AMERICANS AND PIRATES TO CLASH FOR SUPREME HONORS — LAJOIE AND YOUNG WIN TRIPLE CROWNS
By Samuel T. Kingsley, Sporting Times
October 6th, 1901
The curtain has fallen upon the regular season, and the champions have taken their bows. The Boston Americans of the fledgling American League and the Pittsburgh Pirates of the established National League now stand as the standard-bearers of their circuits. Each will advance to a grand seven-game Championship Series, winner take all, to decide the true monarchs of the diamond.
The contest has yet no official title, though some enthusiasts are already whispering of a “World’s Series.” Whether or not that name endures, the struggle promises to be one for the ages.
Boston’s ascent to the American League crown was won through steady brilliance, guided by the iron hand of manager Jimmy Collins and the pitching mastery of Cy Young, who once more proved himself the premier hurler of the age. In the National League, Pittsburgh left no doubt, crushing opposition with a season of dominance rarely seen in the game’s annals.
Yet the tale of 1901 is not written in club laurels alone, but also in individual deeds of singular greatness. On that front, the American League made history, producing two Triple Crown winners in its very first campaign.
At the pitcher’s post, Cy Young secured the crown with an imposing ledger: 27 victories against 9 defeats, an earned run average of 1.98, and 127 strikeouts. No man commanded the mound so completely, and Boston now leans heavily upon his broad shoulders as they enter the Championship fray.
At the plate, Napoleon Lajoie of the Philadelphia Athletics established himself as the finest batsman alive. With a majestic .393 batting average, complemented by 17 home runs, 124 runs batted in, and 114 tallies scored, the Frenchman carved his name indelibly into the record. That he accomplished this while his Athletics fell short of the flag only underscores his personal brilliance.
In the senior circuit, the laurels were more divided. Jesse Burkett of the St. Louis Cardinals led the batsmen at .363, while Sam Crawford of Cincinnati carried off both the home run crown (24) and the runs batted in title (112). Emmet Heidrick, another Cardinal, showed his fleetness by scoring 117 runs to top the league.
On the hill, Pittsburgh’s mastery was plain to see. Jesse Tannehill led the way with a sparkling 1.72 earned run average, while the mercurial Rube Waddell claimed both 28 victories and a staggering 230 strikeouts, feats that made the Pirates’ pennant run near inevitable.
Thus the stage is set. Boston, the champions of the new league, hungry to prove their mettle; Pittsburgh, the conquerors of the old guard, seeking to confirm their supremacy. In a few short days the two shall meet, and the nation will know, once and for all, who stands tallest in the grand game of base ball.
