1903 Philadelphia Phillies season

Major League Baseball season March 2026 November 2013 Philadelphia Phillies 1903 National League National League Park Philadelphia James Potter Chief Zimmer The 1903 Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. The team finished seventh in the National League with a record of 49–86, 39 1 2 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. Offseason James Potter and his syndicate of investors completed their acquisition of the Phillies, the "Philadelphia Base Ball Club", from Colonel John I. Rogers on April 3, 1903. April 4, 1903 Phillies' Organize The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Potter and his partners acquired the Phillies for $117,000. 1903 The Reach Official American League Baseball Guide https://books.google.com/books?id=rDwqAAAAYAAJ&dq=Philadelphia+Phillies+Richmond+1903&pg=RA2-PA74 74 Preseason The Phillies held spring training in 1903 in Richmond, Virginia where the team practiced and played exhibition games at Broad Street Park. It was the lone season the Phillies trained in Richmond. 1903 Philadelphia City Series The Philadelphia Athletics began play in 1901 with the founding of the American League. National League and American League teams did not play each other in 1901 or 1902 as the two leagues warred over markets and customers. The two leagues made peace after 1902 and the Phillies and Athletics scheduled a preseason series for the local championship. The Phillies had last played for the city championship against the Player League’s Philadelphia Athletics in 1890. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted, "For the first time in thirteen years two local teams, representing rival base ball organizations, will come together in a friendly struggle for supremacy of the Quaker City." The Athletics had won the 1902 American League pennant, the Phillies had been newly acquired by John Rogers in February 1903, and interest was high. April 6, 1903 Local Ball Games Will Begin To-Day The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia Inquirer 10 The Phillies and Athletics played five of nine scheduled games; the Phillies defeated the Athletics, 4 games to 1. The series was scheduled to begin on April 4, 1903 at the Phillies’ Philadelphia Ball Park but was called off due to rain. April 5, 1903 Athletics Will Be Good Fellows The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 12 Games scheduled for April 7, 1903 April 8, 1903 Phillies and Athletics To-Day The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 at the Phillies’ park and April 8, 1903 at the Athletics’ Columbia Park were also canceled due to rain and wet grounds, April 9, 1903 Damp Day Diamond Dust The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 along with the final scheduled game of the series on April 14, 1903 at the Phillies’ park. April 14, 1903 National League Lines Up To-Day The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 AL Philadelphia Athletics (1) vs. NL Philadelphia Phillies (4) Philadelphia Phillies – 2, Philadelphia Athletics – 0 (10) April 6, 1903 Columbia Park 1:55 6,543 April 7, 1903 Athletics Lose First Game to Phillies, 2 to 0 The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Philadelphia Athletics – 5, Philadelphia Phillies – 6 (10) April 9, 1903 Philadelphia Ball Park 2:10 6,640 April 10, 1903 Monte Cross Benched; Athletics Lose 6-5 The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 6 Philadelphia Phillies – 6, Philadelphia Athletics – 3 April 10, 1903 Columbia Park 1:40 8,771 April 11, 1903 Phillies Outplay Those Champions The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Philadelphia Athletics – 7, Philadelphia Phillies – 1 April 11, 1903 Philadelphia Ball Park 1:38 13,050 April 12, 1903 Athletics Finally Secure a Victory The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 12 Philadelphia Phillies – 2, Philadelphia Athletics – 1 (10) April 13, 1903 Columbia Park 1:40 5,843 April 14, 1903 Nationals Cinch the Local Series The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Regular season The Phillies played the franchise's first ever official league game on a Sunday on June 7, 1903 at Cincinnati after rain washed out the team's schedule three games with the Reds. The Phillies had heretofore never played an official game on a Sunday due to restrictions in Philadelphia against Sunday sporting events, and social traditions avoiding games on the Christian Sabbath. New Jersey did not have laws prohibiting Sunday sports and the Phillies had played their first ever Sunday game, an exhibition, on Sunday, April 26 against the West New York base ball club in Weehawken, New Jersey. April 27, 1903 Phillies Have a Cinch; Defeat West New York By a Very Lusty Score Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 In front of 8,000 fans at Cincinnati's League Park, the Phillies defeated the Reds 3 to 1 in 10-innings. June 8, 1903 1st Sunday Game Won By Phillies Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 On August 8, 1903, a balcony collapsed at National League Park during a game against Boston. The New York Times reported the following day that four were killed and 125 injured.Grand Stand Falls; 4 Killed, 125 Injured The New York Times New York, New York August 9, 1903 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1903/08/09/102016492.pdf The Phillies temporarily called Columbia Park home while the Phillies' ballpark was repaired.Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball Macht Norman L. Connie Mack, III 2007 University of Nebraska Press 978-0-8032-3263-1 316 https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvAWd-Aq5UMC&dq=Phillies+Athletics+city+series&pg=PA315 May 22, 2009 They played sixteen games at Columbia Park in August and September 1903.Alternate Site Games Since 1901 https://www.retrosheet.org/neutral.htm Retrosheet May 22, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090221055636/http://retrosheet.org/neutral.htm February 21, 2009 live On September 18, 1903, Chick Fraser pitched a no-hitter in the second game of a double header against the Chicago Cubs at West Side Park. Fraser walked five batters, the Phillies committed four errors and won 10 to 0. September 19, 1903 Chick Pitches One of the Greatest Games of the Season for the Phillies Against Colts The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Season standings Philadelphia Phillies Record vs. opponents PHI Notable transactions April 1903: Pop Williams was purchased by the Phillies from the Chicago Orphans.Pop Williams page at Baseball-Reference July 1903: Pop Williams was released by the Phillies. Roster 1903 Philadelphia Phillies Roster Pitchers Fred Burchell Bill Duggleby Chick Fraser Jack McFetridge Warren McLaughlin Fred Mitchell Tully Sparks Libe Washburn Pop Williams Catchers Red Dooin Frank Roth Chief Zimmer Infielders Roy Brashear Klondike Douglass Kid Gleason Bill Hallman Rudy Hulswitt John Walsh Harry Wolverton Outfielders Shad Barry Bill Keister Dutch Rudolph Roy Thomas John Titus Manager Chief Zimmer Postseason 1903 Philadelphia City Series (Fall) The Phillies and Athletics played a postseason series for the local championship in addition to the preseason series played in April. The teams played seven of ten games scheduled; September 30, 1903 Passed Balls The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 games scheduled for October 8, 1903; October 9, 1903; and October 10, 1903 were canceled due to rain. The Athletics won the series, 4 games to 3. All of the series games were played at the Athletics’ Columbia Park with each team alternating as the home team. The Phillies’ Philadelphia Ball Park’s had collapsed on August 8, 1903 leaving four dead, and closing the ballpark for the balance of the season. AL Philadelphia Athletics (4) vs. NL Philadelphia Phillies (3) Philadelphia Phillies – 3, Philadelphia Athletics – 7 September 30, 1903 Columbia Park 1:35 2,008 October 1, 1903 Athletics Bunch Hits in Eighth The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Philadelphia Athletics – 6, Philadelphia Phillies – 0 October 1, 1903 Columbia Park 1:45 2,439 October 2, 1903 Henley Too Deep for the Phillies The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Philadelphia Phillies – 5, Philadelphia Athletics – 1 October 2, 1903 Columbia Park 1:40 1,438 October 3, 1903 Sparks Ties Up Athletics Into Very Hard Knots The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Philadelphia Athletics – 5, Philadelphia Phillies – 0 October 3, 1903 Columbia Park 1:35 3,896 October 4, 1903 The Phillies Are Again Shut Out The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 12 Philadelphia Phillies – 1, Philadelphia Athletics – 6 October 5, 1903 Columbia Park 1:40 October 6, 1903 Phillies at the Mercy of Plank The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Philadelphia Athletics – 2, Philadelphia Phillies – 14 (8) October 6, 1903 Columbia Park 1:50 1,084 October 7, 1903 Mitchell Again Downs Athletics The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Philadelphia Phillies – 13, Philadelphia Athletics – 3 October 7, 1903 Columbia Park 2:00 992 October 8, 1903 Phillies Put The Game Away On Ice The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 After the 1903 season, the Phillies had won 7 and the Athletics had won 5 of the 12 total games played in the city series. Player stats Batting Starters by position Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI C Frank Roth 68 220 60 .273 0 22 1B Klondike Douglass 105 377 96 .255 1 36 2B Kid Gleason 106 412 117 .284 1 49 SS Rudy Hulswitt 138 519 128 .247 1 58 3B Harry Wolverton 123 494 152 .308 0 53 OF Roy Thomas Roy Thomas (outfielder) 130 477 156 .327 1 27 OF Bill Keister 100 400 128 .320 3 63 OF Shad Barry 138 550 152 .276 1 60 Other batters Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI John Titus 72 280 80 .286 2 34 Bill Hallman 63 198 42 .212 0 17 Red Dooin 62 188 41 .218 0 14 Chief Zimmer 37 118 26 .220 1 19 Roy Brashear 20 75 17 .227 0 4 John Walsh John Walsh (baseball) 1 3 0 .000 0 0 Dutch Rudolph 1 1 0 .000 0 0 Pitching Starting pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G IP W L ERA SO Bill Duggleby 36 264.1 13 16 3.75 57 Chick Fraser 31 250.0 12 17 4.50 104 Tully Sparks 28 248.0 11 15 2.72 85 Fred Mitchell 28 227.0 11 16 4.48 69 Jack McFetridge 14 103.0 1 11 4.89 31 Libe Washburn 4 35.0 0 4 4.37 9 Pop Williams 2 18.0 1 1 3.00 8 Other pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G IP W L ERA SO Fred Burchell Fred Burchell (baseball) 6 44.0 0 3 2.86 12 Warren McLaughlin 3 23.0 0 3 7.04 3 Notes 2 References 1903 Philadelphia Phillies season at Baseball Reference Category:Philadelphia Phillies seasons Philadelphia Phillies season Philly Category:1900s in Philadelphia