The 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates

Book excerpt: After many years of being an also-ran in the National league, the Pittsburgh Pirates' fortunes changed dramatically following the 1899 season after a monumental deal with the Louisville Colonels. The addition of star players such as Fred Clarke, Honus Wagner, Tommy Leach and Deacon Phillippe allowed Pittsburgh to become the first baseball dynasty of the twentieth century as they won National League pennants in 1901, 1902 and 1903. Without question, the 1902 Pirates aggregation was the greatest of those three squads. This definitive historical account examines the record-breaking 1902 Pittsburgh season, the politics that shaped baseball's landscape during that era and the players responsible for that squad's claiming its rightful place in baseball history.