From: drw3l@delmarva.evsc.Virginia.EDU (David Robert Walker)
Subject: Re: The origin of the _World_ Series
Keywords: history world series trivia newspaper
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 19:33:46 GMT

In article <Bw68Kp.7r7@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> wwedward@descartes.uwaterloo.ca (Wayne Edwards) writes:
>In article <14OCT199200170079@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu>, doctor8@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu (Jason Abner Miller) writes:
> 
>> 	Actually, the original "World Series" took place between Boston
>> and Pittsburgh in 1903; the new york papers had nothign to do with it.  
>
>As a Canadian, how the name "World Series" came about is not suprising since
>you (as Americans) tend to hype all of your sports to global proportions.  The
>NBA championships are often called the "world championships of basketball" and
>the winners are always called the "World Champions."  The big game in the NFL is
>called the "SuperBowl" and I have often heard the winner called the "World
>Champions."  Baseball is the only sport that comes close to being even 
>>>international<< but even this can be disputed since Canada is only a stones
>throw away from the US in terms of geography and culture.  The U.S. championship
>titles are the largest misnomers in all of sports. 
>
>Canadian's on the other hand have the "Grey Cup" (CFL) and the "Stanley Cup" 
>(NHL), championship games named after people.  Definitely not as flashy.  But
>then it is not as pretentious either.  Just like Canadians.
>
>Comments?
>
>
>Wayne

At the risk of being accused of jingoism, there are several good 
reasons. By sport:

Baseball: With all due respect, the Japanese standard of play is lower,
on average, than the American standard. The incredible play of such
players as Jack Howell and Jim Traber demonstrates it. Note the "on
average" part of my statement! I beleive the best Japanese players are
quite capable of playing in America, but I doubt they would stand out
as readily. The Latin leagues feature many people who play on 
American teams, and many American stars come from Latin America; but
it is in the American major leagues where they play at the highest
level of competition.

Basketball: The past Olympics demonstrated quite clearly that the
rest of the world is behind the US in basketball.

Football: This one I can't comment on. I am not aware of the relative
performances of those who have played in both the CFL and NFL. 
Clearly, though, no one outside North America plays the game at the 
same level.

Hockey: The NHL, if memory serves, is as much a US invention as
Canadian, though with more Canadian players by far. I give Canada
full credit for being ahead of the US in hockey. But not necessarily
the world. Europe plays excellent hockey. (Founding cities of the NHL
include New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, and Toronto)

The main reason the US claims the "World Champions" of baseball, 
basketball, and football is that these games were invented in the US. It
was not until the standard of play was raised to a considerable level
that they were exported to other countries. Before exportation, as the
only nation playing the game, they could legitimately claim to be
world champions. Other people play them now, and they are catching up;
eventually they will catch up. But the evidence is clear that they
haven't done so yet.

The moral is, if you want to claim the world championship of 
something, invent a game, and make sure no one else in the world
plays it. :-)

Clay D.