Thursday, December 30, 2010

The 1887 World Series: An Unpleasant Pill

The Browns' friends in this city, particularly those who have manifested their confidence in the "World Beaters" by backing them with great regularity in all games of the series, up to date, and the countless ones who have some sort of a bet depending on the final result of the contest, gave up all hope of seeing the Association club win the world's championship, this year at least, after the result of yesterday's game. The cry of hippodrome has already been heard among the disappointed ones, who can not believe that the Browns have been beaten fairly, but the more sensible ones, and in most cases those who have lost big amounts on the home club's defeats, freely acknowledge that in the Detroits the Browns have met a superior club. It is rather an unpleasant pill for the St. Louis ball enthusiasts to swallow, but there can be no getting around the fact that the Detroits as a team of ball players are about as near perfection as can be. They have shown that their pitchers are better than the Browns', that they are harder hitters, and that they can run bases just as well. Their fielding has been more than twice as good as the Browns', and the superb catching of Bennett has never been equaled by Bushong, in this series at least. There are no good excuses for the Browns' defeats. They are in no way crippled by the loss of men, and all of the players are in about the same condition as they were weeks before the regular season closed. There are many who believe that they will yet pull up before the championship has been captured by the Detroits, but there is but little possibility of that. The lead is too great to be overcome now. Eight more games are yet to be played, and the Browns, to come out victorious, must win six of them.
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 18, 1887

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