TERRY DOES IT AGAIN, BUT HOLD THE CHAMPAGNE
Adonis Terry
COLUMBUS, Ohio –(Oct. 15, 1889) William “Adonis” Terry, pitching for the second straight day, led the Brooklyn Bridegrooms to a 6 to 1 win over Columbus to apparently clinch the first major league pennant in team history.
But the celebration was cut short by the news that St. Louis owner Chris Von der Ahe had won approval by the American Association Board of Directors to extend the season so that his Browns could make up four postponed games. St. Louis defeated Cincinnati yesterday 5 to 1, so if St. Louis can win all four games the Browns can still tie Brooklyn for first place.
Terry, the only remaining player from Brooklyn’s first team in 1883, was the hero again yesterday. Manager Bill McGunnigle had planned to pitch Bob Caruthers, but decided to send out Terry again after he so easily handled the Columbus team the previous day. This time the handsome righthander gave up only five hits and held his poise amid heckling from the noisy crowd.
“Will Terry has, by his gentlemanly conduct on all occasions, by his strictly temperate habits, determined pluck and perserverance in the face of difficulties, and earnest effort to do his best for the welfare of the club, long ago earned a reputation second to that of no one in the professional fraternity,” wrote Henry Chadwick, the legendary sportswriter for the Brooklyn Eagle. “But in the effective work he did in the box in the last two critical contests in Columbus he added laurels to his wreath which make him the star of his company in the closing battles of the campaign.”
In addition, Terry tripled in the fifth inning and scored on one of four errors by Columbus shortstop Lefty Marr. The Adonis ended the regular season with a record of 22 wins and 15 losses.
St. Louis had a King up its sleeve — pitcher Silver King—to keep pace with Brooklyn. Though King had been suspended for the rest of the season, owner Von der Ahe allowed him back to pitch the critical game against Cincinnati. King responded by notching his 35th win of the season against 16 losses.
After the games Brooklyn officials received news of the action to allow St. Louis to play games beyond the official end of the season Oct. 14 by making up two games with Cincinnati and two with the Philadelphia Athletics. The immediate impact of the action was to rain on parade plans by the city of Brooklyn when the team returns home tomorrow night. “It is inadvisable to have our friends make any arrangements for our reception,” said Brooklyn President Charles Byrne, who was furious at the league action.
This “ simply makes our championship race a farce. If we are deprived of the victory we have justly earned by these methods, we must trust our cause to an honest press and public sentiment,” Byrne said.
American Association Standings
Team W L GB
Brooklyn 93 44
St. Louis 89 44 2
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