Season
The Phillies won their first eight games and 11 of 12. The 8-0 start remains as the club record.
Took over first place for good on July 13. Clinched pennant on September 29 (Game #147), 5-0, behind Alexander at Braves Field in Boston. Won the pennant by seven games over Boston, the defending World Champions.
Led league on May 1, August 1 and September 1. Best months: April 11-3 and September 21-10. Low point, fourth place on June 28, (30-27). Second half (51-29). Home (49-27). Longest winning streak: 8 games; longest losing streak, 4 games.
Season included 20 postponements and 22 double-headers (8-5-9).
Finished 90-62, second time in franchise history they reached 90 wins. Also played one tie game, 1-1, 9-innings, at New York Giants on June 22.
All games were played in the day. Because of Pennsylvania blue laws, organized sports competition on Sundays was illegal in the state.
Roster
Played the entire season with 23 players (14 position players; nine pitchers), a club record for fewest players. The previous season, 28 players, including 10 pitchers.
Manager Pat Moran brought in eight new players including starters at second base, shortstop and left field. Bobby Byrne, the incumbent second baseman, moved to third base giving the team different players at three infield positions. He made one roster move during the season, acquiring RHP George McQuillan on waivers on August 20.
Average opening day age: 26. Oldest, outfielders George Paskert and Gavvy Cravath, 34. Youngest, pitcher Stan Baumgartner, 20. (Following his career, he was a baseball writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer).
College grads included Eppa Rixey (University of Virginia), Stan Baumgartner (University of Chicago) and Joe Oeschger (St. Mary¡¯s College of California; master¡¯s degree from Stanford University) . . . Plus, a Cherokee Indian (Ben Tincup), one of the era¡¯s rare Jewish players (Erskine Mayer), an off-season cartoonist (Al Demaree) and native of Scotland (George Chalmers).
Nicknames: Clifford (Gavvy) Cravath, George (Possum) Whitney, George (Dode) Paskert, George (Dut) Chalmers, Joe (Bareback) Oeschger, Grover Cleveland (Old Pete) Alexander, Dave (Beauty) Bancroft, Eppa (Eppa Jephtha) Rixey, Milt (Handle Hit) Stock, Bill (Paw Paw or Reindeer) Killefer and Pat (Whiskey Face) Moran.
Hall of Famers: Three were later enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Alexander (1938), Rixey (1963) and Bancroft (1971). Latter two earned their credentials primarily with other teams.
Spring Training
St. Petersburg¡¯s Coffee Pot Park was the site of spring training. Moran drilled the team on fundamentals daily. He was quoted, ¡°This is not a sixth-place team,¡± referencing the Phillies finish the previous season.
League Leaders
Pitching staff led in earned run average (2.17), complete games (98) and shutouts (20). Offensively, their 58 home runs were the most.
Phillies led the league in attendance (449,898) and average (5,290). By comparison, the 1914 Phillies drew a meager 138,474.
Cost of Living
US Population, 100,546,000
Unemployment, 8.5%
Average income, $1,076.00
DOW Average, 99.15
New home (median price), $4,800.00
New Car, $500.00
Gallon gas, 8 cents
First class stamp, 2 cents
Bread, 7 cents
Coffee, pound, 30 cents
Butter, pound, 36 cents
Dozen eggs, 34 cents
Milk, quart, 9 cents