Kirby, Chester H

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Volume 3 | Number 11 Article 3
11-1-1922
The World's Series of 1891
Chester H. Kirby
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rThe World’s Series of 1891
The baseball season of 1891 was hectic and desul­
tory. Attendance was poor. Baseball finance was 
close upon the rocks of bankruptcy. As the summer 
waned many disputes threatened to disrupt the 
world of organized baseball, and the future of the 
game seemed problematic.
In the Western Association — predecessor of the 
Western League — only two clubs managed to fight 
down internal dissension and resist the poignancy 
of an empty pocketbook. With grim determination, 
Kansas City and Sioux City struggled to finish the 
season. Before September the clubs representing 
Milwaukee, Lincoln, Duluth, and Minneapolis with­
drew from the race, and soon afterward the Omaha 
club forfeited the remainder of its schedule to Den­
ver and disbanded.
The final clash for the championship lay between 
Kansas City with a percentage of .517 and Sioux 
City with .542. It was agreed that the two teams 
should play a series of five games. To win four of 
these games would give the coveted pennant to 
Kansas City, while only two were required to cinch 
the trophy for Sioux City. Kansas City made a 
good start by winning the first game, but the second 
went to Sioux City, whereupon R. E. Mulcahy, secre­
tary of the Sioux City club, informed his supporters
364
THE WORLD’S SERIES OF 1891 365
that “we are going to have the pennant just as sure 
as the sun shines and they needn’t worry about the 
matter.” He proved to be a good prophet for on 
September 18th the Western Association officially 
declared Sioux City champion. The remainder of 
the series was played as exhibition games.
Interest in the East centered upon the champion­
ship of the National League — the oldest and most 
respected organization of its kind. As the end of 
the season drew near it seemed certain that Chicago 
would win the pennant. During the last days, how­
ever, Boston won five postponed games from New 
York and with them first place in the league. The 
official percentage was Boston .630 and Chicago .607. 
Since this good fortune could hardly be attributed 
to necromancy, the partisans of Chicago were prone 
to charge that there had been a conspiracy to 
“ throw” games to Boston. President James A. 
Hart of the Chicago club thought that New York 
must have shown either “ downright dishonesty” or 
“ gross incompetency” and declared his intention of 
leaving no stone unturned to discover the facts. An 
investigation was made by the directors of the Na­
tional League, but nothing unsavory was found and 
the New York club was officially vindicated.
In the American Association — precursor of the 
American League — another Boston club had won 
the undisputed championship. Hitherto it had been 
customary for the leading teams of the National 
League and the American Association to play a post-
366 THE PALIMPSEST
season series of games to decide the championship of 
the world. Since both of the winning teams in these 
leagues represented Boston in 1891, the question of 
superiority between the major leagues was not de­
cided that year.
Meanwhile, however, Chicago baseball fans, un­
daunted by the official success of Boston, claimed 
championship for the Chicago Colts in the National 
League, and demanded an opportunity to demon­
strate their prowess. The Sioux City Huskers, 
champions of the Western Association, were also 
casting about for new worlds to conquer. When 
baseball seemed to have come to a standstill the 
sport world of the West was suddenly rejuvenated 
on September 22nd by a telegram from President 
Hart stating that Chicago was willing to play ‘ ‘ the 
world’s series” with Sioux City. Definite terms 
were quickly agreed upon, and it was not long before 
the notion that the approaching contest was ‘ ‘ for the 
world’s championship” had been generally accepted. 
A series of six games was arranged to be played at 
Evans Park in Sioux City on the five days beginning 
with Tuesday, October 5th. The Western Associa­
tion, previously overlooked in contests for the 
championship of the world, was at last to come into 
its own, and the battle was actually to be fought in 
the West. The fans were agog with delight.
The Huskers to play in the world’s series! It was 
unbelievable — an unparalleled event. When it be­
came known that the details had been arranged
THE WORLD’S SERIES OF 1891 367
Sioux City began at once to prepare for the historic 
contest. The whole Northwest seemed aflame with 
eager excitement. “ Aberdeen will close the town 
and see the games” was the keynote of a letter from 
that South Dakota town, some two hundred miles 
away. It was expected that a special train would be 
required for the Chicago fans. People in Huron, 
Kansas City, Mason City, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, 
Lincoln, Omaha, Denver, and many other places 
wrote anxiously for particulars. W. E. Peak, pas­
senger agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. 
Paul Railroad on the Iowa and Dakota division, de­
clared that “ all you can hear is baseball.” The 
people along the railroad, he said, “ want us to run 
special trains from every crossroad.”
