The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-10
By REN MILFORD. Jr.

textbook IN the College OF Dope diamo..d
historians refer 10 the present worlds
championship clash as the thirteenth OF
the series since the advent Of dual major
leagues Usually history behaves beauti-
fully, but in this case the Ridpaths.
Froudes, and Banerofts Of baseball have
fouled out In all current guides the date
OF the first meeting between champion
topnotchers is given b. 1854. In that year
the Providence. club. the National League
champs, cleared up the Metropolitans
and laid ther away In balloons morgue
with thr0e wreaths Of immortelles on
their brcws. The American champions
failed 10 puncture the Rhode Islanders
IN a single game. Just vehy all OF base
balrs historians have overlooked the
struggle in Cincinnati when the cham
pions Of the infant American Association
clashed with A. c. Anson's Chicago
White STOCKINGS and enjoyed an even
break is mystery. The fact that tfis
has been done makes the post-champion-
ship games Of 1852 take on the Importance
o. spot news. as interesting 70 the fans
OF to-day az the discovery OF some OLD
manuscripts dug up in an Egyptian sepul-
cher
That Memorable Drawn Battle.
Cincinnatrs old guard revels to-day ia
the memory Of that drawn battle, the
first time the American Association held
its own with the National League, feat
that was repeated when Chicago and st.
Louis equally divided six games and
played one draw in the year 1851. rhe
National League wasn't known as the
ancient and honorable back In S. The
welcome they gave the American Associ-
alton was Just about as cheerful as tho
message which Commander Peary sent 10
the world when he heard DR.. Cook story
OF the conquest OF the pole. The National
League imagined that 1t had the major
field nailed" and when. at the close Of
the season Of 80. the Cincinnati Reds,
who had bagged the nag in the assOcis-
ton. sent challenge to Capt. Anson's
league champions, the White Stockings
accepted with glee. Chicago looked on
Cincinnatfs team as collection OF pyg-
mics, and they expected their humiliation
at the hands Of Anson's champions. JusI
as the three games Of the Providence
Metropolitan series were played at the
same park the old Polo Grounds, in like
manner Cincinnati usurped the pair
which, while they might not be dignihcd
with the title Of a worlds championship
series, deserve 10 be given rank as the
earliest curtain-raiser TO the magnificent
struggles which now interest millions or
American enthusiasts and send their
echoes around the world
FOrerunner of Present Game,
Those all-but-forgotten games Of So.
the forerunner OF the present heroic bat
ties between the National and American
champions, we're not attended by extraor-
binary preparation. The feeling between
the National and American Association
was so badly strained that because the
Reds met the Chicagos in this abbreviat
ed series a number OF Cincinnati con-
I spirators tried 70 get the American AS
/ ISOLATION to expei the existing club and
Z turn the franchise over 10 them. No
/ troop OF fans accompanied Capt. Arson
/ and his giants from Chicago TO Cincin-
natl No war correspondents trailed the
/ National champions. IL was during the
era which some Of the fossils like to call
"the good old times"
/ Cincinnatrs grounds were then on Bank
/ street. long since given up for railroad
I freight terminals. It was Just about this
I time that President Taft. who a few days
/ since made his famous request, Put me
/ with the other fans" was counted one OF
1 Cincinnatrs royal rooters. No national
commission ruled these games The tar
\ IN was only IS and 90 cents In ''the good
/ old tines stands were primitive. Tween
/ ty-seven hundred enthused over this first
/ historic championship encounter and $500
at the second contest so damned the pa
! vilion that the overflow crowded the left
4 embankment. Few contests in this year
Of 1909 have been more exciting than the
4 first Of the pair OF 50 played on October
/ s. Singularly enough. all the cities prom
inent in the big baseball fights this year
I were factors In that ancient conflict The
/ Athletics finished second and Pittsburgh
/ predecessors, the Alleghenies. we're fourth
| in the Association race. Detroit brought
up bad sixth IN the National runaway.
The meeting OF Chicago and Cincinnati
was viewed by the baseball sharps OF
I long ago in much the same light as the
famed encounter Of Goliath VS.. David.
VIII White pitched for Cincinnati, and
this specialized twirler found bis old
backstop, Charley Snyder, disabled Phil
Powers caught him. The game was a
screecher. Were I to live to be as old as
Methusaleh I'll never forget the scene
that followed that drive of bid" Nc
Phee In the Hateful sixth. II was one
large inning Of Red events.
McPhee's Great Hit.
Harry Wheeler had gone the OrviIle
Wright route to Alb Dalrymple. when
Hick Carpenter. the Reds third baseman.
singled over second. Danny stearns'
smash that followed got safely past Capt
[
Fulmer sent Carpenter home. When Nc
Phee smashed the ball to deep center for
three bases, the crowd went wild, and
Bid followed the pair he drove home by
| scoring himself on a wild pitch That
was the score. 1 20 O. for Fred Goldsmith
held the Reds down after that and White
was able to personally conduct Arson
big fellows right on TO the Skunk Farm.
Next afternoon Chicago handed back the
keys 10 that runless reservation and
/ Cincinnati was BANKED. TO 0. Will
| White went IN and pitched again, but 9
tumble by Carpenter and a wild throw over
| third by Wheeler gave Chicago the only
runs of that contest. Larry Corcorar
held the Reds safe and only four OF them
reached base.
There wasn't much difference between
those cid scores and the summary OF q
modern game Cincinnati outhit Chicago
10 10 in the first game, and each team
made two errors. In the second contest
the hits were to 4, in Chicago's favor,
while on the count OF errors Cincinnati
spilled three and Chicago played without
a wabble.
This completes In brief the story OF the
earliest collisions between major league
champlons-two exciting games that dis
mond historians OF to-day have entirely
overlooked in their chronicles OF deeds
OF valor on worlds championship fields
Neither of these encounters deserves to
be forgotten Played to-day. they would