World Series History: Who Won the First World Series in 1903?

We are finally here, the 2022 World Series is set to kick off tonight in Houston at 8:03 PM ET. We will see the Philadelphia Phillies try to win their first championship since 2008 against the heavily favored Houston Astros.

While the Astros will certainly have home-field advantage, the majority of the baseball universe will be rooting for the Phillies to defeat the Astros. Even though Houston has attempted to move on from the 2017 sign-stealing scandal that helped Houston win the championship, the MLB community is less forgiving.

"Giddy up, kids. World Series starts today. The Astros are gross cheaters, the Phillies are delightful. Let’s go! #WorldSeries #RingTheBell #Phillies" - Ryan O'Connell

This will be the 118th World Series in baseball history, with every team winning the title except the San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Milwaukee Brewers. The Seattle Mariners also have the misfortune of being the only team in history to have never played for a world title.

Throughout its long history, the New York Yankees have won the title a whopping 27 times, with the St. Louis Cardinals winning 11 times, and the Boston Red Sox in third place with 9 championships. Either the Phillies, who have won twice, or the Astros, who have only one title, will climb to the all-time rankings at the end of the series.

"How long until Warriors fans morph into the Yankees “27 rings” type of fans?" - RunYourPool

While it's common knowledge among baseball fans that the Yankees have the most titles in MLB history, it's rare to find a fan who knows that the Boston Americans won the first ever World Series in 1903.

A closer look at the 1903 World Series Champion Boston Americans

Founded in 1901, the Boston Americans would later be known by a much more well-known nickname, the Boston Red Sox. In 1903, the team would win the original World Series title, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates by five games to three in a best-of-nine series.

Each team had two future Hall of Famers in their squads. The Americans were led by Jimmy Collins and Cy Young. Yes, the same Cy Young whose namesake was used for the award that celebrates the best pitcher of every regular season.

On the other side of the diamond, the Pittsburgh Pirates' future Hall of Famers were Fred Clarke and Honus Wagner. Much like Cy Young, Wagner may be best known by younger generations for being one of the most expensive baseball cards in history.

"Legendary T206 Honus Wagner Baseball Card #MLB #History" - Baseball by B Smile

The Americans, who represented the brand new American League, helped the AL gain prestige and notoriety, thus creating a demand for further championship games against the best of the National League. Thus, the World Series was born.