Marshalltown in particular was interested, for the 
leader of the Chicago team was Adrian Anson, who 
had begun his career in that city. “ Old Anson” 
was literally worshipped by the home town fans. 
One enthusiastic citizen gave vent to his feelings in 
a letter. “ Marshalltown”, he wrote, “ will attend 
the world’s championship games in a body. This is 
the home of Anson, the only ‘Anse’, and we will pull 
for our old boy, but we like the Iluskers. They be­
long to Iowa. ’ ’
In view of the intensity of interest throughout the 
West, it was confidently anticipated that an unprece­
dented number of spectators would descend upon 
Sioux City for the games. Besides the world’s 
series the corn palace festival would be at its height.
368 THE PALIMPSEST
The coincidence of two such events seemed certain to 
attract enormous crowds. New bleachers capable 
of seating ten thousand people were hastily erected 
at the park. By eight o’clock on Saturday evening, 
October 3rd, two days before the initial contest, a 
thousand tickets had been sold.
In the meantime there was much speculation as to 
which team was destined to be victorious. In as 
much as the Huskers and Colts had neither played 
against the same teams nor against each other, there 
was no basis for comparison, but that circumstance 
probably only added certainty to personal opinions. 
Lack of definite information was no hindrance to 
argument. Fans of all ages, colors, and tempera­
ments, from far and near, talked or wrote or tele­
graphed about the games.
With enthusiasm at such heat, it must have been a 
remorseless weather god indeed who greeted Sioux 
City on the morning of October 5th with a chilly 
dawn. Cold weather and baseball are incompatible. 
Undaunted, however, the fans received the Chicago 
Colts with considerable pomp. Three brass bands 
and sixteen hack loads of citizens formed a parade 
and escorted them to the park, where the procession 
was greeted by “ a couple of thousand people” who 
sat shivering on the hard seats. Humor was at a 
discount. A Chicago player attempted to “ break 
the ice” by capturing a donkey that was browsing at 
the upper end of the race course; but it was a sorry 
farce and barren of laughter.
THE WORLD’S SERIES OF 1891 369
It was a tense moment at 3:30 when Umpire Tim 
Hurst called “ Batter up!” and the first game began. 
Would the Colts gallop roughshod over the Husk­
ers, or would the West vanquish the East?
W7hen the first inning ended and the score stood 
Sioux City 2, Chicago 0, the fans could scarcely be­
lieve their senses. It seemed incredible. But per­
haps the Colts were only toying with their oppo­
nents. Still, inning after inning was chalked up 
without a score for Chicago. The Huskers mean­
while ran in a tally in the fourth inning, another in 
the fifth, and three in the sixth. Not until the sev­
enth inning were the shivering Colts able to make a 
score and when the game ended the Huskers had 
won by a score of eight to one. Captain Anson 
frankly admitted that his men had been outplayed. 
No team on earth, he declared, could stand out 
against such errorless playing. But perhaps this 
was only a pleasantry.
The weather on the second day continued cold. 
It was reported that the voice of the umpire con­
gealed before it had traveled a bat-length. “ Poor 
Timmie! his legs cracked like pine limbs in a winter 
wind as he meandered back and forth between the 
plate and the box, and large globules of water rolled 
over his eyelashes”. During the intervals the spec­
tators gathered what amusement they could from 
the antics of a drunken policeman.
The Chicago players, however, seemed to have 
found an antidote for the cold which had hindered
370 THE PALIMPSEST
their play in the first game. In the fifth inning, the 
Huskers indulged in a succession of fumbles. A 
newspaper reporter, frankly disappointed with the 
performance, wrote that “ the Huskers got to throw­
ing the ball around just as the dear children toss 
about the autumn leaves, and came just as near hit­
ting each other.’’ After the first inning fortune 
went steadily against the Huskers, and before they 
could discover the Colts’ secret of keeping their 
hands warm the game was over. Chicago’s play had 
stiffened. Probably Anson had been joking about 
the merits of the Sioux City team.
Although the games were good, the attendance 
was not. That bogey of baseball had already ruined 
several clubs in the Western Association, and now 
threatened the world’s series. In the hope of sup­
plying with enthusiasm the warmth which the sun 
had denied, considerable space in the newspapers 
was devoted to advertising the series. Great black 
letters announced that the “ World’s Championship 
Games” were being played and spectators were ad­
vised to come early in order to avoid the rush. For 
only fifty cents, ladies being admitted free to the 
grand stand, “ one of the greatest [games] ever 
witnessed on a diamond” could be seen; and “ An­
son, the great and only Anson” would take part.
