The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-07
American Pennant Race
Greatest in History Of
the National Game.

The greatest baseball season since the in
ception of the game closed yesterday. The
pennant fights are now history. There yet
remains the series for the worlds cham
| pionship between the Chicago Nationals
and the Detroit Americans, which will be-
gin in Chicago tomorrow. 1t should be a
| great series, though Chicago, on paper,
looks like a winner. being stronger in the
pitching and catching department and in
the infleld.
For two months the Athletics made a
| gallant tight for the championship, and
| right up to the last week experts all over
the country were unanimous in agreeing
that Connie Mack had everything in his
favor to capture the high honor. Some
baseball writer's even went further in
their predictions, and boldly claimed the
pennant for the Athletics early In Sep
TENDER. But everyone versed in baseball
overlooked the great stamina displayed by
the Detroit team. The last Eastern trip
of the Tigers was the browning feat OF a
splendid season, and really decided the
championship in their favor. It was one
of the most remarkable trips ever accom-
plished by a ball team, an invasion Of the
enemy's territory when every hand was
raised to strike down the invader. Ten
victories, one defeat and a tie contest make
a record that will long stand alone In dia-
mond annals.
There have been close races before in
both National and American League his
tory, some of which were not decided until
the final game of the season, as was the
case when Happy Jack Chesbro wild
pitched the runner home which gave to
Boston the American League pennant
three years ago. but in nc race has the
battle been so long sustained and so bit
terly fought. Detroit and Philadelphia de-
cided another pennant just twenty years
ago in somewhat similar fashion, when
for thirteen innings neither team scored a
, run in the crucial game at the close of the
! season; then little Casey, who was pitch
ing for Philadelphia, filled the bases, and
with two out, dropped a high pop fly that
would have retired the side, and gave De
troit three runs and the game in the four
tenth inning,
The Last Stage of SeasOn.
There remained six days of play at the
close of that seventeen-inning game i'll
| PHILADELPHIA on September 30, but there was
practically no doubt when Detroit lett
the Quaker City that they would land the
flag. With Detroit the winner of the nag
there is practically no one but is ready
to declare that they well deserve the honor.
Such a fight as they have put up In the
last three weeks of the season, when, after
their slump at 81. Louis, the Athletics
seemed to have the bunting nailed to the
1agpost, has never been equaled in base
ball.
The Athletics moved up to first place
after a remarkable Western trip similar
to that with which Detroit wound up.
They took the lead August Is and held ii
for two weeks. giving way for a brief
period of four days to Detroit, September
s saw them again in front by 6 points.
which was increased to "a, with the set
back Detroit got at st. Louis. Then came
the phenomenal Detroit wind-up, while
the Athletics were slowly cut down. The
record week by week of the Detroit, Ath-
letic and Chicago clubs presents an inter
esting study. They stand today:
Detroit ................. 92 IS .6i3
A fhlatfo- * IN Hn-