The Contests For The Pennant In 1894
Not since 1890 has a new candidate for League championship been
successful in winning the pennant, but in 1894 another club was added to
the list of League pennant winners, the interest in the annual races, of
course, being thereby proportionately increased. In 1876, when the
League was organized, Chicago was the first city to win League
championship honors, and in 1877 Boston entered the arena of pennant
winners. Next came Providence in 1879, after which a whole decade of
League seasons passed without a new pennant winner being added to the
above two, Detroit winning in 1887 for the first time. Next came New
York in 1888, followed by Brooklyn in 1890, and now Baltimore has
entered the contest arena of champion clubs, that city winning the
honors in 1894. During the intervals of this period of nineteen years of
League championship campaigns the Boston and Chicago clubs won the
majority of pennant races; Boston carrying off the flag during the
seasons of 1877, 1878, 1883, 1891, 1892 and 1893, and Chicago winning in
1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885 and 1886, this latter club being the only
one to win the pennant in three successive years, from 1876 to 1890
inclusive, the Bostons not being three time winners until the seasons of
1891, 1892 and 1893. That club, however, is the only one to win the
championship in four successive seasons--outside of the League--since
the professional championship was inaugurated in 1871, the Bostons
afterwards winning in 1872, 1873, 1874 and 1875. There are now in the
League eight clubs out of the twelve which have yet to win a single
pennant race, viz., the Philadelphia and Washington clubs of the Eastern
divisions, and all six of the Western clubs. There are also but four
clubs now in the League which have never reached higher than second
position since the League was organized, viz., Louisville, 1877--that
club's earned title to first place having been lost by the crookedness
of four of its team of that year--Cincinnati in 1878, Philadelphia in
1887 and Pittsburgh in 1893, while there are two clubs now in the League
which have never reached higher than third place, viz., St. Louis in
1876, and Cleveland in 1880 and 1893. The only aspirant for a position
in League pennant races higher than fourth place at the close of the
season now in the League is the Washington club; so there is plenty of
room to win honors in 1895 if only in getting in among the six leaders
by October next.
Next:
The Three Leading Clubs In The Pennant Race Of 1894
Previous:
The League Championship Campaign Of 1894
