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 – MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1915
There will be fair and clear skies over our city today. The high will reach near 65° with the low tonight about 35°.
SPECIAL WORLD SERIES EDITION – GAME 3
The 3rd game of the 1915 World Series was played today at Braves Field in Boston. Under a beautiful and brilliant sky with the temperature in the mid-60°s, 42,300 fans crowded the stands to watch their Red Sox (shown below) meet the team from down south. This was the largest crowd to ever attend a baseball game. The new Braves Field had been chosen for the games in Boston because Fenway Park was deemed too small to accommodate the crowds.
The Boston fans cheered, clapped and hoorayed, as their team took the field. The Royal Rooters Band played lively songs in the stands and Red Sox supporters sang along. To their credit the Boston fans showed good sportsmanship when the Phillies took the field. They were greeted with hearty applause and the loudest cheers were for Grover Cleveland Alexander when he made his entrance.
Herbert “Dutch” Leonard took the mound for the Red Sox. Leonard went 15 and 7 this season with a 2.36 ERA. He is Boston manager Carrigan’s star southpaw and he showed every bit of his talent today. The game was in its essence a pitcher’s duel with Leonard giving up just 3 hits and striking out 6 while “Old Pete” struck out 4 and gave up 6 hits. The hitting and scoring was sparse. After the 3rd inning Leonard was unhittable. No Phillie touched him in the last 6 innings of the game. Philadelphia’s big bats, Cravath and Luderus, went 0 for 4 and 0 for 3 respectively.
The Phillies scored their first and only run in the 3rd when Ed Burns smacked a single over 2nd base. Alexander was up next and attempted a sacrifice bunt down the 3rd base line. He reached 1st safe on a throwing error. Milt Stock moved the runners over on his sacrifice. Then Dave Bancroft singled to center scoring Burns. Alex might have scored also but he was held up after rounding 3rd. After that Dutch Leonard regained his composure and the Phillies were stymied. Boston tied the game in the 4th when Tris Speaker drove a long triple down the right field line. He was sacrificed home by Dick Hoblitzell. The game stayed tied until the 9th.
In the bottom of the 9th Harry Hooper singled to right to open the inning and was sacrificed to 2nd by Everett Scott on a bunt. Alexander then intentionally walked Speaker. Both runners advanced on another sacrifice by Hoblitzell. It was now between Duffy Lewis (shown below) and Grover Alexander. The right handed hitting leftfielder finished the season with a .291 average and 76 runs batted in. Today he got his most important RBI of the season as he lined a single over 2nd and scored Hooper. The Red Sox won 2 to 1.
Duffy Lewis
The moment Hooper scored the winning run, the Boston faithful jumped onto the field to carry him and Lewis off on their shoulders. They remained on the playing grounds for quite a while after the game waiving their red and white banners in celebration and reveling in the victory. However, during the celebration there was a poignant moment. The cheering dimmed and became muted as Alexander walked off the mound toward the dugout. It was a sign of respect, a silent ovation from the Boston fans to the great master of the mound for the performance they had witnessed. As the Bostonians cheered on the field the few Philadelphians in the stands sat quietly watching and now wondering about the prospects for the rest of the series. Game 4 will be tomorrow at Braves Field starting at 2:00pm.
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