Many people call the 1903 World Series between Boston and Pittsburgh the first modern world series. But was it? The American Heritage Dictionary defines “modern” as “of, pertaining to, or characteristic of recent times or the present.” So let us compare the 1903 series to those of recent times. If the 1903 series had many similarities to recent ones, then it clearly should be labeled as modern. Otherwise, it should not.
Similarities
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1903 World Series |
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Recent World Series |
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Featured one team from the American League and one team from the National League |
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Feature one team from the American League and one team from the National League |
Differences
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1903 World Series |
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Recent World Series |
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Featured team with best record in American League and team with best record in National League |
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Feature teams which may not have best record in their division and may have finished under .500 |
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Challenge match arranged late in season between participating teams which agreed upon structure and rules |
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Prearranged match organized under Major League Rules |
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Best of nine games |
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Best of seven games |
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All games played in daytime |
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All games played at night |
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No games played on Sundays |
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One or two games played on Sundays |
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No designated hitter used |
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Designated hitter used in AL parks |
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Two umpires used |
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Six umpires used |
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Fans allowed on field, leading to 25 triples |
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Fans not allowed on field |
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Opponents had not played each other in regular season |
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Opponents may have met in regular season |