The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-05

, has flown from flag poles on playing
 grounds in Il cities, situated in 10 diff
 ferent states New York has had the custody of the coveted pennant four
 times through the efforts of the Nation
 al league clubs players, and Chicago held the honor for a similar number of years,
 but the credit for winning it was divided between the National and American teams, the former having captured 1t three times and the White Sox' once. Three times has it fioated over Boston parks, it's first visit there being credited
 to the National league club in 1892 while
 in 1903 the American league acted as cus-
 todan. The Philadelphia Athletics. who
 now have possession of the pennant for
 third term, hope to keep it for at least
 another year.
 Way back in 1886 the flag found it's i, way across the Mississippi river for one season when it was unfurled at St. Louis, and in addition to it's floating for the first year at Providence the champion ship banner has futtered for twelve
 month at Detroit, Louisville, Cleveland and Pittsburg.
 Followers of baseball in all parts of the country today are figuring out the chances of the two teams which will engage in the series for the world
 championship. While it is generally con ceded that on past form and perform ances the Philadelphia Athletics appear to be logical favorites over the National 1 league representatives. many close oo- servers of the trend of sport this sea
 son predict another startling upset. Ger tainly the records in both national and international competition this year are in marked contrast of those of 1913 and
 furnish grounds for this blind faith in the continuation of the sensational form reversals which have marked almost
 every branch of sport during 1914. Ia cf hp representatives won six out of eight in- ternational trophy competitions, this sea- son witnessed the loss of the polo and
 tennis cups; the defeat of American teams or players in the British golf tour
 nament; the University of Pennsylvania
 relay meet; English court tennis and in ! the English prize ring. Four other in 1 ternational events, the yacht, motorboat, aeroplane and balloon races were aban- !, doned owing the the European war. The victories of the Harvard second crew at
 the English Senley and Jay Gould over George Covey in the worlds court ten
 his championship stand out as America's
 best showing. In a number of these con- tests the victors were deemed to have slim chance of winning previous to the matches.
 In national contests the same strange
 upsets continued. McLoughlon, victor
 over Brookes and Wilding in Davis sup l l Hams, who in turn was defeated by | Church a week so lated in the inter-
 collegiate championship. Francis Ouimet, | who defeated Ray and Vardon in the
 sensational open golf championship
 matches of 1913, failed completely in his
 efforts to win in the English amateur l championship at Sandwich as well as in
 the American open championship. He easily defeated Jerry Travers for the amateur title. however. only to be de- fated few days later at Greenwich by | a comparatively unkonwn Princeton uni-
 versity player. The New York Giants l held the National league lead during the
 major portion of the season only to lE 1 dethroned in the closing days of the
 race by Bostons spurt. Many other ex- l amples of the upsets which must make | 1914 famous in sport annals might be cited. It Is not strange, therefore, that l there should be those who boldly pre- | dict the downfall of Connie Mack's
 famous pennant and worlds champion ship winning machine.