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- #1. A Rematch Of The 1905 World Series
- #2. Frank Baker Earned His Nickname "Home Run" Baker In The Series
- #3. Christy Mathewson Set A New Record
- #4. There Was A 6 Day Rain Delay
- #5. Giants Made A Great Comeback In Game 5
- #6. The 1911 World Series Set A New Attendance Record
- #7. The A's Pitching Was Dominant
#1. A Rematch Of The 1905 World Series
The 1911 World Series would be a rematch between Connie Mack and John McGraw.
A year after the New York Giants boycotted the 1904 World Series, they returned to play the Philadelpia Athletics in the 1905 World Series.
During the 1905 World Series, Christy Mathewson dominated the Athletics by pitching 27 innings of scoreless baseball. A feat that will probably never be duplicated.
The Giants would cruise through that series but would not return again for the rest of the decade. The Athletics also had a drought but would return and win the 1910 World Series the previous year.
#2. Frank Baker Earned His Nickname "Home Run" Baker In The Series
Frank Baker came to the World Series known as Frank and left with the nickname Home Run Baker due to his performance.
Baker put on a shot, batting 9 for 24 and popping two timely home runs in Games 2 and 3 that propelled the Athletics to victory.
His timely hitting helped edge the Athletics past Christy Mathewson, who had been kryptonite for the Athletics since 1905.
#3. Christy Mathewson Set A New Record
An already decorated career became even more decorated when Mathewson pitched a scoreless inning in the first inning of Game 1. He had pitched 28 consecutive scoreless innings against one team, which would stand for almost a decade.
His streak would be broken the next inning when the Athletics drove in a run, but Mathewson would still pitch well and close out the game, winning his fourth consecutive World Series game.
His consecutive streak would be broken by Babe Ruth later in the decade when he pitched 29 ⅔ innings in the 1918 World Series.
#4. There Was A 6 Day Rain Delay
The longest delay between games occurred between games 3 and 4 when the city of Philadelphia endured 6 harsh days of rain.
The Athletics had just taken a 2 - 1 lead in the series, and perhaps the 6-game delay would cause them to lose momentum, and it would give Mathewson some surprise rest.
It didn't.
Mathewson, the loser of Game 3, would go on to lose Game 4 as well, and the Athletics would take a commanding 3 - 1 lead into Game 5.
#5. Giants Made A Great Comeback In Game 5
It looked as if the Giants were going to fall in 5 games, similar to what they had done to the Athletics years prior.
However, with the lead 3-1 in the 9th, the Giants rallied to tie it up and take the game to extra innings.
In the bottom of the 10th, the New York Giants would bring in the winning run to push a Game 6. It was an exciting game to keep the series going.
#6. The 1911 World Series Set A New Attendance Record
The attendance record prior to 1911 occurred two years prior when, in the 1909 World Series, the games drew 145K fans.
The game continued to grow in popularity, and in 1911, it was apparent with the long lines and full stadiums that the World Series was now mainstream and a great event.
The 1911 World Series drew 179,851, with an average of over 29,000 per game. If it had went 7 games, they would have went over 200,000.
This attendance record would be smashed in the upcoming years, but it was a pivotal moment for the game as the series was growing in popularity.
#7. The A's Pitching Was Dominant
The script was flipped this time around.
The last time these two teams squared off, the A's couldn't score a run. However, this time around, the Giants batted a terrible .175 and were outscored by 14 runs (most runs came in Game 6).
Chief Bender led the way with 2 wins, one of which was over Christy Mathewson, and he would close out the final game as well.