Captain Anson, perhaps for the gratification of 
his father who was present at the third game, quit 
his regular position at first base and put on the 
catcher’s mit. Neither team was confident and both
THE WORLD’S SERIES OF 1891 371
were now playing with the most genuine earnest­
ness. Chicago, determined to win, played furiously. 
At first the game was closely fought on both sides, 
but in the fourth inning a Husker failed to catch a 
long fly at a cost of three runs. In the seventh, the 
Sioux City pitcher, Meakin, made an unfortunate 
throw which allowed two more runs and the jig was 
up. The game ended with a score of nine to six for 
Chicago. Without doubt Captain Anson had been 
sarcastic in his comment.
The Huskers, however, entered the fourth game 
determined to “ be all or nothing.’’ The raw north 
wind blew with equal unpleasantness on both teams 
— there was that consolation. It was a battle royal. 
If the game should go to Chicago, Sioux City could 
not win more than half the series, and Anson would 
not consider the possibility of a seventh game. The 
last inning came and the struggle was not decided. 
It was then that Billy Earle, with “ his little black 
bat” drove the ball quite out of sight and brought 
victory to the Huskers by a score of four to three. 
Again the games were even — two and two. It was 
for the future to determine whether Anson was 
joking or not.
In order to conciliate the goddess of fortune who 
had begun to smile on the Huskers, an ardent fan 
brought to the fifth game an Indian mascot bril­
liantly adorned with war paint. The Colts were in­
tent upon retaining their laurels, and the Huskers 
were equally determined to add to theirs.
372 THE PALIMPSEST
For five innings, while the Chicago team gained 
two runs, the Huskers battled on without a score. 
Once in the third inning with two out Sioux City got 
a man on the bases and tried desperately to send 
him home, but their efforts were of no avail. During 
the same inning a Chicago batter drove the ball to 
the right of the Husker first baseman who leaped 
into the air “ and when he came down he held the 
white sphere in his upraised palm like a modern res­
toration of the Rhodian colossus”. Later in the 
game “ Pop” Anson crashed a hot liner that seemed 
to be going for a safe hit into left field, but Van Dyke 
made a wonderful catch. In astonishment, scarcely 
believing his eyes, the umpire turned to Anson. 
“ Cap, you’re out”, he said, and Anson declared it 
was the most brilliant catch he had ever witnessed.
Thus by virtue of spectacular playing the fifth 
game went to Sioux City; and the series stood Chi­
cago two, Sioux City three. It was mathematically 
impossible now for the Huskers to lose the series, 
but the final game would determine whether they 
would win the championship or only tie. Could it 
be true that “ Old Anse” had meant what he said?
It was indeed a splendid exhibition of baseball 
that the enthusiastic crowd of four thousand people 
witnessed on the following day. Never was a game 
more hotly contested and seldom was one more re­
plete with critical moments. From the very begin­
ning every player exerted himself to the utmost. 
Strategy and alertness were at a premium. In the
THE WORLD’S SERIES OF 1891 373
initial inning a Ilusker reached third base, and when 
the batter hit safely he dashed for the home plate. 
There stood Anson, his hands outstretched for the 
ball. Summoning all his speed, the runner slid 
across the plate in a cloud of dust just as the ball 
thumped into the catcher’s mit above. Down went 
Anson’s arm like a flash as he put the ball on the 
prostrate Husker whose impetus had carried him 
beyond the base. “ You ’re out!” yelled the umpire, 
who had failed to see the runner touch the plate.
Thus the contest continued. Though Sioux City 
took the lead, neither team could secure a permanent 
advantage. In the seventh inning the score was tied. 
Then came the crucial eighth. Again a Husker 
reached third base, but in an overzealous effort to 
score he was caught between two Colts. Just when 
it seemed that the game would be won, hopes were 
blighted. The grand stand was in an uproar. Back 
toward third base raced the Sioux City player, with 
“ Pop” Anson in full pursuit. Suddenly the Husker 
turned, ran straight into the arms of the burly cap­
tain, and when all seemed lost he dodged past and 
trotted across the plate. The game was saved.
A few minutes later the world’s series of 1891 
came to an end. The Sioux City Iluskers had “beat­
en the earth” by winning four of the six games 
played. “ Pop” had not been jesting after all. Ap­
parently no team could withstand such playing as 
that of the Iluskers.
Chester H. K irby


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