The 1887 World Series: The Browns Must Drink The Cup They Have So Often Held To The Lips Of Others

Although a few scheduled games between the champions of the National League and the American Association for the championship of the world remain to be played, the question at issue has been decided and the Detroit Club will wear the proud title for a season. And they deserved to win it. They played good ball from start to finish and won every game upon its merits. As for the St. Louis Browns, let them hold their peace and enter no pleas of ill-luck, poor form, and other conventional excuses. They were fairly outplayed and squarely beaten, and must drink the cup they have so often held to the lips of others. Though beaten they are not disgraced. They played splendid ball, but could not overcome the handicap of superior weight. It was trickery, agility and brilliant skill against steady skill, muscle and weight, and the latter won by virtue of superior force. For the League the triumph of the Detroits is as sweet as it is bitter to the Association, which will share the humiliation of defeat with the Browns in fullest measure; as the result will indirectly reflect lustre upon the entire League and dim the fame of the Association. In public estimation the League will now, for a season at least, rank as the stronger organization. It could not be otherwise, considering that Detroit, which has such a hard struggle with the clubs of its organization, should have had such a comparatively easy victory over a team which had a walk-over in its own class. No amount of analysis, argument and comparison can change that the the Association champion club and its fellow-clubs will have to grin and bear it, trusting to the future for a reversal of positions. Meantime we heartily congratulate the Detroit Club officials and players upon their double success. The club itself for years [struggled] against heavy odds and only got to the top by great liberality, unfailing courage and grim determination. As for the players, we regard their triumph as a victory for decent base ball. They have not only played steady ball, but have at no time given offence either to their superiors, to their home supporters or to the general base ball public, either on or off the field. In character, habits and deportment they have approached nearer the ideal professional standard than any set of players ever before collected under one club standard. They are in every sense model ball players and gentlemen, and as such we salute the "Champions of the World."

-Sporting Life, October 26, 1887

I think that last bit about the Detroits being gentlemen and professionals and never giving offense might be a shot at the Browns.