The 1886 World Series: Game Two

Never before since the club's organization did the Chicagos sustain such a stinging defeat as they suffered at the hands of the St. Louis Browns this afternoon, in the second game of the World's Championship series. Six thousand people attended the contest and saw the pets of the "windy city" out-batted, out-fielded, and out-played generally. The Browns played in their old time brilliant style, and showed the spectators, as well as Anson's crew, that they knew a little about ball at least. There was no howling, yelling and screeching, such as marked the progress of the game the day before; the audience being orderly and quiet. All the good plays on both sides were applauded. The Browns, by their excellent conduct on the field, have made many friends. Caruthers, who occupied the box for the visiting club, twirled the ball for all he was worth and, taken altogether, pitched one of the best games of his life. But one small insignificant hit of the scratch kind was all that the big Chicago sluggers could find his curves for. They could knock nothing but hard grounders, on which they were easily thrown out at first. Several long flies were knocked to the outfield, but O'Neil,Welch and Foutz did not let a ball go by them, and made several remarkable catches. McCormick was never so badly slaughtered.

Thirteen hits, with a grand total of twenty-five bases, is a pretty good record to make off a pitcher belonging to a champion League club. That is what the Browns made off him to-day. Their batting, unlike that of the Chicagos of yesterday, was hard and clean, and but one or two hits that had any semblance to scratches were made. O'Neil made a wonderful record; out of four times at the bat he made three hits, and two of them were home runs. His first four-bagger was made in the first inning, with one man on the bases, and the second in the fifth inning. Both of the drives were to left field, far out of the reach of all fielders,k and were the longest hits ever seen on the grounds. His other hit was a single. Caruthers also showed that he knew a little something about handling the stick. He lined the ball out to right once for three bases and once for a double. Both were only prevented from being home runs by striking the fence a few inches from the top. Foutz got in a two-bagger and a single. The only man on the Browns' side who failed to get a hit was Latham, but he more than made up for his weakness at the bat by his excellent coaching. He is also credited with the only two errors charged to his club. Both were entirely excusable, though. One was an error in judging a ball, and the other a bad throw to first of a hard-hit grounder. Bushong again caught a superb game. Kelly started in to catch for the Chicagos, but Anson, in the sixth inning, seeing that the game was gone, sent him to short, probably to save him for to-morrow, and Williamson came in behind the bat. In the eighth inning Anson succeeded Williamson in catching and Kelly went to first.

The three umpire plan was given a trial and worked very well, to-day at least. Ex-umpires John Kelly, now manager of the Louisvilles, was selected as referee. John McQuaid was chosen umpire for the Chicagos, and Joe Quest officiated in the same capacity for the St. Louis team. The Browns lost the toss and went first to bat. Latham, after fouling a number of balls, and after two strikes had been called on him, got his base on balls. McCormick made a quick throw to first to catch him napping, and Anson made a motion as if he touched him. McQuaid called Latham out. Quest, for St. Louis, protested. A long wrangle then ensued between Comiskey, Anson and the three umpires. Referee Kelly finally decided Latham safe. The decision was greeted with applause. He went to second on Kelly's wild throw to catch him stealing. Kelly missed Caruthers' third strike; Latham thinking that Kelly had thrown the ball to first to head off "Bobby," started for third, when Kelly threw to second and put him out. O'Neil then came to the bat, and the first ball pitched he knocked for a home run, as described above. Caruthers, of course, scored with him. Burns fumbled Comiskey's grounder, and Williamson handled Welch's grounder in the same manner. Both were left, however, by Foutz's foul to Kelly. For the Chicagos Gore made the first and only hit. Kelly struck out and Anson got his base on balls. Pfeffer's long fly to Caruthers advanced both men a base, but they were both left by Williamson, who went out from second to first. In the second inning Robinson was retired on a fly, and Bushong got first on Burns' wild throw of his grounder to first. Two wild pitches enabled him to reach third, and he attempted to come home on Latham's fly to left, but Dalrymple's beautiful and perfect throw to the plate cut him off. Burns for the Chicagos, after one out, got his base on a bad throw of Latham's, but the next two men were retired in order. Caruthers opened the third with a fly to right, and O'Neil got his base on six bad balls. He was forced out at second by Gleason. Comiskey hit safely, but Welch retired the side by going out form second to first. The Chicagos went out in order.

The Browns increased their score by two in the fourth. Foutz led off with a hit to left for a single, but he made second on Dalrymple's failure to stop the ball. Pfeffer captured Latham's fly to second. Bushong then made a drive to left for two bases, and Foutz came in. Latham's sacrifice advanced Bushong to third. Caruthers knocked a pop-up to Burns, but the latter muffed it. He threw Caruthers out though on his attempt to made second the error, Bushong, of course, had scored in the meantime. The Chicagos were retired quickly Pfeffer and Williamson struck out, and Burns went out on a fly to Caruthers. The Browns made three more runs in the fifth. O'Neil was the first man to bat and he made the circuit of the bases on his second home run. Gleason hit safely to left, and Comisley struck out. Welch made a single to center, advancing Gleason to third. He stole second successfully, and on the throw down to put him out Gleason scored. Foutz then drove the sphere to right center, making third base on the hit and sending Welch in.

As the latter crossed the plate McCormick, who was standing in, struck him on the head, knocking his cap off without any provocation whatever. Welch returned to McCormick, and had not some one interfered, would have doubtless laid the big burly pitcher out on the ground. McCormick was hissed severely. Robinson struck out and Bushong fouled out. The Chicagos went out in one-two-three order. In the sixth no runs were scored. Caruthers made a two-bagger, but was unable to get beyond second base. The Chicagos got no men on bases in this inning. Five runs in the seventh brought the Browns' score up to 12. Comiskey, the first batter, was retired on a little grounder to short and Welch waited for his base on balls, and got it. Foutz knocked a slow ball down to Pfeffer, and had that player not fumbled the ball, a double play might have been made. As it was, Welch got to second and Foutz to first in safety. Robinson knocked the leather to left for a single. Dalrymple picked up the ball and threw it in wildly, enabling Welch and Foutz to score and Robinson to make third. The latter came in on a sacrifice by Bushong. Latham got second base on Kelly's wild throw of his grounder to first, and scored on Caruthers' drive to left for three bases. O'Neil's safe hit brought in Caruthers. Gleason retired the side. The Chicagos were now pretty badly broken up and could not do much of anything. Pfeffer struck out and so did Burns, but the latter's third strike dropped out of Bushong's hands, and the ball rolled in the path. Burns gave it a kick and started for first. Quest called him out. The Browns appealed to Kelly, but as the latter did not see the play, he allowed Burns safe. Ryan fouled out. A passed ball advanced both the base runners a bag, but they got no further, as Dalrymple sawed the air and struck out. Comiskey opened the eighth with a hit, but Welch's grounder to second resulted in a double play. Foutz got first on an error of Burns, but was thrown out trying to steal second. McCormick, for the home club, struck out. Latham judged Gore's grounder badly, giving the latter first. Kelly knocked a long fly to left, which O'Neil caught in fine style and threw in to head off Gore. As it was growing dark, it was difficult to see the ball, and Comiskey let it get by him, Gore going to second. Anson's foul tip, which Bushong caught, ended the inning. The game was then called on account of darkness.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 20, 1886

There's a bunch of good stuff here for such a one-sided game. You have Caruthers throwing a one-hitter and getting a triple and double at the plate. Caruthers, by himself, outhit Chicago in game two. You have O'Neil with his two home runs, the three umpire system getting tested in the first inning, the scuffle at home plate in the fifth and Kelly moving from catcher to short to first. It was a neat game.