The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-23
Boston Has Won the Champion
ship Fourteen Times.
That Is Why the Staid Old
Town Is Used to 1t.
o DEMONSTRATION.
Few Cheers When the Pennant
Went to the Hub.
Difference Between OId-Time
Struggle and the Present.


Cincinnati. Sept. 22-T. H. Murnane
writes to the Enquirer from Boston as
follows:
The Boston Americans cinehed the
championship last Wednesday when
they put it all over the Cleveland boys,
giving one of the finest exhibitions of
stick work ever Witnessed at the Amer
lean grounds. Twenty three of the
cleanest kind of hits with a total of AZ
against superb fielding and two clever
pitchers to go up against, Killien. a left
handler, and Frank Donahoe, a tricky
highlander.
Here was great victory over lot of
first class ball teams. an achievement
that in any other city would have been
hailed with delight, but here in Boston
causing simply a smile of satisfaction.
In Philadelphia last season the Athletics
won the championship. and were treat
ed like heroes returned from victory
wined and dined, with a big street pa
rade. Not so in Boston. and yet no one
public is better aware of the great play
ing it takes to win pennant than these
same Boston people. l was member of
the champion team here in 1877. pulling
out the championship on the very last
day, with Louisville the runner-up. The
day after President a. H Soden took
the llEHDcIS OF lnS team uOWn 10 Ike
we're Beach for a nice clam bake. Clubs
didn't make the money they do these
days, and that fall the players, even
after winning the championship, were
forced to go without their last two
weeks salary. How different now, with
salaries three times as large and several
more players on the PAYROLL Salaries
must be paid promptly or the club has
no standing in baseball. The players of
those days appreciated the winning of
a ahAn0ni0nS hin a Fn11Ch then a fh0V
do now. If not more. One of the great
incentives today is the extra money for
benefits and outside games With all
the GOODNESS shown by the Boston pub
lie after the flag is won it's remarkable
the way they will turn out to witness
the games right through the season, for
the Boston Americans have drawn close
to 900 people to their games here this
has drawn, for the count is accurate and
not estimated and swelled as in too
many cities.
Think of 1t, Boston has enjoyed the
championship fourteen times during the
last thirty-three years, or since profess
sional baseball started in 1871.
The first year three clubs were tied,
Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston.
Philadelphia won the prize in the play
off on the Union grounds BROOKLYN 1t
was during this series that John Hat
field made the longest throw on record,
and while Wagner, Ed Crane and others
are said to have beaten Hatfield's rec
ord, there is no proof that the measure
ments were properly made with a steal
tape, so that Hatfield's record stands
today.
Men are not as foolish as they were in
those days taking chances by long dis
lance throwing, for most of the lame arms
came from either lOng-distance throwing
or in trying to throw the ball high over
ones head Early practice in halls or
gyms was always likely to turn out a
few bad arms. and for this reason I have
tod he
south for clubs located north of Wash
ington.
| From p until '76 Boston won the cham
pionship, some one of the Philadelphia
clubs usually acting as the runner-up. In
~ end Is Boston again carried off first
honors Then skipped to SO. 1t was 1907
before another great race was won by
Boston; this time it was the Players
league. The following season Boston had
| the pleasure of landing two champion
ships-the National league and the Amer
| lean association. Frank Selee followed his
hand and won the championship for Bos-
ton in '92 and '93. In 81 and 'sS Selee got
! there once more Since then we have beer
cities. but this season have landed the
bunting in a sportsmanlike manner, for
who can say that Boston, under Jimmie
Collins, has not played the cleanest kind
of ball, with all visiting clubs to this city
| receiving the best of treatment from pub
| lie and umpires. There is always a great
satisfaction to feel that you have gained
the highest place by fair methods. This
was the case in the early days of the Bos
that all games must be won by clean bal
| playing.
It's a remarkable thing what cham
pionship means to the ball players, anC
the public is about as bad in this respect
| While a club is hustling for first place
all games are interesting. Then comes tht
exhibition games for money-making pur-
poses, and the interest soon weakens. Thi.
fall we are to have any amount of exhi
bition games, and 1 predict nine-tenths O
them will be failures. In most cases ths
players are not under contract and un
manageable.
Even the series between Boston and
Pittsburg will fail to attract the crowds
anticipated Take it here in Boston. TIL
baseball season will be over and the foot
ball season well on. The public may e.
out for a game, but will hardly enthus
unless the games start off with low ant
close scores. Two ball teams were neve
more evenly matched than Boston ant
Pittsburg, and vet you will hear peopI
tell how much stronger one clubs is thai
the other. Most people that pick Pitts
burg have yet to see the Boston team a
. work. and therefore their judgment il
worthless. The games should be models
as both teams are well seasoned and sur
to play their best ball under a strain. Thi
has been the strong point in Bostons pla,
this season. and should the games open il
Pittsburg you can look for a lot of sur
prised Pittsburgers before Boston leave
| that town When it comes to a sand,