This Month In Baseball
October 1877
Edition 7.8
White Claims Triple Crown
Nationals Star Has Historic Season
Last year Ross Barnes did some things no one tough possible for a baseball season as the Washington Nationals won the pennant. This yea they won the pennant again in dramatic fashion by a single game but it was Deacon White instead of Barnes who reached a historic mark.
White becomes the first batter to lead his league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in; the feat has been properly named as the Triple Crown. White hit an incredible .458 this year even more so impressive with batting averages down throughout the game. He also drove in 86 runs to lead all hitters and has 440 RBI for his career, third most of any player. He also managed to hit three home runs to tie for the league lead rounding off his dominance.
All should also remember that White is considered the best catcher defensively in the game as he has now caught 495 games and no pitcher can claim that he hasn't improved their performances.
"There is not only no player in the league like Deacon," says pitcher Bobby Matthews, "there is no other man like him period. I think I would retire if I had to throw to anyone else." Matthews of course has 188 wins as a pitcher, more then anyone else by a wide margin.
The Nationals now look to repeat as champions and become the first team ever to do so. They took the flag on the final weekend of the season outlasting the Hartford club by one game as they defeated the lowly Brown Stockings on the last day of the schedule.
Whites Take Third Pennant In A Row
Match Last Years Record and Look To Finally Win Series
The call throughout Philadelphia continues to be one accord, "Win One For Pike". The Whites of Philadelphia finished with the best record in either league and matched their record from last year ending with 63 wins.
Still there is great uneasiness heading into the World Series. Philadelphia has made it and lost the last two seasons and face the exact opponent who knocked them out last year, the Washington Nationals. At the heart of it all for the team is player manager Lip Pike who had another incredible season as a player and as a skipper, but has yet to be rewarded with the World Championship.
His players seem determined to make sure this is finally the year they achieve their goal. Pike has turned 32 years old and realizes this just may be his final chance. Baseball of course can be a cruel game, but fate may finally be on the side of the starstruck club that deserves better.
The two teams split their 8 games this season evenly but Pike struggled against Washington hitting only .208.