Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-05


of the present week the pennant win
ming clubs Of the American and Ma
tional Leagues will meet in the open
ing games of the Worlds champion
ship struggle of 1914. While this will
be the twenty-third series for premier
| baseball honors thirty years have
elapsed since the initial battle for the
worlds chamionship Of the baseball
diamond was won by the Providence,
r. I. "Grays," champions of the Ma
tional League in 1884, when they took
three straight games from the Metro
politans, the standard bearers of the
old American Association of that year.
To date % worlds championships have
been decided, unavoidable lapses hav-
| ing occurred in eight of the interven-
/ ing seasons, the years in which there
were no competitions for the title be-
ing 1891, 1893, 1898 to 1902, inclusive,
and 1904.
From 1884 to 1890 the contests were
between the winning teams of the
National League and American Asso-
citation and from 1894 to 1897 the Tenn
pie Cup series kept the annual contest
confined to clubs in the National
League. Then there came lapse of
five years until 1903, the post season
battle was revived when the Boston
American pennant winners met and
defeated the Pittsburg champions of
the National League. The champion
ship of 1904 went by default to the
| Boston Americans as the New York
National League Club refused to allow
it's pennant winners to play the Amer
lean League champions.
During the winter months of 1sO4-5
the two major leagues came to an
understanding and the National Com
mission assumed control of the champ
ionship series making 1t compulsory
for the pennant winning clubs to have
their teams meet annually in a seven
game series, the winners of four of
these games to receive the champion
ship pennant and each member of the
winning team to be presented with a
suitably inscribed gold button. Rules
governing the disbursement of the
gate receipts between the players
club owners and the National Com
mission were adopted and everything
to the most minute detail being ar
ranged satisfactorily, the champion
ship series was established on a solid
basis, and since 1905, the post season
struggles for the flag have been played
regularly attracting increased interest
each succeeding year.
In 1905 the New York Nationals de-
feated the Athletics of Philadelphia
four games to one, under the new con-
ditions, and the following year the
rival Chicago clubs had the issue be-
tween them, the title going to the
Chicago Americans, four games to
two. Chicago and Detroit fought i,
out in 1907 and 1908, the Chicago Ma.
tionals defeating their American Lea
que opponents from Detroit both times
The following year the Pittsburgh
Nationals forced the Detroit Ameri'
cans to experience defeat for third
successive time. In 1910 the Athletics
of Philadelphia won the series from
the Chicago Nationals, four games tc
one, and in 1911 Manager Mack of the
Athletics wiped out the defeat of 1905
by successfully defending the title
and beating the New York Giants foul
games to two A year later the New
York Nationals succumbed to the
Boston Americans and last year the
Athletics brought the worlds series
flag to Philadelphia for third term
by scoring decisive win over Mana
ger McGraw's New York team, -four
games to one.
Since it was first won by the Prov
idence team, the Worlds Champion
ship emblem has flown from f1ag-poles
on playing grounds in eleven cities
situated in 10 different states. New
York has had the custody of the COW
eted pennant four times, through the
efforts of the National League Clubs
players, and Chicago held the honor
for a similar number of years, but the
credit for winning it was divided be-
tween the National and American
League teams, the former having cap
tured it three times and the white
Sox" once. Three times has it f1oated
over Boston parks. its first visit there
being credited to the National League
club in 1892. while in 1903 and 1912 tho
American League acted as custodian
The Philadelphia Athletics, who now
have possession of the pennant for 8
least another year.
Way back in 1856 the flag found its
way across the Mississippi river fol
one season when it was unfurled at st
Louis and in addition to it's floating
for the first year at Providence the
championship banner has futtered fol
twelve months at Detroit, Louis
Vile, Cleveland and Pittsburg.
Results of Worlds
Games
Year winners won