Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-04

the fans who have witnessed the last
seven worlds series were punched to-
gether and made a city, how large pop
ulation do you think 1t would have? II
you were told that they would aggre-
gate over the 100000 mark would you
believe 1t? They would make city
larger than st, Louis. Well, to be exact,
the census takers would credit Baseball
vile with being a city of 7O1, SAG persons.
This is the number of fans who have
witnessed the forty-one games which
have been played since the worlds
series first came under the jurisdiction
of the national commission eight years
ago. Another thing, il you divided the
total receipts for these struggles among
the inhabitants each fan would have
enough to purchase a ticket for this
wears worlds series and still have lit
tie over for peanuts and pink lemonade.
Just how great a hold the worlds series
claims on the base ball public is evidenced
by the fact that $7S3. 951. so has been ex-
pended since 1903 to see the champions
of two leagues play base ball.
Just how many more figures will be
added to the aforementioned ones after
this years series is concluded is a mat
tician is unable to solve at the present
moment. However. 1t is thought that
with the full seven games being played
the mark will reach over the million
Asure. Base ball of today cannot be
compared with the time when the nrst
worlds series was played, back IN 1884
Then the game was pastlme compared
with its present status.
While the national commission, the
body which arranges the playing dates
for the worlds series. Is planning. Its
schedule. New Workers interest them
selves in the closing events OF the Ma
tional League pennant chase ana won
der what the Giants luck Will be In
the allotment of dates. The commits
sion ia to meet here Thursday to ar
range the schedule. The opening date
will be decided by the flip of coin.
IL it's fall Is favorable to New York
the Giants will get four games and
the Athletics the remaining ones, and
vice versa
New York originally is the birthplace
of the worlds series, for this way of
the worlds championship
team was adopted in 1884. in the days
of the Metropoiitans. with Orr, Troy,
other celebrated old timers This was
the wear the series was started, the
teams being the noted
club and the Nets. Since
then nineteen such series nave Deen
nlayed. but not consecutively, for since
that neriod tWcnty-seven years have
elapsed.
league base ball teams played for the
title. No series was played In 1871
but the following year the champion
shin for two seasons was contested.
In 1894 the Temple cup was donated.
and this was competed for until 1897.
No championship games were played
for the next Ave years, ana then the
idea was submitted in 1903 to have the
winners of the American and National
League pennants meet each year In
Dost.geason series for the worlds title.
This was really the beginning of the
worlds series. Prior to this date the
title play was unorganiSed. From
1908 worlds championship series
has been played every year with the
Going back to tho start. the first base
bali team which won q worlds champion
ship was the great Providence team man
aged by Frank c. Bancroft. They won
the National League o ehampionship with
centage being $50. and afterward defeat
ed the Metropolitans in the first post-sea-
SON series ever played. Radbourne. con-
sidered one of the most wonderful pitch
ers in base balls history. was responsible
for Providence's showing against the
Metropolitans. The Nets lost all three
games, the scores being 60. 81 and 11-2
The next year Pop Anson's Chicago
team, after winning the National League
pennant with q ITO percentage. met st.
Louis in q series Of seven games. On
Anson's team was the noted Pitcher
Clarkson. Billy Sunday, F.. s. Flint, NJ.
Kelley and others. The series resulted in
a tie as each team lost three games and
won three. The other was q draw. The
total receipts for these games was $4,000.
In those days this was rather large
amount for a series Of this character. The
games. however. did not have the power
to interest the entire country as those OF
today do. A two-thousand-dollar gate at
the Polo Grounds nowadays. even though
on q threatening day, would be consid-
cred q poor days work.
The two teams played again for the,
title In, 1sa4 the following year, and this