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- #1. The Pittsburgh Pirates Overcame A 3 - 1 Deficit To Win The Series
- #2. Sam Rice's Catch In Game 3 Became Legendary
- #3. This Would Be Walter Johnson's Last World Series
- #4. Bucky Harris Would Take A Lot Of Criticism For How He Used Walter Johnson In Game 7
- #5. Game 7 Was Played In Some Of The Worst Conditions In World Series History
- #6. 1925 Was A Standout Year For Pirates Manager Bill McKechnie
- #7. Roger Peckinpaugh Had A Record Eight Errors In Game 7
#1. The Pittsburgh Pirates Overcame A 3 - 1 Deficit To Win The Series
The 1925 World Series would be the first time in World Series history that a team would come back from a 3 - 1 deficit to win the championship.
This was the second appearance (1924) for the Washington Senators and the third appearance (1903, 1909) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates would win their 2nd World Series in club history.
The team had not played in the post-season since the days of Honus Wagner.
#2. Sam Rice's Catch In Game 3 Became Legendary
The Senators' Sam Rice ran after an Earl Smith line drive hit into right-center field. Rice made a diving "catch" into the temporary stands but did not emerge with the ball for approximately 15 seconds.
The Pirates contested the play, saying a fan probably stuffed the ball into Rice's glove. The call stood, and Rice parried questions about the incident for the rest of his life-never explicitly saying whether he had or had not really made the catch.
His typical answer (including to Commissioner Landis, who said it was a good answer) was always, "The umpire said I caught it."
Rice left a sealed letter at the Hall of Fame to be opened after his death. In it, he had written:
At no time did I lose possession of the ball.
#3. This Would Be Walter Johnson's Last World Series
Walter Johnson had been an American League legend for many years, and although he struggled in the 1924 World Series, he was solid in 1925.
In his first two starts, Johnson allowed 1 run and would give the Senators a 3 - 1 lead in the series. However, he was unable to close the Pirates out in Game 7.
Johnson would go on to play another two seasons before retiring. He would eventually become manager of the Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians.
#4. Bucky Harris Would Take A Lot Of Criticism For How He Used Walter Johnson In Game 7
Writer Lamont Buchanan wrote, "In 1925, the Senators hopped the Big Train once too often... earning Bucky [Harris] the criticism of many fans and American League head [Ban] Johnson who dispatched an irate wire to the Senators manager."
In his telegram, Ban Johnson accused the manager of failing to relieve Walter Johnson "for sentimental reasons."
Despite the second-guessing, Harris always said, 'If I had it to do over again, I'd still pitch Johnson.'"
Harris remained loyal, but it was clear the Pirates were getting to Johnson compared to his last two outings, and to not relieve him when the Senators took the lead was a terrible mistake.
#5. Game 7 Was Played In Some Of The Worst Conditions In World Series History
The series had dealt with bad weather and had been delayed multiple times. However, the games had to be played, and with the weather not clearing up, the teams took the field.
Game 7 was played in what soon became a steady downpour, described as "probably the worst conditions ever for a World Series game."
Senators outfielder Goose Goslin reported that the fog prevented him from clearly seeing the infield during the last three innings of the game and claimed that the Series-winning hit was actually a foul ball.
#6. 1925 Was A Standout Year For Pirates Manager Bill McKechnie
Bill McKechnie is a name that most have never heard of, but was a successful manager for a short period of time.
He took over the Pirates in the middle of the 1922 season, and by the end of 1923, the team had started to see some success. They would go on to win the pennant in 1925 and then the World Series.
After the 1925 season, McKechnie became a victim of some internal issues and would leave the team. He would become the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and lead them to a World Series.
He would find himself managing the Boston Braves later in his career but would not see much success.
#7. Roger Peckinpaugh Had A Record Eight Errors In Game 7
Roger Peckinpaugh was named the American League's most valuable player but had a terrible game in the most important game of the season.
As stated previously, Game 7 had terrible weather, and many of the players complained of the visibility.
The player who it seemed to affect the most was Roger Peckinpaugh, who would commit a major league record, eight errors.
Peckinpaugh did not have a good series overall. He had a key error in Game 3 that allowed the Pirates to tie the game and eventually win. If the Pirates would have lost Game 3, then they would have swept the series.