The 1903 major league baseball season began on April 16, 1903. The regular season ended on September 29, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Americans as regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the first modern World Series on October 1 and ended with Game 8 on October 13. The Americans defeated the Pirates, five games to three, capturing their first championship in franchise history.[1]
The 1903 season saw the return of a postseason championship series, the World Series, following the one-off 1900 Chronicle-Telegraph Cup. It was also the first inter-league series since the 1890 World's Championship Series between the National League and defunct-since-1891American Association. The 1903 World Series would also mark the first championship series that is still celebrated today, as all previous series are considered pre-modern and these early contests are discussed by MLB and baseball historians separately.[2] However, the 1903 arrangement was primarily between the two participating clubs rather than a formal arrangement between the leagues, essentially making this season's World Series a voluntary event.[3]
The 1903 schedule consisted of 140 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 20 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place for the 1901 season. This would be the last season with this format, as the following season would see an increase of games played.
National League Opening Day took place on April 16 with four teams playing, while American League Opening Day did not take place until April 20, with a doubleheader between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Americans. The National League would see its final day of the regular season on September 27, while the American League would see its final day of the season on September 29. The inaugural World Series took place between October 1 and October 13.
Previously adopted by the National league in 1901, the American League adopted the rule that foul balls are to count as strike balls, except after two strikes. Previously, foul balls would not affect the count. To cut the cost of lost foul balls, the committee urges that batters who foul off good strikes are to be disciplined.[6][7]
A unified balk rule was agreed on, stating "a balk shall constitute any delivery of the ball to the batsman by the pitcher while either foot of the pitcher is back of the plate."[8]
Teams
An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at
15 tie games (6 in AL, 9 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season.
Termed the "Battle of Ohio", the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Naps played an unofficial best of 11-game exhibition series after the regular season, with Cleveland winning the series six games to three.[14]
Fraser threw his first career no-hitter and the third no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Chicago Cubs 10–0 in game 2 of a doubleheader on September 18. Fraser walked five and struck out four.[19]
Became the first pitcher to win two complete games in one day on August 1, with 4–1 and 5–2 victories over the Boston Beaneaters in a doubleheader.[20]
↑Rhodes, Greg (2007). Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Highlights: Memorable Moments in Team History As Heard on the Reds Radio Network. United States: Clerisy Press. p.251. ISBN9781578603008.
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