When Brewers centerfielder Enrique Johnson caught Richard Pinchbeck’s flyball at 4:47 pm on August 3, 1904, Philadelphia became the city with the most titles. Boeselager Stadium became the city center for celebrations, and when the beer ran out, the team went on to the German Corner Pub, which ran dry shortly after. Garrett Dutler introduced Arthur Haddow into Whiskey, Mose Rylance sang all night, and Moriarty Stapleton finally celebrated his 36th birthday, which was a day earlier.
When Karl Boeselager woke up under the table, it took him a moment to remember where he was. It was the backroom of the German Corner Pub, the spot for many nights of skat. His brother still slept, as did his general manager. He smiled and dozed off again, dreaming of his team’s accomplishments …
Pre-Season
For years, the Brewers staff hadn’t been a homogenous body. Pitsch tried to sign the best personnel, but after four years, he realized Ronnie Arrington might cause a lack of cohesion, not the rest of the staff. So right after the end of the 1903 season, Pitsch signed a new team trainer, Terry Whipple, a new bench coach, Thomas Bryan, a new first-base coach, Gary Wagemann, and a new hitting coach, Paul Dexter.
Because Sir Downing ordered his general manager to trade or release Alfred Gilling, Pitsch began looking for second basemen. He found Robert Dibb, who also plays shortstop. Dibb would later replace George Singleton, who disappointed in 32 games, despite his $16,000 salary. Eddie Bankhead’s signing completed the middle infield search. The last free agent who joined the Brewers was 3B Garrett Dutler, a 40-year-old veteran with 662 games.
Regular Season
Shortly after the beginning of the season, news rocked Philadelphia. Pitsch replaced pitching coach Marcus Eppinger with David Moore and ended the Arrington-era as Troy Bujak took over the helm.
The first 49 games resulted in a 32-17 record. It looked like the Brewers were unstoppable. Philadelphia led the league in most offense categories, and the starting pitchers produced the best ERA.
But the dominance ended in June. Philadelphia gave away too many games while Richmond started winning. The Rifles had an 18-10 month, while the Brewers stumbled through June with 14 wins and 14 losses. Then, finally, on July 9, Richmond and Philadelphia were even. With only one win in the last ten games, Philadelphia suddenly didn’t look like a championship team. The second half of the season until then was 17-24.
Yet, they came back by winning the last eight games, while Richmond only won six.
Postseason
Philadelphia faced Brooklyn for the League Cup. It was the third time the teams met each other in the postseason, and Brooklyn prevented Philadelphia passage to the Legacy Cup in 1900 and 1902.
The 1904 campaign started with two wins at home. Unfortunately, Stephen Millington had to leave game two after five innings. The Whales gave the Brewers a heavy beating in game three, but Danny Edgerton’s second postseason win meant playing in the Legacy Cup.
The Legacy Cup
The Legacy Cup series against the Twin City Empire began on July 26, 1904. In game one, Holmes got into trouble early on, and Bujak pulled him after four innings. When Arthur Haddow got on the mount, it was his first start for the Brewers. Haddow pitched solid five innings, but the Empire scored twice in the eighth to take the 8-7 lead and win.
Bujak rallied the team after the loss and told them it was crucial to use the home advantage. He reminded Edgerton and Holmes that they’re the rotation and a long series is not in their interest.
The Brewers won four games in which they only allowed eleven runs. The Empire avoided elimination in game six, but a 3-1 victory in game seven ended the journey.
Player of the Season
Leo McKenzie had a few seasons that weren’t bad at all, but when he wasn’t dominating the league. 1904 marked the comeback of the King of Philadelphia and the Emperor of the Eastern League. His .345 BA, .440 OBP, 59 RBI, 55 BB, 64 SB, and 23 triples were the best statistics in both leagues. Also, he set a personal record with four homeruns and became the Legacy Cup MVP.
The Trophy
Karl Boeselager woke up again and got up to check if the trophy was still there. It was. And so were three bottles of beer. “There’s something I haven’t done with you yet,” Karl grabbed a bottle, opened it, and poured the beer into the cup. “What a hell of a season!” He raised the trophy and drank from it.