The Field Of Dreams Project

[Nick Soulis]

Series #249



Modern Power Survives Deadball Resolve
2003 Pirates Just Get By Deadball Cardinals



Series #249 — Game 1
Venue: PNC Park — Pittsburgh, PA
1908 St. Louis Cardinals 2
2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Winning Pitcher: Bugs Raymond (1–0) — 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K
Losing Pitcher: Brian Meadows (0–1) — 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER
Save: Ed Karger (1)
Home Runs: St. Louis — Red Murray (1) Pittsburgh — None
Player of the Game: Bugs Raymond — 6 shutout innings, set the tone for the Cardinals’ Game 1 victory.
1908 St. Louis leads 1–0

The Cardinals of 1908 arrived at PNC Park as an enigma from another century, but by the end of the night they were simply the better team. Behind six masterful shutout innings from Bugs Raymond, St. Louis blanked the 2003 Pirates 2–0 to seize a 1–0 lead in Series 249.
Game 1 unfolded as a slow-burn duel, the kind of tense, low-scoring affair that suits a Deadball club perfectly. The first breakthrough came in the fourth inning when Red Murray jumped on a Brian Meadows pitch and sent it soaring into the right-field seats, a rare show of power from an era not known for it. Two innings later, Ed Konetchy delivered the decisive blow — a two-out RBI double that pushed the Cardinals ahead 2–0 and silenced the Pittsburgh crowd.
From there, the St. Louis pitching staff smothered every flicker of a Pirates rally. Raymond’s dancing, unpredictable offerings forced impatient swings and soft contact, while relievers Sandy McGlynn and Ed Karger stitched together the final nine outs with calm precision. Pittsburgh mustered only two hits, both from Kenny Lofton, and never advanced a runner past second base. In a park built for modern power, the Cardinals won with grit, guile, and an old-era understanding of pressure. The Pirates now look to regroup before Game 2, while St. Louis carries early momentum — and the comfort of knowing their style, at least for one night, translated across a century.

Series #249 — Game 2
Venue: PNC Park — Pittsburgh, PA
2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 9
1908 St. Louis Cardinals 1
Winning Pitcher: Jeff Suppan (1–0) — 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Losing Pitcher: Johnny Lush (0–1) — 2.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R (4 ER)
Save: None
Home Runs: St. Louis — None Pittsburgh — None
Player of the Game: Kenny Lofton — 4-for-5, triple, double, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB
Series: Tied 1–1

Game 2 unfolded like a thunderclap over the Allegheny, a complete reversal of the tense, minimalist duel that defined the opener. The 2003 Pittsburgh Pirates erupted early and never eased off, overpowering the 1908 St. Louis Cardinals 9–1 at PNC Park to level Series 249 at one game apiece. Pittsburgh seized control from the very first inning. After Kenny Lofton singled and stole second, Jason Kendall ripped a two-run double to ignite the crowd and tilt the field. Moments later, Morgan Stairs added another RBI, giving the Pirates a 3–0 lead before St. Louis had even settled into the night. The barrage continued in the second when Lofton tripled to right-center, then came home as part of another surge that pushed the lead to 5–0 and sent starter Johnny Lush to an early exit. From that point forward, the Pirates swung freely and ran confidently, fully embracing the power and pace of the modern game. The defining moment came in the sixth inning — a four-run eruption fueled by Lofton’s second extra-base hit, Randall Sanders’ RBI double, and opportunistic hitting up and down the lineup. By the time the dust settled, Lofton had assembled a masterpiece: 4-for-5 with a triple, a double, 3 runs scored, 2 driven in, and a stolen base. It was a performance that energized the ballpark and drowned out any lingering frustrations from Game 1. On the mound, Jeff Suppan gave the Pirates precisely what they needed: six efficient innings, six strikeouts, and just one run allowed. The bullpen — Sauerbeck and Lincoln — sealed the final three frames without incident. For the Cardinals, Red Murray drove in the lone run, but the Deadball style that thrived in the opener never took root. Falling behind early stripped St. Louis of its preferred tactics, and the Pirates dictated every inning from that point forward.

Series #249 — Game 3
Venue: Robison Field — St. Louis, MO
1908 St. Louis Cardinals 6,
2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 4
Winning Pitcher: Art Fromme (1–0) — 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Losing Pitcher: Kip Wells (0–1) — 2.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Save: Sandy McGlynn (1)
Home Runs: Pittsburgh — Brian Giles (1, 8th inning) St. Louis — Billy Byrne (1), Red Murray (2), Jack Bliss (1)
Player of the Game: Ed Konetchy — 3-for-4, double, 2 runs, RBI, central catalyst in Cardinals offense
1908 St. Louis leads 2–1

