Special Sub-Topic: World Series: The 1900s Click Here To Play: World Series: The 1900s

The first ever World Series game took place on October 1st 1903, at which venue?

Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds. The Boston Americans (later to become the Red Sox) and Pittsburgh Pirates met in the first World Series, with games split between the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Boston, and Exposition Park, Pittsburgh.

Who were the first ever World Series champions?

Boston Americans. The Americans won the best-of-eight Series by 5 games to 3 despite trailing 1-3 after game four.

There was no World Series in 1904 after which team declined to take part?

New York Giants. The Boston Americans won the AL pennant, but were denied the opportunity to win back-to-back World Series championships when the NL champion Giants refused to play them. The Giants had indicated their reluctance to participate earlier in the season when their cross-town rivals, the New York Highlanders (later the Yankees) were leading the AL. The Giants didn't wish to risk any possible embarrassment by those "upstarts".

After a one year hiatus in 1904, the World Series returned in 1905 with the New York Giants taking on the Philadelphia Athletics. Which pitcher threw three complete-game shutouts to lead the Giants to victory?

Christy Mathewson. The Giants won the best-of-seven series 4-1, with Mathewson taking to the mound in 3 of the games, shutting out the Athletics on each occasion.

1906 saw the first-ever crosstown series, between two teams from which city?

Chicago. The Chicago Cubs had a won a record 116 regular season games, but were upset 4-2 in the series by the Chicago White Sox, nicknamed the "Hitless Wonders".

All the games in the 1906 World Series were played in the same ballpark.

False. The games were split between West Side Park, home of the Cubs, and South Side Park, home of the White Sox. Strangely, only one game in the series resulted in a win for the home side, with the White Sox clinching the series at South Side Park in game six.

A World Series first occurred in 1907. What was it?

A game ended in a tie. Game one of the 1907 World Series ended in a 3-3 tie after 12 innings, due to darkness. The Chicago Cubs went on to sweep the Detroit Tigers 4-0-1.

1908 saw the first ever repeat World Series, with the same two teams as the previous season renewing acquaintances. Which teams were involved?

Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers. The Cubs repeated as World Series champions, but at least the Tigers managed to win a game on this occasion, with George Mullin pitching them to victory in game three. The Cubs subsequently wrapped up the series 4-1.

Which team had the misfortune to lose their third straight Series in 1909?

Detroit Tigers. After losing heavily to the Cubs in each of the previous two sries, the Tigers took it right to the wire in 1909, losing 4-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Which team won their first-ever World Series title in 1909?

Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates, losers in the very first World Series in 1903, finally won their first title by defeating the Tigers 8-0 in game seven at Bennett Park. This was the first series to go all the way to a deciding game.