The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-13
PREDICTS GREAT
BASEBALL YEAR
Says Post Season Was Most
Successful, but Expects
Even Better Results.
BY 3. 3. JOHNSON.
President American LEAGUE.

Most successful year in the history or
baseball" has become a trite phrase. vet
none other so adequately expresses The
situation after A review OF the season of
1876. From every viewpoint IL surpassed
anything ever known IN the annals Of the
game. More people saw ball games this
year than ever before, and there was bv
far more interest in the campaigns -Of
the various leagues.
OF course. there was one unprecedented
condition that added spice 10 hte baseball
feast That was the fact that the two
Chicago teams finished at the top OF the
heap in the races for the big league pen
nants. No series OF games ever stirred
up the country 10 such an extent and
none was ever watched with such absorb
ing interest.
The American league champions won
the worlds championship after a hard
, fight, finishing their seasons work In
dazzling style. doubt IL there ever will
be a more spectacular season OF work on
the diamond than the last campaign OF
the White SoX. They occupied every place
in the league race except the bottom
and by a beautiful squirt in midseasOn
that eciipsed all modern achievements.
pulled themselves into first place. Al
though they dropped back for brief
spell, they showed the stamina to squirt
again at the finish and won the penDant
in the last week OF the schedule.
The manner in which the Sox. exhaust
ed after their whitening battle against the
American league teams, defeated the Ma
tional league champions in the worlds
series is meriting OF the highest praise
and the American public was not SLOW
In heaping that praise upon the victoTs.
Americans Fortunate.
The American league was fortunate IN
having a championship race OF such In
teresting possibilities. Five clubs were
In the running until the last month. and
when Philadelphia and ST. Louis dropped
behind Chicago. New York and Cleye-
land were left 10 fight IL out, and the rag
was not won until October 8-only -four
days before the season closed.
The sport was clean in every respect
and satisfied the lovers OF the game. The
| fans seemed TO find the rules and regu-
| lations for the pastime as nearly per
/ hindered a season of thorough enjoyment
at the thousands Of ball parks throughout
/ the country.
! The minor leagues prospered in proper
| ton to the success Of the major organ
zations. One league was hard hit. The
| Pacific Coast league was almost put OUT
! of business by the San Francisco earth
quake but the rest all did well.
| In looking ahead TO the 1907 season II
| looks even more promising for the pub
! lie and the club owners than the season
| of 1906 There has been unusual activity
| by the rival teams in securing new play
| ers, and several of them have enBaged
\ new managers TO better represent their
cities along the circuits in the coming
season. As close as the American league
/ race was this year, / look for FULLY as
! interesting q race in 1907 1t would be
! idle for anyone TO try 80 pick the winner
| now for the battle for the honOrs next
wear will be Just as fiercely fought AMI
| teeming with just as many possibilities