Manager Wilbert Robinson’s Dodgers — they were known as the Robins at the time — had standout hitters in Zack Wheat and Jake Daubert, plus a
formidable pitching staff led by Jeff Pfeffer (a 25-game winner), Larry Cheney and Sherry Smith, a threesome backed by retreads Rube Marquard and Jack Coombs of New York Giants and Philadelphia Athletics fame, respectively.
Robinson thought Brooklyn could get the upper hand in the Series by starting lefthanders in Games 1 and 2, so he nominated Marquard and Smith to pitch the opening games at Braves Field, which the Red Sox again chose as their postseason home field over Fenway Park. Marquard and Shore were locked in a 2-1 battle through six innings — Boston was in front — before both clubs went on scoring flurries. The Red Sox jolted Marquard for three runs in the seventh and scored once more in the eighth off Pfeffer, while the Dodgers struck for four runs in the ninth. Shore held on for a 6-5 victory with large assists from Mays and shortstop Everett Scott. Mays came on to get the last out, which was recorded when Scott made a great stop on Daubert’s bases-loaded grounder.
Smith and Ruth hooked up in a double masterpiece in Game 2. After Brooklyn’s Hy Myers hit an inside-the-park home run off Ruth in the first inning and Ruth delivered a run-scoring groundout for Boston in the third, the teams traded zeros. More zeros. And even more zeros. Through 13 innings, Smith and Ruth had allowed only one run and six hits. In the 14th, Ruth kept it going by retiring Brooklyn in order. Boston’s Dick Hoblitzell then led off the bottom of the inning by drawing his fourth walk of the game. After Lewis sacrificed Hoblitzell to second, Red Sox Manager Bill Carrigan inserted Mike McNally as a pinch-runner. Pinch-hitter Del Gainor followed with a single off Smith, giving Boston a 2-1 victory.
Having been foiled in his efforts to win with lefthanders, Brooklyn’s Robinson turned to righthander Coombs for Game 3, the first Series game ever at Ebbets Field. And Coombs, with standout relief from Pfeffer (who retired the eight batters faced), came out a 4-3 winner. But Boston came back for a 6-2 victory the next day as Leonard pitched a five-hitter and Gardner rapped a three-run homer — his second homer in two days.
Shore wrapped up things in Game 5, stopping Brooklyn on three hits and winning, 4-1.
One thing Brooklyn fans did have to cheer about was the play of a 27-year-old outfielder, a man who later would cause the borough considerable grief in his role as an opposing World Series manager. The player’s name? Casey Stengel. As 0l’ Case, he managed the New York Yankees to four Series conquests of the Brooklyn Dodgers. As young Case, he batted a Series-leading .364 for Brooklyn in 1916.
This article was originally published on TSN
Game Recaps from Retrosheet
1916 World Series Stories
The 1916 Post-Season Games
World Series: Boston Red Sox (4) defeated Brooklyn Robins (1)
World Series Game 1 Played on Saturday, October 7, 1916 (D) at Braves Field
BRO N 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 - 5 10 4 BOS A 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 1 x - 6 8 1
BOX+PBP WP: Shore (1-0) LP: Marquard (0-1) SV: Mays (1)
World Series Game 2 Played on Monday, October 9, 1916 (D) at Braves Field
BRO N 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 6 2 BOS A 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 2 7 1
BOX+PBP WP: Ruth (1-0) LP: Smith (0-1) HR: Myers (1)
World Series Game 3 Played on Tuesday, October 10, 1916 (D) at Ebbets Field
BOS A 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 - 3 7 1 BRO N 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 x - 4 10 0
BOX+PBP WP: Coombs (1-0) LP: Mays (0-1) SV: Pfeffer (1) HR: Gardner (1)
World Series Game 4 Played on Wednesday, October 11, 1916 (D) at Ebbets Field
BOS A 0 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 - 6 10 1 BRO N 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 5 4
BOX+PBP WP: Leonard (1-0) LP: Marquard (0-2) HR: Gardner (2)
World Series Game 5 Played on Thursday, October 12, 1916 (D) at Braves Field
BRO N 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 3 3 BOS A 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 x - 4 7 2
BOX+PBP WP: Shore (2-0) LP: Pfeffer (0-1)
