The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-16
Question Whether Jennings Can
Break Another Record.
No Major Team Ever Won Four
Successive Pennants.
EXPECTED TO GO BACK
Generally Believed That Tigers
Are Growing Stale.
Items OF Interest Concerning
Western League.

Hugh Ambrose Jennings, manager
of the Detroit Tigers, and inventor of
the battle cry of "We-ah!" whose
speciality is smashing records, has a
chance to fracture another record this
season. Four-tirne winners in the
American or National leagues are I'M
known-in fact, the only team in a
major organization that won four
flags in a row was Charley Comiskey' $
famous st. Louis Browns of the old
American association. If Jennings
can pilot his Junglemen to the top
again this year he will have accom-
pIished a task that proved too much
for Adrian Constantine AnSon, the Iate
Frank Selee, Ned Hanlon, FREDERICK
Carlton Clarke and Frank Leroy
Chance, Each one of these men was
the commander of a club that finished
in front three years in succession
None of them, however, could win
the zonfalon for the fourth consecu-
tive time, says the PittsburS Leader
Arson had the chance in 1888, Sc
lee in 1894, Hanlon in 1897, Clarke
in 1904 and Chance in 1909. The Chi
cago team. which carried off the hon
ors in 1880. 1881 and 1882, finished
second in 1883, being forty-one points
behind Boston. The Boston club led
the field in 1891. 1892 and 1898, and
finished third in the race or 1899,
baltimore winning the pennant, with
New York as the runner-up.
The pacemakers of 1884, 1888 and
1896 were the Baltimore Orioles, one
of whom was Hughey Jennings, DIS
turber of baseball records. In 1897
the Bostons wrested the champion
ship title from the Birdlets, who made
p gallant effort to enter the ranks OF
the fourtime winners. The Mary
1anders failed to do so, however, and
when the final returns were all in the
Boston teams average of Victors was
los and Baltimores .69S.
Only Three in a Row.
The 1897 destination of the PEN
nant hinged on the result of the final
series played in Baltimore between
the Orioles and the Beaneaters. When
the set of games started, on Friday,
September "a, the Birdlets were on
the top rung of the championship
ladder. though their advantage in the
percentage column was not one point
The first game between the rivals of
the lead resulted in a Boston victory,
by a score of to 4, Charley (kid)
Nichols pitching against Joe CorDett
and w. Arlington Pond. On Satur-
day. September 25. the tables were
turned, the Hanlonites, with Bill Hof-
fer in the rifle pit, trimmed the tribe
of Selee, to 3. Fred Klobedanz
was Boston's gunner.
The Bay Staters captured the de-
Gliding game of the series, played on
Monday, September 27 by score of
10 to 10. Kid Nichols was Boston's
finger, while for the Orioles Joe Cor
bett, Jerry Nops, Bill Hotter and Nor
ris Amole occupied the slab. Eleven
solid raps, five of them doubles. net
led the Bostons nine runs in the sew
enth inning, and won for them the
championship of 1897. To this day
enthusiasts of the Monumental City,
unlike those of other places, speak of
the "unlucky seventh"
The fourth National league COM
bination to win three banners in row
was Pittsburg. The Pirates, COM
manded by Fred Clarke, topped the
list in 1901, 1897 "a ana ad,1 IsS 6ron line
to fourth position. Ahead of them
were the Giants, the Cubs and the
Reds. Pittsburg's 1904 record was
.569. that of the pennant-winning New
York club, .693.
Last wear the Cubs, with Frank Le-
roy Chance directing them, had the
opportunity to become four-time win
ners, and might have done SO had it
not been for Johnny King joining
the holdout brigade. The Windy City
troupe ran a poor second to the Pr
rates and were forty-four points be-
hind the Corsairs when the season
ended. 5..
Until Jennings entered the Ameri-
can league that organization never
knew what it was to have a team that
finished first more than two years in
succession. Chicago won the banner
in 1900 and 1901 and Boston turned
the trick in 1908 and 1904. Jennings
shattered precedent last year by pilot
ing the Tigers to the top for the third
consecutive time, and now he is out
to win another flag with his Royal
Bengals.
Tigers Getting Stale.
1t is the general opinion that H Am
brose will experience tremendous diff
in 1rooriner the AnaariNon lpa III
pennant in Detroit for another year
1rans think the Tigers are destined {
go back, and go back badly, in 1910
and that some club from the east, eth.
err Philadelphia or Boston, will be fount
at the top at the end of the campaign.
AS the way the experts see it, che
Tigers have reached the limit of theil
power. Ty Cobb, of course, will no
slow up, but it hooked last year as L
Sam Crawford was just about getting
ready to have a slump. Matty McIn
tyre, the pride of Port Richmond, die
so back a lot last Season-so much so
in fact, that Davy Jones became De
troit's regular occupant of left field
David will have the left field assign
ment again this year and Mcintyre vii
warm the bench and act in the capaci
ties of pinch hitter and emergenc.
runner.
Detroit's infield doesn't look nearly a
good as Philadelphia's. and the Tige
catcfers are not as clever as Connie
Mack's set of wind-paddists. The sta
of the jungle teams inner works il
pwnie Bush. Tom Jones isn't a gooC
first baseman, and Jim De1ehanty i
only a fair second sacker. Jim cal
sting the ball. and that is about all. A
n third baseman Moriarity, formc
Highlander, has many superiors in TIL
big leagues. For George, however, i
must be said that he has it on 80 pc
cent Of the players in the Johnson OF
ganization when it comes to pluck. H
IS the kind of athlete Jennings fancies-
game as a pebble and unaware OF TIL
word quit
Detroit has an excellent set of pitch
ers though two of them-Wild Bill Don
. ovan and George Mullin-are aging
Donovan had a bad season that year
but he may come back with bells on Il
the next campaign. Mullin is an inland