Game 3 at Robison Field felt like baseball slipping back into the century that shaped the 1908 Cardinals. The wooden stands, the tight alleys, the muted outfield gaps — all of it seemed to welcome St. Louis home. And once the game settled into its rhythm, the Cardinals played as though the ballpark itself had joined the lineup.
The Pirates struck first, scoring two early runs and attempting to bring the swagger of Game 2 into enemy territory. But the Cardinals answered immediately in the bottom half, matching Pittsburgh’s burst and calming the crowd’s nerves. The tone shifted from anxious to confident, and St. Louis never relinquished that momentum again.
In the second inning, Billy Byrne sent a deep drive into the left-field seats, a crisp solo shot that gave the Cardinals their first lead. It was a swing that seemed to wake the old stadium, and by the time the third inning arrived, Robison Field felt like it was leaning forward with anticipation. Red Murray opened the frame with a home run that brought the Cardinals dugout to life. Ed Konetchy followed with a sharp double, continuing a three-hit performance that defined his night. Moments later, Jack Bliss delivered the blow that shaped the rest of the game — a towering two-run home run that lifted the score to 6–2 and sent the St. Louis crowd into full celebratory roar. From there, Art Fromme took the game into his hands. He worked seven innings, not without turbulence, but always with enough resilience to keep the Pirates from clawing all the way back. His only significant stumble came in the eighth, when Brian Giles homered to tighten the margin, but Higginbotham and McGlynn steadied the final innings with quiet, efficient relief work. By the time the final out landed in a glove, St. Louis had collected thirteen hits and reclaimed control of the series with the deliberate confidence of a team playing exactly the style of baseball it was built for. The Cardinals now lead Series 249 by a 2–1 margin, and with Game 4 still at Robison Field, the balance of the matchup has shifted squarely into their era’s hands.

Series #249 — Game 4
Robison Field — St. Louis, MO
2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 5,
1908 St. Louis Cardinals 4
Winning Pitcher: Kris Benson (1–0) — 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Losing Pitcher: Fred Beebe (0–1) — 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
Save: Julián Tavárez (1)
Home Runs: Pittsburgh — Morgan Stairs (1), Reggie Sanders (1), Brian Giles (1)
Player of the Game: Kris Benson — 7 strong innings, set the tone for Pittsburgh’s road win
Series: Tied 2–2

Game 4 at Robison Field carried the feel of a long, coiled wire — quiet tension, steady pressure, and then a sudden spark that changed everything. The 2003 Pirates edged the 1908 Cardinals 5–4, evening Series 249 at two games apiece and stealing back a measure of control on the road. St. Louis struck first, using their familiar early-inning craft to scratch across a run in the opening frame. But while the Cardinals tried to shape the game into their preferred tight, small-ball design, Pittsburgh’s starter Kris Benson slowly unraveled that script. Across seven innings he worked with calm persistence, scattering five hits and allowing only a single earned run. His steady hand kept the Cardinals from ever settling into the rhythm they found in Game 3. The turning points came in increments, not outbursts — at least at first. In the fifth inning, Morgan Stairs jolted a solo home run into left, tying the game and signaling that Pittsburgh’s bats were beginning to adjust to the ballpark’s stubborn geometry. An inning later, Kenny Lofton worked a bases-loaded walk, giving Pittsburgh a 2–1 lead with the kind of disciplined at-bat that can break a pitcher’s backbone more effectively than a double in the gap. The game held that shape until the eighth, when the Pirates delivered the decisive blow. Randall Simon doubled to start the inning, a clean strike that forced the Cardinals to tighten their defense. Then Reggie Sanders, patient all night, jumped on a Higginbotham pitch and crushed it over the left-field boards. And as if Pittsburgh wished to remind everyone they were a modern team playing in an old park, Brian Giles followed with a deep home run of his own. Two swings, back to back, and suddenly Pittsburgh led 5–1. St. Louis refused to fold. In the bottom half of the eighth, substitute W. Murdoch ripped a two-run double that reignited the crowd and brought the Cardinals back within one. For a moment, Robison Field felt alive in that old, unruly way — the kind of energy that can tilt a game into chaos.
But Pittsburgh’s closer, Julián Tavárez, with his odd rhythms and awkward angles, found a way to stagger through the ninth without surrendering the lead. The Cardinals left the tying run on base, and the wooden grandstands, for all their historic stubbornness, fell silent.
The series now leaves Game 4 exactly as it entered — precariously balanced, impossible to predict. St. Louis has proved their era can still command moments; Pittsburgh has proved the modern game can break through anywhere. With the series tied 2–2 and one more game in this old park before returning to Pittsburgh, the tension is rising, inning by inning.

