The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-22
Wholesale Exchanges Are
Pretty Dangerous to a
Baseball Team.

As q business baseball has certainly
grown to be a queer proposition, with no
ideal or standard to work by, while as an
art the ideal has been reached by half a
dozen teams ia the last forty years, writes
Tim Murnane. This winter there seems to
be d craze for trading players with u hope
Of driving the men to their top-notch
speed, A change of base will often help
a ball player. but wholesale trading is a
dangerous practise. Foreign cows wear
long horns IN baseball and the boy tonted
rs a phenomenal workman on the Pacific
coast or the Crescent City is sure to lose
much of his speed when stacked up
against the cream Of the profession in
The most remarkable teams the game
has produced worked&togethef for years,
and usually went to pieces just as soon
Boston Americans won two straight cham
pionships, hen dropped La cnance for
Grlmshaw and finished in the second d.
ender in two years is the record for drop
ping off the map. Next year Boston will
nave practically a brand-new team, mostly
Of youngsters, with a hope OF deVeioping
a winner. Uncle Jim Mcclure Is bound
to have harmony, and Will pick his team
with a view to this, although the greatest
teams now in the game are noted FOR the
vigorous scrapping qualities of some OF
the leading members.
Harmony is all right, If the men can and
will play hard, consistent baseball. To
bring out the best results the players must
have a warm spot IN their hearts for the
man who manages the team. The great
leaders of the past were all kind-hearled
fellows. A few appeared rather unreason-
able to the outside public, but to the
players they were apprec1atlve when ne
battle was over and reasonable to the boys
VINO worked hard but failed to make good.
me game has produced iorty-seven
Lyears IN the eleven cities now making up
The two major leagues. This includes the
National League, original American Asso-
/ piniipn and Pl1 UnY91i l.n9 UnR and A1npTln1n
League, four really major organizations
attracting n attention of the whole coun-
try and worthy of record.
Outside of the cities now in the big cir
cults to enjoy a National winner was
Providence, in 10 and "a. The record shows
the number of championships won for the
different cities, Boston leadlng with six
teen. Then comes Chicago, with ten; st.
Louis, with five; New York, Philadelphia
and Brooklyn, four each; P~ittsburg, three;
Detroit, two; Cincinnati, one, with Cleve-
land and Washington yet to hear from.
In all, commencing with the Quakers,
Hicks Hayhurst, brought the first pen
nant to Philadelphia Ill II. Then came
Harry Wright with his Boston team to
win the honors -four years in succession.
A. 6. spalding endeared himself to the
West when he landed the White Stockings
in first place in rs. Harry Wright landed
the money for Boston In II and rs. Then
came A. 6, Anson with a three-time win
'82, o. p. Caylor, at Cincinnati, landed
the first championship for the new and
vigorous American Association. Caylor was
not the manager, but the ruling force, and
one Of the promoters of the American
Association. Billy Sharsig with his Ath-
letics won the association pennant In '8S,
while John f.. Morrill, landed the money
for Boston. The following year, "a, Frank
Bancroft managed the Providence cham
pions, and James Mutrie Won the associa-
ton prize with his New York team. In
the play-off for the first worlds cham
plonship, Bancroft came out an easy win
ner with four straight. A.. G. Arson led
his Chicago team in So and SO to the top.
trolt in 'S7. The New York Giants now
came to the front with James Mutrie and
won out two years in succession. For five
successive years up to this time Charley
Comiskey won the Championship for st.
Louis In the American Association, only
to lose out to William McGunnigle's Brook
Ign team in 'S9. In the play-off for the
worlds championship comiskey got the
better of Arson and Watkins got the bet
ter Of Comisl0ey, while Mutrie won out
from McGunnigle. Then came the greatest
baseball war known to the game. NJ. j.
Kelly led the Boston club, winners of the
Players League honors, while MeGun-
nigle handled the National League win
ners for Brooklyn. In 81 Frank Selee
came to the front with the Boston Ma
tionals and repeated the two following
years, while Arthur Irwin manages the
Boston Association team In 81, winners of
the pennant.
Ed Hanlon was next in line with his
Baltimore champions, taking three pen
iPNANo ~ q 011tE - -
peated twice in succession with Boston,
and Ed Hanlon came back with two win
ners in succession for Brooklyn. Fred
Clarke. with his Pittsburg team, then
broke into the Hmelight for three success
siye winners. In 1901 the American
League expands into a real major league,
and Comiskey landed the money.
Connie Mack became a hero In the
Quaker City by landing the Athletics in
first place in 1902 and then Jimmie Collins
carried the Boston Americans across the
! limo in 1Q0Y and hoat o1If ITrp1 (T1nT1ro for |
the big honors. Collins repeated in 1904.
John McGraw had a walk-over for the
honors in the National League, and then
repeated to meet Connie Mack's Athletics
aud lowered their colors. A new force
came into the National League and Frank
Chance landed his Chicago league team In
first place, while Comiskey had a winner
In the White Sox and defeated Chance in
the play-off. Chance repeated, while Hugh
Jennings came to the front with Detroit
and struck his colors to the Chicago Gu
leader. And there you have the leaders
up to date. HaYhurst, Harry Wright, Me-
Gunnigle and Mike Kelly, oil important
forces In the history of the game, have
passed on. Comiskey, Mack, McGraw,
Clarke. Chance and Jennings alone are
now connected with major league ball, and
each has a good show for the big money
Watkins, Hanlon, Collins and Bancroft
are still connected with the game. while
the others have turned their attention to
other pursuits. Perhaps the greatest dis
appointment over a failure to win a PEN
nant comes from Cincinnati. Washing
ton never had a look-in, while Cleveland
has come within an ace of winning out
on several occasions, once beating out the
winners In the Temple cup series and win
ming the first half of a double season,
finally losing to Boston.
Cincinnati stands out conspicuous for the
able generals who have managed their
ball teams. Their first mistake was in
allowing Harry Wright to leave that city
for Boston in 1871. Buck Ewing, Charley I
Comiskey and Ed. Hanlon, all able and
successful generals, tried their hand for
Cincinnati with the same result. Money
has never beer spared to give that city q
winner, and yet It's a rare thing to find
Reds in line for the highest honors in base
ball. Boston ard Chicago is still IN line
for a few more with Comlskey and Chance
In charge Of two great ball teams. Down
in Boston both teams viii spend a year
or two experimenting with a loyal army
of baseball fans reasonable in their de-
great hall team as handled by Wright. |