In 2017, the Dodgers reached the World Series for the first time in 29 years and lost. 101 years earlier, they reached the World Series for the first time and lost as well. In 2017 it was against a cheating team from Houston. In 1916 against the Boston Red Sox. Champions in 1915 who would repeat and two years later would win their last title for 89 years. It was against that same Boston team the Dodgers lost their last World Series in 2018.
1916, It was a different time. No television, no radio, a war going on. The Dodgers were the Robins, they played in Brooklyn and Ebbets Field was only three years old. The New York Yankees were seven years away from their first World Series title of the 27 to come. The Brooklyn baseball team, the Robins, named after their manager Wilbert Robinson, reached the World Series with a 94-60 record in the National League.
Dive into the past
All the information about the series is available on Wikipedia, but I got my hands on some newspapers from 1916 and seeing the report in a document from that period is kinda cool.
The York Dispatch, celebrating its 40 year anniversary in 1916, is still in publication to this day. It serves York County, Pennsylvania but found the Brooklyn vs. Boston match up interesting enough to dedicate a quarter of the front page on the World Series.
The Robins lost 4 games to one. Only being able to win game 3. Game 2 was the longest World Series game in innings until game 3 of the 2018 World Series. Yes, the one between the Red Sox and the Dodgers! Game 2 saw 14 innings of pitching by Babe Ruth. Another interesting name... Casey Stengel, outfielder for Brooklyn.
Below are the five headlines in The York Dispatch.
