP
! width="5%" |H
! width="5%" |BB
! width="5%" |R
! width="5%" |ER
! width="5%" |SO
! width="5%" |W
! width="5%" |L
!SV
! width="5%" |ERA
!Reference
|-
|Joe Wood
|4
|3
|22
|27
|3
|11
|11
|21
|3
|1
|0
|4.50
|
|-
|Hugh Bedient
|4
|2
|18
|10
|7
|2
|1
|7
|1
|0
|0
|0.50
|
|-
|Ray Collins
|2
|1
|
|14
|0
|5
|3
|6
|0
|0
|0
|1.88
|
|-
|Charley Hall
|2
|0
|
|11
|9
|6
|4
|1
|0
|0
|0
|3.38
|
|-
|Buck O'Brien
|2
|2
|9
|12
|3
|7
|5
|4
|0
|2
|0
|5.00
|
|}
New York Giants
Batting
Note: GP=Games played; AB=At bats; R=Runs; H=Hits; 2B=Doubles; 3B=Triples; HR=Home runs; RBI=Runs batted in; BB=Walks; AVG=Batting average; OBP=On base percentage; SLG=Slugging percentage
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="9%" |GP
! width="9%" |AB
!R
! width="9%" |H
!2B
!3B
! width="9%" |HR
! width="9%" |RBI
!BB
! width="9%" |AVG
!OBP
!SLG
!Reference
|-
|Chief Meyers
|8
|28
|2
|10
|0
|1
|0
|3
|2
|.357
|.419
|.429
|
|-
|Fred Merkle
|8
|33
|5
|9
|2
|1
|0
|3
|0
|.273
|.273
|.394
|
|-
|Larry Doyle
|8
|33
|5
|8
|0
|0
|1
|2
|3
|.242
|.306
|.333
|
|-
|Buck Herzog
|8
|30
|6
|12
|4
|1
|0
|5
|1
|.400
|.438
|.600
|
|-
|Art Fletcher
|8
|28
|1
|5
|1
|0
|0
|3
|1
|.179
|.207
|.214
|
|-
|Josh Devore
|7
|24
|4
|6
|0
|0
|0
|0
|7
|.250
|.419
|.250
|
|-
|Fred Snodgrass
|8
|33
|2
|7
|2
|0
|0
|2
|2
|.212
|.278
|.273
|
|-
|Red Murray
|8
|31
|5
|10
|4
|1
|0
|4
|2
|.323
|.364
|.516
|
|-
|Moose McCormick
|5
|4
|0
|1
|0
|0
|0
|1
|0
|.250
|.250
|.250
|
|-
|Beals Becker
|2
|4
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|2
|.000
|.333
|.000
|
|-
|Art Wilson
|2
|1
|0
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|1.000
|1.000
|1.000
|
|-
|Tillie Shafer
|3
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|─
|─
|─
|
|-
|Christy Matthewson
|3
|12
|0
|2
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.167
|.167
|.167
|
|-
|Jeff Tesreau
|3
|8
|0
|3
|0
|0
|0
|2
|1
|.375
|.444
|.375
|
|-
|Rube Marquard
|2
|4
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|1
|.000
|.200
|.000
|
|-
|Red Ames
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|─
|─
|─
|
|-
|Doc Crandall
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|.000
|.000
|.000
|
|}
Pitching
Note: G=Games Played; GS=Games Started; IP=Innings Pitched; H=Hits; BB=Walks; R=Runs; ER=Earned Runs; SO=Strikeouts; W=Wins; L=Losses; SV=Saves; ERA=Earned Run Average
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! width="16%" |Player
! width="5%" |G
! width="5%" |GS
! width="5%" |IP
! width="5%" |H
! width="5%" |BB
! width="5%" |R
! width="5%" |ER
! width="5%" |SO
! width="5%" |W
! width="5%" |L
!SV
! width="5%" |ERA
!Reference
|-
|Christy Matthewson
|3
|3
|
|23
|5
|11
|3
|10
|0
|2
|0
|0.94
|
|-
|Jeff Tesreau
|3
|3
|23
|19
|11
|10
|8
|15
|1
|2
|0
|3.13
|
|-
|Rube Marquard
|2
|2
|18
|14
|2
|3
|1
|9
|2
|0
|0
|0.50
|
|-
|Red Ames
|1
|0
|2
|3
|1
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|0
|4.50
|
|-
|Doc Crandall
|1
|0
|2
|1
|0
|0
|0
|2
|0
|0
|0
|0.00
|
|}
Notes
References
See also
- Golden pitch