The Washington times., 1905-01-01

OF records which Were broken in the
different branches of sports
Some of the athletic pastimes were, ON
the whole. poor. but 1904 may be con-
sidered a success from general stand
point Records which had stood for |
years We're smashed in the past twelve /
months, and in many instances the new
ly established marks were so much pet
ter than those which stood before that /
f.ey will in all probability remain for a |
generation OF more of athletes before |
giving way TO better performances
Baseball Successful.
1t is doubtful if baseball ever enjoyed
a more successful year than in 1904 TIE
American and National League divided
popular favor throughout the East,
while in the South. Middle West, and
Pacific Coast regions there were plenty
o. lea CUES to give the enthusiasts ali
they wanted of the national game. To
Illustrate the wonderful popularity of
the game, it is needless to say more
than that the two major leagues to-
getner drew 5,S69. .260 persons throughout
the season. The Americans outdrew the
Nationals by about 320,00e-
The most notable feature of the year
was the complete establishment of the
American League in the East The bit
ter fight which this young organization
has been compelled to make against the
oder league and the obstacles which
were thrown IN its path do not need
recapitulation here. The American
final victory was won in New York city,
where the National had threatened and
prophesied that it could never secure
foothold Although the American placed
a team in the metropolis in 1963 it had
a hard fight to win popular approval,
but by perseverance ii did win, and
with a good team in 1905 may be expect
ed to divide New York's patronage
equally with its National League rivals
Close Race for Pennant.
The greater popularity of the American
League teams over their National rivals
was due, in q large measure, To Tie
closeness of the American League siruS-
gle for the perrant- During the entire
last half of the season there were three
and sometimes I've teams :acing neck
sno neck for the .irst honors. i oevcl-
oped in the last two weeks into des-
perate fight bstwzeu Boston and New
York
Not until the final day of the season
when the two leaders had to play a
double-header was the issue decided.
Two victories were necessary to give
New York the pennant. while an even
q break would have permitted the Boston
champions to dy the flag for another
year Boston clinched its title TO the
championship by winning the first game
and the second, which resulted in VIC
tory for New York, merely reduced the
lead of Boston.
Refusal to Play
Tn tho National an e,l,e fI1a New York
team, much stronger than in 1908, gained
a commanding lead in the middle of tbs
season and won the pennant with hard
1y a further struggle. The New YorH
Nationals gave their own popularity :
severe blow by refusing TO meet the
Boston champions of the American
League, for the worlds championship
The members of the New York team
Were willing and even anxious for 1nt
series, but John T Brush, with the stub
bornness for which heshas SO long beer
noted. absolutely refused to .anesioa th'
proposed games
So strong was the popular disapp-ova
over his act that he consented, whe;
too late, to play Boston in the spring To-
the worlds championship. But ia.
American champions sensibIy refused t
play The match 1T this time. There /:
ROW some prospect that the champion
of the TWO leagues Will play q series 70
the worlds championship next fall Bot
leagues have pronounced in favor of tn
scheme. but the Nationals, by demand
ing l54-garne schedule. have opened
convenient door OF retreat IL ease IN
series is not TO their liking
Football Below Mark.
The quality of football displayed dur
ing 1904 was distinctly below that o
any year in the last half dozen Wit
the exception OF one or TWO teams ther
Were none that came up to the standar
of the last four years A notable ex
ception TO this assertion was the Uni
versity OF Pennsylvania eleven. which
started with dark prospects. yet over
came great obstacles and finished wit
the championship team of the East
The Pennsylyania-ls gave the count:
its first distinct surprise of the season
they outplayed and defeated Harvar
by the score of II 10 0 at Cambridge
From that time on the Quakers wer
1nVincible and finished with the remark
able record of not being once defeate
nor having their goal line crossed for
touchdown. It was the first instance
a Pennsylvania team making such
record. and one OF the few instances {
any college team making such a goo
EHOHlnB- Next 10 pennsylvania SHOui
be ranked Yale, with Princeton, Hal
ward, and Dartmouth following In OF
der A few critics gave Yale an eqtIa
claim 10 first place with Pennsylvani,
but the fact that the Els were defeate
once and scored on again should decio
the question In favor of the Quakers
Western Teams
The quality Of football displayed /
the Western teams was generally high'
than that played by them in recel
years. The championship OF that se'
ton was divided between Michigan an
Minnesota. neither of which. sustained
defeat during the season. The fact TN;
the TWO did not meet leaves the chan
pionshiP question az open one.
The AIl-American team selected /
Waiter Camp follows:
End, Shevlin. Yale; tackle, Coone
Princeton: guard. Pieckarski. Pennsy
yanta; center, Upton, West Poin
guard, Kinney, Yale; tackle. Hoga
Yale; end, Eckersall. Chicago; quartz
Stevenson. Pennsylvania; half. Hurle