New Century, New Team: The 1901 Boston Americans (SABR Digital Library)

The team now known as the Boston Red Sox played its first season in 1901. The city of Boston had a well-established National League team, known at the time as the Beaneaters, but the founders of the American League knew that Boston was a strong baseball market and when they launched the league as a new major league in 1901, they went head-to-head with the N.L. in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston. Chicago won the American League pennant and Boston finished second, just four games behind. The Boston Americans played in a new ballpark — the Huntington Avenue Grounds — literally on the other side of the railroad tracks from the Beaneaters and they out-drew the Beaneaters by more than 2-1, in part because they had enticed some of the more popular players — player/ manager Jimmy Collins, pitcher Cy Young, and slugger Buck Freeman. This volume represents the collective work of more than 25 members of SABR --the Society for American Baseball Research. It offers individual biographies of the players, team owner Charles Somers, league founder Ban Johnson, and two of the team's most noted fans: Hi Hi Dixwell and Nuf Ced McGreevy. There is also a "biography" of the Huntington Avenue Grounds ballpark and a study of media coverage of Boston baseball in 1901, and a timeline running from the first spring training through that year's postseason games. The book includes over 125 vintage and rare photographs. Includes written contributions by the following SABR members: Bill Nowlin., Fred Schuld, Joe Santry and Cindy Thomson, Ron Selter, Donna L. Halper., Charlie Bevis, Steve Krah., Charles Faber, Dennis Auger, Jim Elfers, Eric Enders, Jack Morris, Paul Wendt, Frank Vaccaro, Rory Costello, Mike Lackey, Dan Desrochers, David Forrester, Tom Simon, David Southwick, Joanne Hulbert, Pete Nash, Dan Fields. Full Table of Contents: Introduction: Bill Nowlin Franchise Firsts: Bill Nowlin Team Owner: George Somers: Fred Schuld American League President Ban Johnson: Joe Santry and Cindy Thomson The Ballpark: Huntington Avenue Grounds: Ron Selter A Fuller Portrait of the First Home Game of the Franchise Baseball in the New Century: Following the Boston Americans in 1901: Donna L. Halper The Players Ben Beville: Bill Nowlin Jimmy Collins: Charlie Bevis Lou Criger: Steve Krah George “Nig” Cuppy: Charles Faber Tommy Dowd: Bill Nowlin Hobe Ferris: Dennis Auger Frank Foreman: Jim Elfers Buck Freeman: Eric Enders Harry Gleason: Jack Morris Charlie Hemphill: Paul Wendt Charlie Jones: Frank Vaccaro Win Kellum: Bill Nowlin Ted Lewis: Rory Costello Larry McLean: Mike Lackey Fred Mitchell: Bill Nowlin Frank Morrissey: Bill Nowlin Freddy Parent: Dan Desrochers George Prentiss: David Forrester Osee Schrecongost: Bill Nowlin Jack Slattery: Bill Nowlin Chick Stahl: Dennis Auger Jake Volz: Bill Nowlin George Winter: Tom Simon Cy Young: David Southwick Personality: “Hi Hi” Dixwell:Joanne Hulbert Personality: Mike “Nuf Ced” McGreevy: Pete Nash 1901 Boston Americans Season Timeline: Bill Nowlin By the Numbers: Dan Fields