1884 World Series

Although the "Fall Classic" as we know it didn't begin until 1903, Major League Baseball had several versions of a post-season championship series before that.

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The first such championship series was in 1884, between the Providence Grays of the National League and the New York Metropolitans of the American Association at the Polo Grounds in New York.

Related Topics:
Providence Grays - National League - New York Metropolitans - American Association - Polo Grounds - New York

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In 1884, Metropolitans manager Jim Mutrie issued a challenge to his NL counterpart, Frank Bancroft of the Grays. Mutrie's challenge was for a best-of-three series. Each team would put up a thousand dollars with the winner taking the booty.

Related Topics:
Jim Mutrie - Frank Bancroft

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The series would feature a pitching match-up of future Hall of Famers and 300-game winners Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn and Tim Keefe.

Related Topics:
Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn - Tim Keefe

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That was the year Radbourn won his season record 59 games for the Grays. Keefe was a mere 37-17. Playing under American Association rules, Radbourn and the Grays whipped the New York team in the first two games, 6-0 and 3-1.

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Only the first game went the full nine innings; the others were called after seven and six, because of darkness and extreme cold, respectively. The third game should never have been played as the format was best-of-three, and Providence clinched in two. But nothing is more conducive to bad judgment than greed, and Game Three was played under the assumption that a big crowd would turn out.

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This resulting crowd comprised 300 people. Radbourn, pitching his third complete game in three days, led the Grays to an 12-2 thrashing. For the series, Radbourn allowed 11 hits and no earned runs in 22 innings. As an indication that nobody was taking the game seriously, Keefe, the losing pitcher in the first two games, umpired the third one.

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Local newspaper The New York Clipper called the series "The Championship of the United States." Several newspapers, such as The Sporting Life penned the Grays as "World Champions" and the new title stuck.

Related Topics:
The New York Clipper - The Sporting Life

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The total attendance for the three games was 3,800. Despite the low attendance, the two leagues continued the series, and attendance and prize money increased each of the next two years.

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Post-season series between the champions of the two leagues continued until 1891, when renewed fighting between the leagues prevented further championship matches.

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