Series #249 — Game 5
Robison Field — St. Louis, MO
2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 1,
1908 St. Louis Cardinals 0
Winning Pitcher: Brian Meadows (1–1) — 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Losing Pitcher: Bugs Raymond (1–1) — 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Save: Julián Tavárez (2)
Home Runs: Pittsburgh — Reggie Sanders (2, solo HR in 2nd inning)
Player of the Game: Brian Meadows — eight shutout innings in a pivotal road start.
2003 Pittsburgh Pirates lead 3–2

Game 5 at Robison Field felt like baseball stripped down to its barest, most unforgiving form — one mistake, one swing, one breath separating triumph from regret. In a game played entirely in the narrow margins, the 2003 Pirates outlasted the 1908 Cardinals 1–0, seizing the pivotal contest of Series 249 and pushing St. Louis to the brink. The night belonged to the pitchers, and they authored two entirely different masterpieces. Bugs Raymond was dazzling, spinning eight innings of three-hit, ten-strikeout brilliance. His spitball bent like something alive, forcing awkward swings and frozen stares from a modern lineup that had battered Cardinals pitching the previous two games. Raymond struck out the side in the third, danced around trouble in the fifth, and seemed to grow sharper as the innings grew heavier. It was the kind of performance that would be talked about for decades — if not for the one pitch that changed everything. Leading off the second inning, Reggie Sanders turned on a Raymond delivery and punched it over the wooden fence in left field. It was surprising not because Sanders was incapable of such a blow, but because Robison Field is notoriously stingy with home runs. The ball carried just far enough, just high enough, and just true enough to fall into a pocket of silence before the Pirates dugout erupted. That single swing — a rare flash of modern power in a Deadball space — became the game’s only run. On the other side, Brian Meadows pitched with quiet authority. He didn’t strike out many, didn’t overpower anyone, didn’t even allow a walk — but he kept St. Louis from ever finding the rhythm that usually carries their offense. Every time the Cardinals nudged their way into a small opening — O’Rourke’s double in the seventh, Murray’s hard contact in the eighth — Meadows calmly closed the door. His eight shutout innings were a clinic in restraint, timing, and trust in defense.
The Cardinals pushed one last surge in the ninth, the crowd humming with hope, but Julián Tavárez snuffed out the rally with sharp, jittering precision. Three batters later, the Pirates walked off Robison Field with a win stolen from the bones of a game the Cardinals felt they had controlled. A masterpiece for Raymond that ended in defeat; a quiet triumph for Meadows that may define the series.

Series #249 — Game 6
PNC Park — Pittsburgh, PA
1908 St. Louis Cardinals 4,
2003 Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Winning Pitcher: Johnny Lush (1–1) — 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Losing Pitcher: Jeff Suppan (1–1) — 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Save: Ira Higginbotham (2)
Home Runs:
• Pittsburgh — None
• St. Louis — None
Player of the Game: Johnny Lush — seven innings of two-hit, one-run pitching in an elimination game
Series Tied 3–3

Game 6 in Pittsburgh unfolded with a quiet kind of intensity — not the explosive, momentum-swinging chaos you sometimes see in elimination games, but the steady tightening of a rope. And when it was finished, the 1908 Cardinals had pulled that rope taut enough to drag the series back to even ground. The Cardinals didn’t overpower the Pirates. They didn’t overwhelm them. They simply outlasted them — pitch by pitch, at-bat by at-bat, trusting the parts of their game that were built long before PNC Park ever existed. Johnny Lush set the tone from his very first inning. His outings can tilt dramatically in either direction, but tonight he found that thin seam between aggression and restraint. The Pirates couldn’t pick up his rhythm — soft fly balls, late swings, and uncertain takes filled the early frames. Before long, it became clear that Pittsburgh wasn’t just struggling to score; they were struggling to see Lush at all. Through seven innings he allowed only two hits, and when the lone Pirates run finally crossed, it came more as an interruption than a threat.
St. Louis didn’t give him much run support at first, but their chances came with a sense of inevitability rather than surprise. Jack Bliss broke open the scoring in the fourth with an RBI double into the right-center gap, the kind of swing that fits the Deadball identity — not majestic, but perfectly timed. An inning later, Ed Konetchy added a two-out RBI, part of his four-hit night that kept the Cardinals’ offense from sagging under the weight of so many missed opportunities.
The Pirates briefly stirred in the seventh when Reggie Sanders lined a run-scoring single, but that was as close as they came to shifting the game’s momentum. St. Louis answered in the ninth with two more Konetchy-driven insurance runs, and those final blows did more than pad the score: they reasserted control at exactly the moment Pittsburgh hoped adrenaline might carry them back into the fight.
Ira Higginbotham stepped in to secure the last six outs, pitching without panic, without spectacle — just enough to protect everything Lush had built. And just like that, a series that once leaned toward the Pirates now stands perfectly level again. Three wins apiece. A modern lineup staring down a team from 1908 that refuses to be outpaced, out-toughed, or out-thought.

