On this page we will look back at life in the city during the war years. Here we will provide the visitor with the stories making the news, what was happening in sports and entertainment, city politics, the social scene and the prominent people at the time. We will also recount the events occurring in the war on that day. So, check back each day for new editions.
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TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1915
SPECIAL WORLD SERIES EDITION – GAME 5
The hearts of Phillies fans were broken today. At National League Park under sunny, clear skies and a gentle breeze the Boston Red Sox defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5 to 4. Inside the park 20,306 fans filled the stands at Broad Street & Huntingdon Avenue. The roofs of the surrounding factories and homes were crowed with onlookers. And the assembled throng saw a hitting spectacular. Unlike the first 4 games of this match it was hitting that won today. Nineteen hits including 4 home runs were just part of the action. Great fielding by both teams made this a superb game to see.
Once again Duffy Lewis and Harry Hooper led the Red Sox in both fielding and at the plate. Hooper became only the 2nd man to hit 2 home runs in a World Series game. His 2nd home run came in the top of the 9th and clinched the win for Boston. Erskine Mayer started the game for the Phillies but was knocked out after 2 innings. Eppa Rixey came in to relieve him and pitched a fine game.
The Phillies started the scoring in the 1st inning. Milt Stock led off and was hit by a pitch. Dave Bancroft followed with a single to left and Dode Paskert loaded the bases on a bunt. Gavvy Cravath hit into a double play. Then Fred Luderus came to the plate and smacked a 2 run double to center field. Possum Whitted then flied out to end the inning. In the 2nd inning it was the Red Sox turn. With 2 outs Larry Gardner smashed a triple to the wall in center. Jack Barry then looped a Texas leaguer into left field scoring Gardner. Mayer then retired the side.
The Red Sox tied the score in the 3rd when Harry Hooper drove one into the center field bleachers for a round tripper. Tris Speaker next lined a single to right and at that point Luderus went to the mound and took the ball from Mayer. His day was done. Eppa Rixey came in and retired the side.
In the 4th after Cravath struck out, big Fred Luderus (shown below) came to the plate. The team captain sent the first pitch sailing over the right field fence and the crowd went wild. Possum Whitted followed by popping out but Bert Niehoff then got his first hit of the series with a single to center. Ed Burns next smacked a line drive into right and Niehoff took off rounding 3rd and heading for home when saw the ball botched by Boston’s catcher Pinch Thomas. When Niehoff crossed the plate the crowd again erupted. And amazingly all the whistles of the surrounding factories blew at the same time. Eppa Rixey came up next and hit a weak infield grounder and was thrown out at 1st ending the inning.
Fred Luderus
The Phillies kept the lead till the top of the 8th when Duffy Lewis sailed Rixey’s pitch into the center field bleachers scoring Del Gainer who had beat out an infield single before him. The game was now tied at 4. In the bottom of the 8th the Phillies were kept scoreless even though Cravath drew a walk and Luderus was hit by a pitch. In the 9th Harry Hooper (shown below) came up with 1 out and smacked a high drive into the center field bleachers giving the Red Sox the lead for the first time in the game. Rixey put down the rest of the side. In the bottom of the 9th Niehoff, Burns and Killifer went down in order. The game and the series was over.
Harry Hooper
After the game the Phillies did not offer excuses for the loss. Manager Moran and Captain Luderus both gave full credit to the Red Sox for outplaying them. But it was the inability to put together consistent hitting that really cost the Phillies the crown. Throughout the season Cravath, Niehoff and Whitted had always come through when needed but in this series none of them drove in a single run. And Cravath now holds the unenviable record of the most strike outs by a player in the World Series history, fanning 6 times.
As for the Phillies fans, they left the park sad and some with tears. A few were disgruntled but most expressed the feeling that the Phillies would return to the World Series next year and even perhaps meet the rebuilt Athletics for an all Philadelphia tournament and what a sight to see that would be.
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