The Cordova daily times., 1921-10-10
GREAT RACES IN PAST SEASONS
 FOR HONORS
CBy Associated Press)

tional league in the season of 1908, when in the closing week of the cam I paign, New York and Pittsburg all , were in an ace of taking the honor. New York and Chicago finished the season in a tie and in the playoff the | Cubs won.
 On October 3, 1908, after Pittsburg had assumed first position, New York l played Philadelphia. It was Mathew | son against Coveleski and the latter won, 3 to ?. Pttsburg and the Cubs won their games that day and the Giants dropped to third.
 Chicago and Pittsburg then met in what was for them the last game of | the season. One was bound to lose and ! if the game were played to a tie, there was a chance that New York would 1 slip past both and win the champion ! ship Pittsburg erred at critical mo- 1 mentG during the game and lost , to and was eliminated in the champion 1 ship race. having played their full quota of games. Chicago held first 1 place. Pittsburg second and the Giants l third. The Giants, however had three games to play with Boston, and by winning all of them could tie Chicago. They won them.
 Now turning back the history pages a few Gays, to September 23. there oc- cured q play which set the baseball world by it's ears. In the last inning of the game between the Cubs and Giants. with Mccormick on third and Merkle on first and two out, Bridwell, the New York shorstop, batted clean ] hit over second base. Mccormick scored and Bridwell touched first base. Evers. the Cub second-sacker remained at his post calling for the ball to be thrown to him. Chance, the Cub lead. CT, asserted that it was thrown, de manded that Umpire O'Day declare ! Merllle out on the ground that he had | touched second base and therefore had been forced out. O'Day left the field, announcing that the play was suS- pended After the crowd had left he stated that the run which supposedly was made by Mccormick and which would have won the game for New York had not scored and that the con test. therefore, was tie, 1 to l. In other words he had declared Merke out at second
 The National league president, Pull liam. sustained O'Day in his report and both teams protested Chicago claimed it should have been awarded the game under the rule referring to the number of games which shall be played during the season and that New York should have played off the tie on September 24. The Giants protested against the umpire's decision, claim ing it was not in accordance with the facts
 Pulliam called a meeting of direc- tors. They upheld the decision of the umpire and the calling of the game a lie. refused to grant the Cub claim oh the ground that they had tied the hands of the league president by the filing of their protest and that the game therefore could not be played the following day They then ordered the game to be played off at the Polo grounds on October s.
 So. with the season ending in tie between the teams they met on Oc- tober & in a memorable contest.
 So great was the crowd that those left outside battered down the fences end tore away parts of the stands in their frenzy.
 The Cubs won. Mathewson hurled for the Giants and he was batted in but one inning. but enough runs came in then to give Chicago the game. Chance made a bad blunder to start the contest by starting Pfiester in the box. The Giants threw away their chances to win the game in the first inning by poor base running Brown was sent to relieve Pfiester and he thereafter held the Giants safe.
 The pennant races in both leagues were close in 1916 In the National, Brooklyn won, Philadelphia was sec ond Boston third and the Giants fourth Philadelphia was beaten by 15 points in the percentage and New York. though in fourth place, was seven games behind the leaders Bos- ton was nine percentage points be- hind Philadelphia. Boston won tfe