SERIES #249
GAME 7
PNC Park (Pittsburgh)
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 48°, wind out to center at 8 mph
St. Louis 1908 Cardinals — 2 R
Pittsburgh 2003 Pirates — 6
WIN: Mike Lincoln (1–0)
LOSS: Art Fromme (0–1)
SAVE: Julián Tavárez (3)
HOME RUNS: STL — Konetchy (1), Murray (3) PIT — Stairs (2)
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Matt Stairs — 3-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R


Everything a decisive Game 7 should be—tight early, tense throughout, and ultimately claimed by the team that found its swing at the right moment—played out under the cool Pittsburgh night as the 2003 Pirates defeated the 1908 Cardinals, 6–2, to advance in Series #249.
For five innings, the game felt like a chess match of missed chances and quiet escapes. Art Fromme and Kip Wells matched each other with scoreless frames, neither dominant but both resourceful. St. Louis showed flickers of life—Rube Murray doubled, Ed Konetchy worked long counts, Jack Bliss stung a ball to the gap—but the Pirates’ defense and Wells’ bend-but-don’t-break rhythm held the line. Pittsburgh’s early traffic fared no better; ground balls died in the infield, and Fromme’s mix of fastball and soft spin kept hitters guessing.
Everything shifted in the sixth. One swing—Matt Stairs turning on a Fromme offering and towering it into the right-field seats—finally broke the deadlock. The blast energized PNC Park, and before the Cardinals could steady themselves, Pittsburgh added a second run on a Kendall double, giving the home crowd the surge it had been waiting for.
The seventh inning became the true turning point. St. Louis went to the bullpen, but the Pirates pounced. Tike Redman lashed a run-scoring double, Stairs followed with another extra-base hit, and Reggie Sanders punched in a run with two outs. By the time the frame ended, Pittsburgh led 6–1 and the stadium felt the finish line approaching.
St. Louis fought back with the heart that defined their run. Konetchy launched a solo homer in the seventh, Murray added another in the ninth, and the Cardinals continued to bring the tying run to the on-deck circle. But the Pittsburgh bullpen—Lincoln, D’Amico, Sauerbeck, and finally Tavárez—held firm. Tavárez induced a simple final out, and the Pirates completed their climb from a 3–3 series tie to a Game 7 triumph.
As the players spilled onto the field, it was clear that this was no fluke: Pittsburgh survived a century-old, relentlessly stubborn Cardinals lineup, weathered the lows and highs of a seesaw series, and delivered the biggest swings when the pressure tightened. Series #249 ends with the Pirates marching on—and St. Louis returning to 1908 knowing they had pushed this modern club to its absolute limit.

2003 Pittsburgh Pirates Win Series 4 Games To 3

Series MVP:

.458, 4 RBI, 3 2B, 3 R, .536 OBP, 1.119 OPS)

[Nick Soulis]

SERIES #250



1952 Boston Red Sox
Record: 76-78
Finish: 6th in AL
Manager: Lou Boudreau
Ball Park: Fenway Park
WAR Leader: Billy Goodman (3.8)
Franchise Record: 9-8
1952 Season Record: 0-1
Hall of Famers: (4)
https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1952.shtml

1946 Washington Senators
Record: 76-78
Finish: 4th in AL
Manager: Ossie Bluege
Ball Park: Griffith Stadium
WAR Leader: Mickey Vernon (5.7)
Franchise Record: 4-14
1946 Season Record: 4-1
Hall of Famers: (2)
https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSH/1946.shtml
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HEAVENS DUGOUT — SERIES 250 PRE-SERIES SPECIAL



Panel: Bob Costas (host), Nolan Ryan, Dusty Baker, Grantland Rice
Matchup: 1946 Washington Senators vs. 1952 Boston Red Sox
Venue: Dyersville, Iowa

OPENING SEGMENT — “A Quarter-Thousand Series Later”



BOB COSTAS:
Welcome to a landmark moment. A quarter-thousand Field of Dreams series. Two hundred and fifty matchups played across decades, styles, temperaments, eras, and legends. Tonight, we begin another series—perhaps not between the most famous teams, perhaps not featuring the most decorated stars—but one that feels perfectly chosen for this milestone.

The 1946 Washington Senators—a club forged in the first quiet summer after World War II.
The 1952 Boston Red Sox—a team navigating life without Ted Williams, still proud, still dangerous, still stitched together with that Fenway stubbornness.

And with me for this milestone broadcast: Nolan Ryan, Dusty Baker, and the ever-eloquent Grantland Rice.

Nolan, start us off. What does Series 250 mean from your vantage point?

NOLAN RYAN:
Bob, reaching 250 series tells you this place has endurance. Ball doesn’t lie out here. Doesn’t matter what year you’re from—when you walk out of that corn and take the mound, the hitters don’t care what’s on your baseball card. I like this matchup because neither team comes in crowned. Both have something to prove. And for pitchers, this field asks real questions.

DUSTY BAKER:
Yeah, Nolan, I hear you. Baseball’s about rhythm, man. And when you get to a number like 250, that rhythm’s deeper. These two clubs—Washington and Boston—they come from years when the game was steady, not flashy. Hardball, straight-ahead ball. You see teams like this, and you feel the heartbeat of how baseball used to be.

