PTWSW #6: The 1909 Pittsburg Pirates

Manager: Fred Clarke
Record: 110-42
Ballpark: Exposition Park/Forbes Field
Owner: Barney Dreyfuss

Future Hall of Famers: Fred Clarke, Honus Wagner, Vic Willis

Team Leaders, Batting

BA: Honus Wagner, .339 (NL leader)
OBP: Honus Wagner, .420 (NL leader)
SLG: Honus Wagner, .489 (NL leader)
OPS: Honus Wagner, .909 (NL leader)
2B: Honus Wagner, 39 (NL leader)
3B: Dots Miller, 13
HR: Tommy Leach, 6
RBI: Honus Wagner, 100 (NL leader)
BB: Fred Clarke, 80 (NL leader)
SB: Honus Wagner, 35

Team Leaders, Pitching

W: Howie Camnitz, 25
SO: Howie Camnitz, 133
ERA: Howie Camnitz, 1.62
IP: Vic Willis, 289.2
CG: Vic Willis, 24
SHO: Howie Camnitz, 6
K/BB: Howie Camnitz, 1.96
SV: Howie Camnitz, 3

Tidbits

Oldest Player: Sam Leever (b. December 23, 1871)

Youngest Player: Chick Brandom (b. March 31, 1887)

First to Leave Us: Alan Storke (d. March 18, 1910). Storke passed away the following offseason due to complications from lung surgery.

Last Survivor: Lefty Leifield (d. October 10, 1970)

First in Majors: Fred Clarke (debut June 30, 1894)

Last in Majors: Babe Adams (final game August 11, 1926)

First to Play For the Franchise: Sam Leever (May 26, 1898)

Last to Play For the Franchise: Babe Adams (August 11, 1926)

Pre-union Team: The 1899 Louisville Colonels (Fred Clarke, Tommy Leach, Deacon Phillippe, Honus Wagner). Barney Dreyfuss owned the Colonels and later merged them with the Pirates.

Reunion Team: The 1912 Chicago Cubs, with four (Tommy Leach, Lefty Leifield, Ward Miller, Bill Powell).

Accomplishments

Honus Wagner, NL batting title

Season Summary

After getting off to an oustanding 44-14 start at Exposition Park, their home of 19 seasons, the Pirates played their first game at Forbes Field on June 30. It would be their ballpark for the next 62 seasons, and they christened it with a loss to the Cubs. The Cubs were the Pirates' only real competition all year, as they won 104 games to the Pirates' 110. The Pirates took the lead on May 30 however, and never relinquished it. They won the pennant by a solid 6.5 games. The Cubs had one of the most dominant pitching staffs in baseball history that year (146 ERA+!), but the Pirates were a more balanced team. Their strong pitching staff (124 ERA+) was supported by the NL's most productive offense.

The Tigers won their third straight AL pennant that year, but once again they collected the loser's share of the gate receipts. The Pirates took the series in seven games. Babe Adams won all three of his starts, including a shutout in Game 7.

Acknowledgements:

Baseball Reference
Baseball Almanac
Google News Archives