The early ball club , which featured numerous future Hall of Famers , finished in first place three consecutive years ( 1894 -- 1895-1896 ) and won the `` Temple Cup '' national championship series in 1896 and 1897 .
The team , which featured numerous future Hall of Famers , finished in first place three consecutive years ( 1894 -- 1896 ) and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897 .