GRANTLAND RICE:
In the slow dusk over Iowa, where time folds gently against itself, two teams come not as relics but as reminders. Washington brings the echo of a nation finding peace; Boston carries the tension of expectation unmet yet unbroken. This field is their equalizer. And as the shadows lengthen, both will discover that myth respects only those who earn it pitch by pitch.

COSTAS:
Poetry at the top of the show. Perfect.

SEGMENT TWO — “The 1946 Senators: Order, Restraint, and Return”

COSTAS:
Let’s begin with the ’46 Senators. Ossie Bluege. A quiet architect of stability. A team full of returning servicemen and players who understood what it meant simply to play baseball again.

Dusty—what strikes you about this club?

BAKER:
This team reminds me of every clubhouse that doesn’t have a superstar but has five or six guys who know how to win Tuesday nights. They don’t overpower you. They don’t scare you walking off the bus. But they execute, man. They bunt. They move runners. They play for one run, and then another. That makes them a handful in a seven-game series.

RYAN:
And they pitch fearless. You get a team built around execution rather than power, and pitchers start believing they can dictate the pace. Washington’s staff is steady. They won’t throw 100, but they’ll keep the ball down, and on this field, if you keep the ball low, those big innings get harder to come by.

RICE:
Washington arrives as if stepping out of a sepia photograph—quiet, composed, willing to endure. Their virtue is their constancy. And in a game where constancy wins more often than flash, they are more dangerous than memory suggests.

COSTAS:
Exactly right. They are not here as decoration. They are here as contenders.

SEGMENT THREE — “The 1952 Red Sox: Power in Waiting”

COSTAS:
Now, Boston. Lou Boudreau at the helm—one of the most intelligent baseball minds of the century. Williams absent, yet the Red Sox find themselves with structure, with edge, with professional hitters who grind out games.

Nolan—when you look at this lineup, what do you see?

RYAN:
Boston’s tougher than they look. They’ve got hitters who can hurt you even without the long ball. Fenway teaches discipline. They don’t chase. They wait for mistakes. And out here, with no Green Monster and a lot of open outfield, patience pays off big.

BAKER:
And don’t forget—they bring pride. Boston ballplayers always carry that chip. Doesn’t matter the year. They think they’re supposed to win. That attitude travels. You can hear it when they hit the field.

RICE:
Boston moves with the weight of lineage. Their uniforms alone tell stories. But this version—this 1952 incarnation—carries something subtler: the hunger not to repeat the familiar ache of almost. In that hunger lies their fire.

COSTAS:
They arrive with ambition. And ambition on this field often finds its chance.

SEGMENT FOUR — “Key Questions for Series 250”

COSTAS:
Let’s frame what this series may hinge upon.

Dusty—what’s the biggest tactical question?

BAKER:
For me, it’s whether Washington can keep Boston from stringing together innings. You let Boston’s hitters see a pitcher too clearly—they’ll time him. Washington’s gotta mix speeds, mix looks, keep ’em off balance.

RYAN:
Pitching depth. Period. On this field, teams can collapse fast if they’re thin in the middle innings. I want to see who’s got the reliever who comes out of the corn and shuts the door.

RICE:
And composure. Series 250 is a stage—an anniversary. The weight is different. Whichever club steps cleanly into the moment without trembling will control its destiny.

COSTAS:
Perfectly put. Pressure is a quiet participant in this series.

SEGMENT FIVE — “What the Milestone Means”

COSTAS:
Before we close, I want each of you to speak not about tactics but about meaning. Two hundred and fifty series. How should viewers—those who’ve walked with this project—feel tonight?

RYAN:
Proud. This place has seen great baseball. Tough baseball. Honest baseball. Reaching 250 means the game’s heartbeat is still strong out here.

BAKER:
Grateful, man. Baseball’s a people’s game. And every series is a story. You stack up 250 stories, and you’re building something no one else has. That’s special.

RICE:
The number is a beacon. It tells us the dream did not fade with the last light of the first summer. It endured. Like the game. Like the people who return to it, series after series, seeking nothing more and nothing less than truth in nine innings.

COSTAS:
Beautiful. Gentlemen, thank you.

CLOSING

COSTAS:
From the cornfields of Iowa, from this improbable stage, Series 250 is upon us. Washington. Boston. Two teams stepping into a milestone not because they were chosen—but because the field called for them.

First pitch awaits.

[Nick Soulis]

Series #250



“Where the Quiet Men Endure”
A Grantland Rice Reflection on Series 250



In the long annals of this game—where memory stretches out like a dusty road disappearing into horizon light—there come moments when triumph does not roar but whispers, steady and sure. Such was the tale of these six games between the Washington Senators of 1946 and the Boston Red Sox of 1952, a contest less about glory than about endurance, less about crowns than the simple right to journey on.

