The Boston Red Sox won their fifth World Series this year. Only fifteen Series had been played thus far, and the Sox were averaging one every three years. The New York Yankees, on the other hand, were still without a pennant. How times have changed; Boston's championship this year was their last of the century. The Yankees, on the other hand, still had twenty-five more to go. And it all started after the 1919 season, when Boston owner Harry Frazee (who could never understand why ballplayers were paid as much as actors) sold star Babe Ruth to the Yankees, so he could finance a new Broadway show.

         Boston had a great staff of pitchers, led by Carl Mays, an outstanding young pitcher who would also be traded to the Yankees in 1919. "Bullet Joe" Bush was acquired by the Sox from Philadelphia, and had a solid first season with Boston. He too would end up in New York, winning 26 games with the Yankees in 1922. "Sad Sam" Jones had the first good year of his long career; Jones pitched for 22 seasons, winning 229 games, including 21 for the Yankees in 1923.
        Another good Boston pitcher was a 23-year-old lefty named Babe Ruth. The Babe was already recognized as one of the best pitchers in baseball, but his career took a new turn this year. Before this season, Ruth had only 9 home runs in his career; but he had a reputation for hitting the ball higher and further than it had ever been hit before. Boston's outfield ranks were depleted by World War One; the Sox decided to use their ace pitcher in the outfield, and make use of his prodigious power. The Babe delivered, leading the NL with 11 home runs, in addition to his 13 wins as a pitcher.
        Though the Red Sox had some outstanding pitchers, the league's best was once again The Big Train, Washington's Walter Johnson. Johnson turned 30 this year, and already had 279 career victories. This was the ninth straight year that Johnson had at least 23 victories; it was also the seventh year in a row that he led the AL in strikeouts. It was Johnson's second pitching Triple Crown, leading in wins, strikeouts, and ERA; he would win one more in 1924.
        The three best young pitchers in the AL at this time were Mays, Ruth, and Stan Coveleski. Ruth's pitching career would end in another season, but Mays and Coveleski had many good years left. Somehow, Coveleski was inducted into the Hall Of Fame, but Mays wasn't. Their careers span almost the same time frame; Coveleski had a career record of 215-142, while Mays was 207-126. Coveleski had a career 2.89 ERA, while Mays' ERA was 2.92. Coveleski threw 3082 innings, Mays threw 3021. The only significant difference between the two pitchers is that Mays threw the fastball that struck Ray Chapman on the head in 1920, causing his death. The baseball establishment never forgave him.
        Scott Perry had a brilliant season, the best of his career. Over the next three years his record was 18-48, and his career ended.