Red Sox, Pirates Forever Linked Given First-Ever Fall Classic

Harvey Frommer, a historian and author of “Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox,” recalled a display of sportsmanship that at the time surprised many.

It occurred in October 1903, right after the Boston Americans defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first-ever Fall Classic, which at the time was called the “Championship of the United States.” Boston won the best-of-nine series, 5-3, after emerging victorious in four consecutive games.

“Right after the game,” Frommer wrote in a Bleacher Report story in 2011, “players from both clubs lined up for a combination team photo. That surprised many and was a remarkable display of good sportsmanship, considering the bitterness that had existed between the junior American League and the senior National League.”

The two ballclubs came together after what’s now viewed as the first-ever World Series.

They’ll come together again.

The Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday announced they have entered into an agreement with SportsNet Pittsburgh. SportsNet Pittsburgh, a network that will be jointly owned by the Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins starting Jan. 1, 2024, will remain the home of Pirates baseball for all regionally televised games.

Daily operations of SportsNet Pittsburgh will continue to be managed by New England Sports Network (NESN).

“We are thrilled that the Pirates are joining the SportsNet Pittsburgh partnership,” President & CEO of NESN, Sean McGrail, shared in a statement. “Over 150 Pirates games in addition to the Penguins telecasts makes SportsNet Pittsburgh a must-have sports destination for Pittsburgh fans.”

Pittsburgh and Boston, home to two of the most passionate fanbases in sports, came together for that image more than a century ago. Pittsburgh was fresh off its third consecutive National League pennant while Boston won the newly established American League title.

The baseball landscape has changed a lot in the 120 years since, of course. The Boston Americans became Boston Red Sox later that decade (1908), the World Series now is a best-of-seven championship, and Shohei Ohtani just signed a 10-year contract reportedly worth $700 million. For perspective on that last one: Each Pirates player earned $1,316 for the 1903 Fall Classic, while players on Boston made $1,182, according to Frommer.

One thing that hasn’t changed? Both franchises remain determined to deliver the best product to their respective fanbases. That’s exactly what SportsNet Pittsburgh will do as the home of the Pirates and Penguins.