Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-03
WORLDSSERIESIN BASEBALL
History Of the Interleague Champion.
ships Since 1884.
BRIEF GLANCE AT THE GAMES
FIRST Tu-sIe for Premier Base Bali
Honors Was Between Providence
mud observation-disclosures
ity Has Increased.

mud MetropOlttaus-Fopuiar-
ity Has Increased.
The coming worlds championship base
bah series win once more demonstrate the
wonderful popularity Of the national game
for In every city and town throughout the
United States an army Of fans VIII eagerly
await the result of each contest. II was
good business policy on the part OF the
two major leagues when they decided upon
this annual test Of skill, for they estab-
lished not only an incentive for the play
crs OF the pennant-winninR teams to show
the fighting spirit right up to the end OF
the campaigns, but also provided a climax
which has caused widespread interest
vherevcr base ball is discussed.
The idea OF the so-called worlds series
did not originate with the present major
league magnates. however. The first series
va. the result Of rivalry between the Ma
tlonal league and the old American ASSOC
citation. organized in 1882. Up to that year
the National league had a monopoly of base
bel patronage in the large cities but with
IN, advent Of the American association
there was a sharp struggle for first honors
which eliminated I'm a battle on the dia-
NOM between llt Nldlil.oAi HNNohAos
Il was in 1884 that the first worlds series
was played, between the champion Provi-
d5nce team OF the National league and the
Metropoiitans Of New York, pennant win
ncrs in the American association. After
that there was an annual struggle up TO
the end Of the season Of 1890. Then came
the war between the rival organizations,
and of course the worlds series was abol-
80 - -. Nkn tvyal4Fo-a1nh National
league was formed in 1892 there was no
further test, except a meeting Of the win
ners Of the first and second seasons" in
1895. -
offer of Temple Cup.
The Temple cup was offered for compe-
titlon in 1894, and the B~altimores, cham
pions, met the New Yorks, who finished
second. This trophy was played for every
year after that until the end of 1897, when
the magnates decided to cut out the series
because Of the squabbles over the players
share Of the prize money. For six years
after that there was no series Of any kind
after the regular season, except ihterleague
contests in different cities, which were
simply gate money affairs Of no particular
import.
When the American league expanded in
1901, which brought on a bitter fight en-
failing heavy financial loss, there was no
chance for a worlds championship, bu
when the peace agreement between the big
circuits was signed the following year II
was decided to have n meeting between
the two pennant winners. SO in the fall
of 1908 the Pittsburg Nationals and the
Boston Americans locked horns to settle
the question of supremacy. Boston won
the American league pennont in 1904 and
issued the usual challenge to the Giants,
who had been successful In the National
league, but John T. Brush for some un-
known reason declined to play the series
and the Hub team laid claim to the worlds
title by default. Later Mr.. Brush explained
his action by stating that no formal rules
governing such a series had been adopted.
and proceeded to draw up a code himself.
Excepting a few amendments, the code
was adopted by the rival leagues, and the
worlds series has been governed by it ever
since.
Under the Commission
The series is under the absolute control
OF the National Base Ball commission,
with the contesting clubs forced to give
bonds in the sum of SO, 1000 each to guar
antee good faith and a strict obedience of
the rules. Ine NUMBER OF games is IlNed
at not more than seven, three to be played
in each city, with the deciding battle
ground. II necessary, to be selected by the
commission. Two umpires representing
each league must officlate. The winning
team receives a pennant and each member
OF It gets an emblem provided by the COM
mission. The players of the rival teams
receive % per cent Of the gross receipts OF
the first four games. with 60 per cent OF
this money to the winners and 40 per cent
TO the losers. The commission gets 10 pei
cent Of the gross receipts from all of the
games played, while the balance OF tho
money, minus the players end, Is divided
equally between the rival club owners.
The series of 1884 between the Provi-
dence Nationals and the Metropolitans
cor sisted of only three games. all PLAYED
at the Polo grounds in this city. Provi-
dence made a clean sweep, winning by {
to 0, 3 to 1 and IL to 2 Frank Bancroft:
was the manager Of the Providence team,
which included Pitchers Radbourne and
Sweeney, Catchers Gilligan and Nava. In
fielders Start, Farrell, Denny and Irwin
and Outfielders Carroll, Hines and Rad
ford. The Nets had Tim Keefe and Jack
Lynch as pitchers, with Holbert and Relp-
schlager behind the bat; Dave Orr,