The only World Series played entirely in the month of September
In short: In 1918, the United States government ordered Major League Baseball to end its season early due to World War I. This mandate created a unique historical anomaly: a Fall Classic played entirely in September, occurring under the metaphorical dark clouds of a global war and a looming pandemic.
The 1918 World Series was a landmark event for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. Because of the government's 'Work or Fight' order, the regular season concluded on September 2, making 1918 the only year a World Series was completed fully within September. Finishing the series with a four to two victory, the Red Sox tallied just nine runs total, a record for the lowest score by any winning side in Fall Classic history. While the game was played under the shadow of World War I, it also coincided with the early stages of the 'Spanish' influenza pandemic. Research into hospital records in England and France suggests that serious respiratory diseases were already being reported by doctors in army hospitals before the first major wave of the pandemic reached North America.
It is theorized that troop movements across the North Atlantic during the war may have facilitated the virus's spread from Europe to the United States. On the field, the series featured a dominant performance by Boston's Babe Ruth, who won both of his starts and pitched a shutout in Game 1. The series was also notable for its lack of home runs, a rarity shared by only three other Fall Classics. Despite the Red Sox's victory, the event is often remembered as the beginning of an 86-year championship drought for Boston, a period famously attributed to the 'Curse of the Bambino' following Ruth's trade to the New York Yankees after the 1919 season.
The 1918 World Series was the first and only Fall Classic played completely in September due to WWI government orders.
Medical research suggests that respiratory diseases were reported in army hospitals in England and France before the first wave of the 1918 influenza pandemic arrived in North America. During his two 1918 World Series appearances, Babe Ruth secured victories, notably recording a 1-0 shutout in Game 1. Only four Fall Classics, including the 1918 World Series, occurred without a single home run being hit by either side.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 1918 World Series recap
- Also: 1918 World Series
- Also: The 'Spanish' influenza pandemic: new evidence for influenza outbreaks in England and France prior to 1918.
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