For two games, Boston held the stage, their bats singing beneath the Fenway sun, their confidence ringing as true as a well-struck line drive. But baseball has never pledged itself to the certainty of beginnings, and from the deep shade of adversity the Senators rose—first in a marathon of fifteen innings where heart outlasted fatigue, then in a string of steady triumphs forged not by thunder, but by patience.

There was Mickey Vernon, whose bat shone like a lantern through long extra frames. There was Stan Spence, lifting a grand slam that turned a once-inclined series upright. There was Johnny Niggeling, knuckling the ball as if coaxing destiny itself. And at last, Dutch Leonard, calm of soul and certain of touch, silencing a Boston crowd that had grown accustomed to its own prevailing.

These Senators did not conquer—they endured. They absorbed the early blows, steadied their resolve, and allowed the slow, even pulse of baseball’s ancient rhythm to guide their hand. When the final out drifted into their grasp, they claimed no laurels, asked for no banners, summoned no great celebration. They merely walked forward, as all pilgrims of this game must do, toward the next test waiting beyond the outfield grass.

For on this field—this strange, eternal field—victory is not a destination but a permission granted by the game itself: the right to remain, to dream, to step once more into the light.

And so Washington advances, quiet and unadorned, bearing with them the truth Grantland Rice believed with all his heart—
that baseball, like life, is seldom won by the mighty,
but instead by those who simply refuse to fade.
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SERIES 250
GAME 1 — Fenway Park
1952 Boston Red Sox 3
1946 Washington Senators 2
Winning Pitcher: Mickey McDermott (1–0)
Losing Pitcher: Roger Wolff (0–1)
Save: Walt Masterson (1)
Home Runs: Clyde Vollmer (BOS) — Solo HR, 1st inning
Mickey Vernon (WSH) — 2-run HR, 1st inning
Player of the Game: Mickey McDermott — 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 K, earned the win in the Series 250 opener.
Series Score: Boston leads 1–0

Game 1 of Series 250 unfolded as a taut, old-fashioned duel at Fenway Park, where the 1952 Red Sox outlasted the 1946 Senators 3–2 behind eight determined innings from Mickey McDermott. Washington struck instantly—Mickey Vernon’s towering two-run homer in the first gave the Senators a 2–1 lead after Clyde Vollmer had opened Boston’s scoring with a solo shot of his own—but that early burst proved to be the extent of their offense. Washington repeatedly put runners on, drawing six walks and collecting seven hits, yet stranded eleven men as McDermott bent without breaking, mixing fastballs and angles to escape every jam. Boston chipped away methodically: Vern Stephens’ steady contact, Sammy White’s spark, and finally Billy Goodman’s RBI single in the sixth, a quiet opposite-field knock that pushed the Red Sox ahead for good. Roger Wolff pitched valiantly across seven innings, allowing only six hits, but Boston’s efficiency and McDermott’s resilience defined the afternoon. Walt Masterson closed the door in the ninth, sealing a one-run victory that gives Boston a 1–0 lead in the milestone series.

SERIES 250
GAME 2 — Fenway Park
1952 Boston Red Sox 2,
1946 Washington Senators 1
Winning Pitcher: Mel Parnell (1–0)
Losing Pitcher: Dutch Leonard (0–1)
Save: None (Parnell CG)
Home Runs:
Dom DiMaggio (BOS) — 2-run HR, 3rd inning
Player of the Game: Mel Parnell — 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 K, complete-game victory.
Series Score: 1952 Boston leads 2–0

Game 2 of Series 250 unfolded as a taut, almost suffocating pitchers’ duel at Fenway Park, where Mel Parnell’s complete-game masterpiece carried the 1952 Red Sox to a 2–1 victory and a commanding 2–0 series lead. Washington never solved the Boston left-hander, who scattered five hits across nine innings and calmly defused every rally the Senators mounted, inducing ground ball after ground ball to keep the game in his hands. The decisive blow came early: in the bottom of the third, Dom DiMaggio turned on a pitch from Dutch Leonard and sent it over the wall for a two-run homer, the only moment all afternoon when offense took the spotlight. Leonard was brilliant in defeat—three hits allowed over eight innings, only one earned run, and complete control of Boston’s lineup—but a lone error behind him and a silent Washington offense proved too much to overcome. Mickey Vernon’s two-out RBI single in the eighth finally put the Senators on the board, but Parnell quickly restored order and closed the door in the ninth. Boston’s precision, patience, and pitching defined the day, and as the series shifts to Griffith Stadium, Washington finds itself searching not for answers, but for oxygen.

