Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-03
STACECLASSIC
MIDST
ECHOES in N. Y.
First Worlds Series Game Was
Played on Polo Grounds
i'm 1905.
By GEORGE

copyrlght. 1922. by The Great Falls Tribune
New York, Oct. 2.--The 1922 battle
for the so-called worlds champion
ship in baseball will start on the field
that was the scene of the National
leagues triumphs over the younger
league in the first worlds series
played. 1t will be on almost the iden-
teal diamond on which the New York
Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics
met in 1905. The Giant pitcher who
faces the American league titleholders
of 1922, October 4, will stand almost
in the exact spot where the mighty
Matty stood when his famous fade
away ball and the rest of the then
Youthful surprises had their tryouts.
The fact that the baselines and
pitchers box have shifeted a trifle.
since Mathewson's day has never been
known before. When the Polo grounds
were corrected. in measurements,
| slight alterations had to be made.
When the diamonds were first laid
| on most major leagne parks the serv-
| ices of q civil engineer were not called
| into requisition and the simple, system
of cords used by ground keepers did
not conduce to strict accuracy.
1t has been the custom of some to
| refer to the post-season series which
were placed prior to 1909 as n world S
series, but they were not. They were
merely post-season exhibition games
arranged by club owners and mana.
gers and without a central board OF
authority to regulate them.
The first game for n real world
| series was played at Philadelphia Dc
tober 9. 1905, between the Philadel-
mia Americans. champions of their
league. and the New York Nationals,
| who had won their championship with
ease.
The game was won by New York,
3 to O. and the winning pitcher was
Mathewson.
For the first game between New
York and Philadelphia in 1905 the Ath-
letics were top-heavy ~favorites IN their
own city and in most cities OF the
major circuits. There was a DISPOSE
ton TO believe that the American
league was stronger than the National
and there we're few who were good
enough students of baseball to realize
that the Giants were a powerful com
bination in the field and that they
possessed the greatest pitcher of base
ball in Mathewson.
The outcome of the game stunned
the hackers of the Athletics, but they
rallied bravely and went to New York
in force on the following day. The
Athletics won, 3 to 0, n the PhIla-
delphia rooters returned home crazy
with triumph.
The third game was played at Phil
adelphia and the Athletics were routed,
O TO O. The difference between the
teams was so marked that the Athlet-
les rooters wer dazed after the game
was over and before it was finished
some of them had turned against their
team. That is common in baseball.
The next game was played IN New
York and was the most desperately
fought of the series. The Philadelphia
contingent was present with tin horns
and rattle boxes. but not in such num-
bers as it had been and with never o
chance to yowl over a score. because
the Athletics were turned back, j to U
The final game was played Satur-
dny. October IA. 1t was won by New
York with Mathewson pitching, 20
and the youngster, who was ther
breaking into fame as a player OF
worldwide reputation wherever base.
ball was known, completed his feat OF
shutting his rivals out in three games
of the first world series. There were
very few Philadelphians present fol-
the last game.
The outcome Of the series re-estab
lished the fame of the National league
The older organization had suffered
a little in the brush with it's rival ant
there had been a winter of %jeerinj
and fun poking on the part OF thu
American league partisans because tn
Giants had refused to play in 800
with Boston.
1t made little difference to tn
American league enthusiasts that tn
owner of the Giants might think h.
had abundant reason for declining thu
series. The only thing they saw wa
that the Giants had refused to pla.
and were therefore afraid. Beini
afraid they must be of minor caliber