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The last time they played each OTHER in the World Series
Once, in 1916. The Dodgers were the Robins and played in Brooklyn, New York. The Red Sox were the Americans and still play in Boston, Massachusetts.
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The 1916 World Series was NOT played at Fenway Park
Fenway Park, completed on April 20, 1912, was and is still is the home of the Boston Red Sox, but the 1916 World Series was played at the Boston Braves home field to hold more fans. However, the Dodgers and Red Sox will square off 102 years later in Fenway Park. Simply fascinating. The Dodgers played in Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, which was completed in 1913. The Dodgers as you know now play 2,793.5 miles away from Brooklyn in Los Angeles, California, at Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine.
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There was a second Boston-based team in 1916
The Boston Braves. There were eight teams in the Senior Circuit National League. The Braves finished in third place that season 4 games back of the Brooklyn Robins.
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The iconic Vin Scully once called a football game from the rooftop of Fenway Park
Per an article from this author: “In the late 1940s before landing the Dodgers job, he called a college football game from atop Fenway Park in frigid weather, but was too humble and concentrated to call a good game for the fans to complain. He impressed the bosses with his class and professionalism. The rest is history.”
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The legendary Babe Ruth has ties to the Dodgers and the Red Sox
Ruth coached for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Per Insider: “In June 1938, the Dodgers signed Ruth as a coach for the balance of the season. He received $15,000, and team president Larry MacPhail said he signed Ruth for his ‘inspirational value’ to the seventh-place Dodgers . . . As a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938, Ruth did not wear his famous uniform №3. Instead, he wore №35. Infielder Pete Coscarart wore №3 with Brooklyn in 1938. Ruth’s Brooklyn Dodger uniform is currently on display as part of a baseball exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley [40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California].”
Ruth also threw for 14 innings in the 1916 World Series game 2 matchup (a record), while the Brooklyn pitcher Sherry Smith threw for 13.1 innings. The Robins lost the game by a score of 2-1, and eventually lost the series 4 games to 1. This was of course before Ruth became an all-time great power hitter and before he was traded to the Yankees. Between Ruth and Smith, they threw for a combined 27.1 innings in the game, 3.2 fewer innings than the entire Dodgers bullpen during the 2018 National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Five Hall of Fame players appeared in the 1916 World Series: Two for Boston, Harry Hooper and Babe Ruth, and three for Brooklyn, Zach Wheat, Rube Marquard, and Casey Stengel, yes that Casey Stengel.
Bonus: How could anyone forget Dodgers manager Dave Roberts 2004 stolen base and run scored for the Boston Red Sox during the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. Red Sox manager Alex Cora played on the same Dodgers team as Roberts during the 2004 regular season before being traded. The Dodgers played the Red Sox during interleague regular season play in 2004 and took one of three games scoring 14 runs in the victory. Boston went on to win the 2004 World Series Championship, their first in 86 years. Last night, on October 20, 2018, was the 30th anniversary of the Dodgers last World Series Championship.
Baseball history is a beautiful thing. Its history is alive and well in the 2018 iteration of the Fall Classic. It also goes beyond the similarity of the “B’s” represented on both the Boston and formerly Brooklyn ball caps.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