SERIES 250
GAME 3 — Griffith Stadium
1946 Washington Senators 5
1952 Boston Red Sox 4 (15 innings)
Winning Pitcher: Walt Masterson (1–0)
Losing Pitcher: Randy Gumpert (0–1)
Save: None (walk-off win)
Home Runs:
Dom DiMaggio (BOS) — 2-run HR, 3rd inning
Player of the Game: Mickey Vernon — 6-for-8, 6 singles, catalyst of multiple rallies, sets extra-inning postseason hits record.
1952 Boston leads 2–1

Game 3 of Series 250 became an instant classic at Griffith Stadium, a 15-inning epic that swung on willpower, endurance, and one of the greatest individual offensive performances in Field of Dreams history. The Senators, desperate to avoid a 3–0 series deficit, played with relentless urgency, pounding out 19 hits yet needing every last one to finally subdue the Red Sox 5–4. Boston twice seized control—scoring two in the third and two more in the seventh—but Washington kept answering, tying the game three separate times, including Jerry Priddy’s two-out RBI single in the seventh that reignited a stadium already bracing for heartbreak. From that moment through the fifteenth, both teams lived on a knife’s edge: Boston stranded runners, Washington ran into double plays, and inning after inning slipped away with no breakthrough. Through it all, Mickey Vernon authored a masterpiece, going 6-for-8 and setting multiple extra-inning postseason records, his bat steadying the Senators every time the game threatened to drift toward Boston. The Washington bullpen—Hudson, Scarborough, and Masterson—was airtight across six scoreless frames, giving the offense the space it finally needed. In the bottom of the fifteenth, after nearly five hours of baseball, the Senators pushed across the winning run, sending Griffith Stadium into a roar and dragging themselves back into the series. A marathon, a classic, and a reminder that Washington will not exit Series 250 quietly.

SERIES 250
GAME 4 — Griffith Stadium
1946 Washington Senators 4
1952 Boston Red Sox 3
Winning Pitcher: Johnny Niggeling (1–0)
Losing Pitcher: Walt Masterson (0–1)
Save: None (complete game win)
Home Runs: None
Player of the Game: Johnny Niggeling — 9.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, 121 pitches in a complete-game victory.
Series Score: Tied 2–2

Game 4 at Griffith Stadium unfolded as a tense, beautifully balanced contest that showcased Washington’s growing momentum and Boston’s refusal to yield, with the Senators ultimately prevailing 4–3 to even Series 250 at two games apiece. Johnny Niggeling authored a complete-game triumph built on craft rather than power, scattering five Boston hits over nine innings while leaning on his knuckleball to keep the Red Sox perpetually off balance. Washington chipped away early, scoring single runs in the second and fourth, and looked poised to ride Niggeling’s rhythm into a stress-free finish—until the eighth inning erupted. Boston stormed back with three runs, highlighted by Frank Hatfield’s double and Del Gernert’s sharp RBI single, igniting sudden panic in a stadium that had been quietly confident all afternoon. Yet Washington answered immediately in the bottom half when Jerry Priddy, with two outs and the bases loaded, laced a decisive two-run single that flipped the game—and perhaps the series—back in the Senators’ favor. Niggeling steadied himself with a flawless ninth, sealing a victory defined by resilience, precision, and a team that refuses to let history write its ending without a fight.

SERIES 250
GAME 5 — Griffith Stadium
1946 Washington Senators 5
1952 Boston Red Sox 0
Winning Pitcher: Roger Wolff (1–1)
Losing Pitcher: Mickey McDermott (1–1)
Save: None (complete-game shutout)
Home Runs: Stan Spence (WSH) — Grand Slam, 3rd inning
Player of the Game: Roger Wolff — 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 5 K, 127 pitches.
Series Score: Washington leads 3–2

Game 5 at Griffith Stadium delivered the most authoritative performance yet from a suddenly surging Washington club, as Roger Wolff’s complete-game shutout powered the Senators to a 5–0 victory and a stunning 3–2 series lead after once trailing 0–2. Wolff was masterful from the opening inning, mixing late movement with pinpoint control, scattering five Boston hits and never allowing the Red Sox to string together any momentum. His calm, unhurried approach set the tone for a Senators team that seized the game with one decisive swing: Stan Spence’s towering third-inning grand slam, a two-out jolt that electrified the ballpark and cracked Boston’s composure. Mickey McDermott battled gamely, but Washington’s patience and efficiency—drawing four walks while needing only three hits to produce all five runs—proved too much on an afternoon when Boston’s offense sagged under the weight of frustration. Every Washington defensive turn was crisp, every inning Wolff recorded seemed to tighten the screws further, and by the ninth the Senators were playing with the confidence of a team that suddenly believes in destiny. With the shutout complete and the series flipped on its head, Washington heads back to Fenway needing just one more win to finish a comeback that now feels not only possible, but inevitable.

