Evening journal., 1919-10-06
FIRST BIG WORLDS
SERIES WAS IN 1883
Detroits and St. Louis
Browns Played IS Games
For Championship
WOLVERINES WON
TEN OF THE GAMES

n the baseball magnates Of thirty
wears ago had any conception OF the
magnitude Of the world championship
contests Of The present 10 was a hazy
one. siill the club owners Of the dim
past were not without Imagination and
enterprise, as was proved by the
worlds series OF iss7.,in which the De-
troit sluggers and thei st. Louis Browns
We're ihe contestants.
Considering The rather negative char
acter Of The three contests for tho
worlds championship that had pre-
ceded the 1887 struggle. sc was an event
considerably IN advance Of the times.
The worlds series OF 1881. the first
IN the history Of the game, was be-
tween Providence and the Metropoli-
taus. and was limited 10 i've games. As
the Grays won three IN row it was
short horse soon curried.
The world pennant struggles Of 1885
and 1866 were between the Chicago
Colts and the 50. Louis Browns and
Comisky's sprinlers tied the 1885 Sc
ries and won that of 1856 As The
games were played between the two
home cities and the receipts Of both
series were less than 5000. u can he
seen that the worlds championship as
feature OF the baseball season was
then In its infancy, lto use a Brooklyn
expression.
The Big Four and several more ter
ri1c hittars hammered out a National
League pennant for Detroit I'm 1887.
and the men who brought Brouthers.
Richardson. Rowe and White from Buff
falo 10 the City Of the Straits. paying
The muniflcent sum OF $500 for a
quartet OF the greatest batsmen in the
history OF the national game, evolved
The idea ofia greater worlds champion
ship
FredericktK. Stoarns. president OF the
Detroit club, was the originator OF the
idea that was put into effect In the fall
n 1881 Chris Won der Abe. then the
head OF the Browns. acceded 10 the De-
troit scheme. although he was a bit
afraid OF what he thought was a daring
experiment. The Browns won the pen
nant OF the American Association, as
was their custom In 1887, and then the
plans were laid for series to consist
Of fifteen games. one contest 10 be
In the country.
The first move was the hiring OF a
special train TO carry tho players about
the country. there being one coach for
NE Browns. one for the Detrolts. one
for The officials and members OF tho
press, and last but not least a dining
ar As Comlsky won the toss for
,hoice Of the place for the first game
ne naturally selected the Mound City.
and the Deirolts went west for the
opening struggle.
Comiskey's lineup in those days con-
sisted Of scissors Dave Foutz and
Partisan Bob Curruthers as his main
Stays IN the box and Doc Bushong as
his catcher Comlskey himself guard
cd first base. Yank sullivan was at
second Bill Gleason at short Arlle
Latham at third
In the outfeld he had the peerless
Curt Wech. the hard-hittlng TIP O'Nell
and Hugh Nichol.
The Deiroits had Bennett and Camel
behind the bat, pretzel Getzlen. Lady
Baldwin and Pete Conway in the box.
Dan Brouthers at first. Hardy Richard
son al second. Jack Rowe az short. Dea-
con While at third, Thompson I'm right.
Hanlon centre and Twitchel left.
Owing TO the fact that the Browns
had given Anson's Colts so hard a tussle
they were installed as hot favorltes 10
win a majority OF the games, the ex-
perts holding that Foultz and Carruth-
ers would be able 10 check the Detroit
bail smashers, while the deerfooted
Browns would scamper about the bases
like scared rabbits
The nrst game was played in 81.
Louis October 10. 1887. and the Browns
won by 10 !, with Getzien pitching
This was taken as evidence that the
series was as good as ended 80 far as
the victor was concerned. However,
the Detroiis upset the dope the follow
Ing day and won by > 10 3, with Lady
Baldwin, one OF The best southpaws OF
the game. In the box.
After the second game the teams took
10 their special train and moved on to
Detroit where the Wolverines broke
the Mound City heart by beating the
Comlskey clan by ? 10 in a thirteen
inning game.
The winning run was scored on a
play IN which Comlskey was charged
with letting a throw from Gleason get
away from him. although the old no
man always insisted that the bali went
wide. There was a Detroit runner on
third al the time, and he came home on
the play.
This defeat seemed 10 take the heart
out OF the Browns. and the next day
when The teams met IN Pittsburgh the |
Wolverines cantered home by s TO O.
The next game was played IN Brook |
lyn. and the Browns perked ND a bit |
after winning by 8 to 2. The two teams |
then played at the Polo Grounds. The |
petrofts scoring their second shut-out.
This time my 10 o. This took an ibe |
pepper out OF The Browns. ana they
.osi the game in Philadelphia by 10 |
,. ne Boston combat by Q 10 2 the I
washington contest by 81 TO Z and the /
Baltimore conflict by i3 TO 3
me game ended the Eastern cam
palgn, and the teams headed for ne /
iroit, where on October 25 the Defroifs
won by 10 3. Going 10 Chicago the |
next day the Detroits won by 10 g. |
and as the Wolverines had now won
ten out OF thirteen games and had
clinched the worlds title II was decided
TO return 10 Detroit and play The final
game. ss the weather was getting cold
The Detroits also desired TO do a hii OF
celebrating before disbandlng for the
season. As the Wolverines had ihe pen
Dant cinchcd ana had lost interest IN
the struggle. the fifteenth game was
called or. The Browns won the four