1919 World Champion Boston Red Sox with Babe Ruth

The standard of Base Ball in the world series of 1918 between the Boston American League and Chicago National League clubs was excellent. In some essentials it was more than excellent, as it was a standard superior to that which had been accepted as excellent in the past. The batting was less powerful. The pitching was uniformly more effective. The fielding was well nigh perfect. There were but six errors recorded against the competing clubs in. six games, and of these six only one was charged against Boston.

Attendance, enthusiasm and, last of all, receipts, were less at this world series than at some of its predecessors and more than at others. The enthusiasm, however, was not so much less by comparison as was unwarrantedly asserted. Sane and sober judgment, borne out by facts, give argument for the belief that Base Ball in general did far better under prevailing conditions than there had been any reason to expect. Approximately 57,000 fewer spectators saw the games of 1918 than the total number who were spectators in 1917. That is less than 10,000 to a game.

GROUP OF BOSTON RED SOX—WORLD CHAMPIONS. 1. Harry H. Hooper. 2. Leslie J. Bush. 3. Fred Thomas. 4. David W. Shean. 5. George H. Ruth. 6. Samuel L. Agnew. 7. Amos Strunk. Colon Photos.

In view of the fact that the world series is decisive of Base Ball only as a series and not as the contest of a season, and that it is and always has been in general public attention more spectacular than any other incident of Base Ball, a shrinkage in attendance as indicated by the total of 1917 and that of 1918 cannot be considered conclusive of any particular hostility to Base Ball, or as manifesting any serious lack of interest when we remember that all the country was actively engaged in prosecuting a war for freedom, its young men enlisted by the thousands from California to Maine and across an ocean, where the thoughts of millions were following them for their safety and their success. If the attendance at the games of the 1918 world series had been less than thirty-three per cent of that of 1917, reasoning might lead to another conclusion.

Spalding's official base ball guide 1919. Published by American sports publ. Co, 1919, Original from Harvard University. Digitized Jul 16, 2008.

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