SERIES 250
GAME 6 — Fenway Park
1946 Washington Senators 2
1952 Boston Red Sox 0
Winning Pitcher: Dutch Leonard (1–1)
Losing Pitcher: Mel Parnell (1–1)
Save: None (complete-game shutout)
Home Runs:None
Player of the Game: Dutch Leonard — 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 K, 127 pitches.
1946 Washington wins series 4 games to 2

Game 6 at Fenway Park carried the tension of a season hanging by a thread, and the 1946 Senators met the moment with precision and poise, shutting out the Red Sox 2–0 to take the series and advance in the Field of Dreams bracket. Dutch Leonard delivered a masterclass in quiet dominance, scattering four hits over nine innings while never allowing Boston’s lineup to breathe. His knuckleball floated with just enough late life to frustrate hitters, and whenever the Red Sox mounted even a hint of a threat, Leonard responded with soft contact or a well-spotted pitch to end the inning. Washington built its lead through disciplined, incremental offense—Jerry Priddy’s extra-base work set the early tone, Gene Torres punched home a critical two-out RBI in the second, and Leonard helped his own cause with a sacrifice fly in the seventh to make it 2–0. Boston pressed throughout but never found the swing that could crack Leonard’s rhythm, stranding runners and watching their season slowly narrow to a final out. When the last fly ball settled into a Washington glove, the Senators did not celebrate a championship—they simply earned the right to keep going, moving one step deeper into the vast, endless road of the Field of Dreams.

1946 Washington Senators Win Series 4 Games to 2

Series MVP:

(.448, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1.053 OPS, 5 R, 1 2B)

[Nick Soulis]

Tournament Progress Report 250 Series Played

Every 10 series I will give a progress report on the competition including stats.

Leaders (single series)
Hits.............................................. ....Barney McCosky (1939 Tigers) - 16
HR................................................ ....Aaron Judge (2022 Yankees) - 6
RBI............................................... ....Babe Ruth (1920 Yankees) - 20
Strikeouts........................................ .Ed Walsh (1911 White Sox) - 25
Longest HR......................................Andy Carey (1958 Yankees) - 554 FT
Hardest Hit Ball................................Andy Carey (1958 Yankees) - 118.8
Best Game Performance Score.......Babe Ruth (1920 Yankees) - 138


Managerial Leaders
Most Wins...........Clint Hurdle - 27
Winning %...........Seven tied - 100%

Championship Clubs Eliminated
1. 1920 Cleveland Indians - Lost to 2013 Yankees
2. 2008 Philadelphia Phillies - Lost to 1940 Yankees
3. 1940 Cincinnati Reds - Lost to 2004 Pirates
4. 2006 St. Louis Cardinals - Lost to 1944 Braves
5. 1990 Cincinnati Reds - Lost to 1947 Indians
6. 2003 Florida Marlins - Lost to 1934 Senators

Incredible Comebacks (Teams down 0-3 to come back and win series)
1976 Baltimore Orioles over 2012 Miami Marlins

Franchise Records
Arizona Dbacks....................4-2
Atlanta/Mil Braves................11-2
Baltimore Orioles..................6-8
Boston Braves/Beans...........4-12
Boston Red Sox...................9-9
Brooklyn/LA Dodgers...........10-9
Chicago Cubs......................11-8
Chicago White Sox..............12-7
Cincinnati Reds....................15-10
Cleveland Indians/Naps.......14-12
Colorado Rockies................3-4
Detroit Tigers.......................16-11
Florida/Miami Marlins......... 3-5
Houston Astros....................2-5
KC Royals...........................6-7
Los Angeles Angels.............6-4
Milwaukee Brewers.............6-10
Minnesota Twins..................6-4
Montreal Expos...................3-4
New York Mets....................2-5
New York Yankees...............17-4
New York/SF Giants.............9-11
Philadelphia Phillies.............7-20
Philadelphia/Oak A's............8-18
Pittsburgh Pirates.................16-12
San Diego Padres................5-3
Seattle Mariners...................4-5
St. Louis Browns..................2-3
St. Louis Cardinals...............12-9
Tampa Bay Rays..................3-2
Texas Rangers.....................5-3
Toronto Blue Jays.................4-1
Washington Nationals..........1-4
Washington Senators...........5-14


Best/Worst Winning Percentage by Franchise:
New York Yankees - 17-4(.80)
Washington Nationals - 1-4 (.200)

Records By Decade
1900's.............................8-7
1910's.............................13-14
1920's.............................14-15
1930's.............................15-18
1940's.............................20-20
1950's.............................13-17
1960's.............................16-17
1970's.............................24-23
1980's.............................19-24
1990's.............................29-24
2000's.............................38-26
2010's.............................28-27
2020's.............................7-10

Best Season - 2004 - 10-0

Accomplishments Single Game
No Hitter - Vida Blue (1974 Athletics)
6-6 Jacoby Elsbury (2010 Red Sox)
10 RBI - Babe Ruth (1920 Yankees)
3 HR - Willie Mays (1961 Giants)
3 HR - Bernie Williams (2000 Yankees)
No Hitter - Sonny Gray (2019 Reds)