Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-17
SOME SURPRISES OF
LAST YEARS SEASON
Remarkable and Unexpected
Happenings in the Base Ball
WorIdERecent Impor-
tant Trades.
By Billy Evans.

The base ball season of 1907 was the
best in the history OF the game. finan-
cially and artistically. incidentally it was
a campaign full of surprises.
Every year furnishes a number Of re-
,narkable and unexpected happenings. but
last season in both biz leagues was the
limit Hardly a week passed without
something being pulled off to startle the
natives.
Perhaps the biggest surprise In Amer
lean League circles was the winning of
the pennant By Detroit When HusLey
Jennings assumed charge of the Tigers
it was admitted that he had strong
team, but not a single critic thought for
4 moment of Detroit's chances when asked
to pick the probable winner Of the 1907
race. Jennings had a team supposed to
be split up by factions. and most scribes
thought the former Oriole would be doing
well if he finished in the first division.
The season hadn't progressed very far
before the magnetism of Jennings had
taken hold. The Tigers were playing a
fast game, fighting all the way and TAX
ing all kinds OF chances on the bases.
1t was evident that the team led by Jen-
ninss would have to be reckohed with
at the finish. Base ball fans will never
forget the final inva sion of the east by the
Tigers. Most Of them thought Detroit
would be out Of 1t on the return of the
Tigers to the west to finish the season.
Instead of taking the count. Detroit won
ten out of eleven games and played a
seventeen-inning tie game with their BIT
terest rivals-the Athletics. The winning
or the pennant was notable victory for
Jennings. In his first year as a big league
manager he turned out a pennant winner
something never done before.
The great work Of the Tigers in the
American League race won a lot of sup
porters for them in the big series. The
Tigers did the unexpected again, but not
as Jennings had hoped. Detroit. the bril-
liant team Of the American League.
showed complete reversal of form and
cago Nationals. This is the first time
such thing has happened since the Sc
ries was started. In the worlds cham
pionship games Detroit simply failed to
do the things that made the winning OF
the American League pennant possible.
The hard hitters failed to hit, and the
great base runners failed to run. largely
because they didn't get much of q chance.
The result was an overwhelming defeat.
X
One man of class can do more to
strengthen ball club than in any other
sport. Had Connie Mack secured the
services OF Jimmy Collins a month
not have been such heart-breaking af-
fatr right up to the last day. The third
base problem had been a source of con-
slant worry to Mack ever since Lave
eros was let out Innumerable young
sters were tried at the difficult corner
with varying success. The weakness at
third base had bad effect on the team
IN general: and many a game was dropped
that would have gone to the Athletics
with veteran playing the position.
strike. for the Athletics braced up at
once and were a contender for the pen
nant honors all the way. Mack took a
big chance with Collins, for it was feared
playing his great game. 1t is stated or
good authority that Mack presented Col
Inns with a check for $4,000 to agree to
the transfer, and consented to take over
his contract with Boston, which called
for $500. Thus it can be seen tina,
Mack took an $11. 800 chance with Collins
but he proved to bes worth double the
investment - ..
\
While every National and American
league critic conceded the pennant to the
Chicago team in the older organization
not one believed the Cubs would make a
runaway race Of it. The critics in the
National League were equally confident
that the team led by Chance would win
the worlds series but none was so opti-
mistlc as not to concede one or two
games to the Tigers. Yet the Cubs made
a runaway race Of it in their league and
defeat.
Late in the season Pittsburg picked
! up pitcher from the Wheeling team OF
the Central League, who appears to be q
dox. and he was regarded as a pure ex-
pertinent, only a small amount being
paid for his release. The youngster on
his first appearance in the big league
achieve in lifetime Working again.
Brooklyn. he let the Trolley Dodgers
down without hit and struck out ten
men. Maddox proved that his victory
wasn't a f1uke by winning all the remain
ing games he pitched, except one.
n =
Each league had it's sensational pitcher
While Donovan and Overall were rated as
star boxmen. no one for a minute thought
they would make the records credited to
them last season.
Overall. the twirler let out by Cincin-
natl because he failed to deliver. was
one of the big thrills in the National,
The big fellow worked in thirty-one
games. winning twenty three and losing
eight. One OF the games credited to the
lost column was forfeited to st. Louis
with the Cubs in the lead. Although not
considered good enough for Cincinnati he
aided Chicago materially in winning the
pennant.
wild Bill Donovan. who had very
fair season in 1908. was held in reserve BY
Jennings until nearly the first of June
Bill had been complaining some about his
arm and the Detroit manager decided
not to take any chances until the warm
weather get in. The wisdom of his judg
ment was shown by Donovans marvellous
work.
Bill " Iked his first game against Wash
ington End won it lin easy style. From
that time on he was worked regularly by
Jennings, and during the last few weeks
of the ra.e he worked every other day, as
he APPEARED to be the only effective
twirler on Jennings staff. Donovan Won
twenty-five games, lost four and tied
one. Only one other twirler in the his
tory OF the game. ever made a better
record, = G.. Spalding. In 1875. had a
record ts $50 for the season. Now the
dopes.ers are wondering what kind OF a
year Bill will. have in 1908
Napoie on 1aioie and Billy Keller, for
the first time during their career in the