Charlie Bennett
October 21, 1887: The National League Champion Detroit Wolverines clinch the World Championship with their 8th victory in Game 11 of the series this afternoon, over the American Association Champions, the St. Louis Browns, 13-3 on neutral ground at Oriole Park in Baltimore.
With a rainout yesterday in Washington‚ this morning's rescheduled Game 10 sees the Browns pull off a triple play and win‚ 11-4‚ to delay elimination. But the Wolverines take Game 11 later in the day to clinch.
The Browns were managed by their 1st baseman, Charles Comiskey. Having become the 1st modern-style player at the position, he later became the founding owner of the American League's Chicago White Sox. Other Browns stars included 3rd baseman Walter Arlington "Arlie" Latham; outfielders Dave Foutz, Curt Welch and "Parisian" Bob Caruthers; and pitcher Charles "Silver" King.
But they were no match for the Wolverines, managed by Bill Watkins, a former 3rd baseman who was the greatest athlete ever to come from Brantford, Ontario, Canada -- until Wayne Gretzky came along. He had 4 players who would later be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Center fielder Ned Hanlon, right fielder Sam Thompson, 1st baseman Dan Brouthers and 3rd baseman James "Deacon" White. Pitcher Charlie Getzlen went 29-13.
For this win, the Wolverines became the 1st team to receive the Dauvray Cup, donated by Helen Dauvray, one of the top American stage actresses of the time, who had married New York Giants star John Montgomery Ward 9 days before this game. It would be awarded to the winner of the World's Championship Series until it stopped running after the 1890 season. It was then awarded to the NL Pennant winner through the 1893 season.
By that point, Dauvray and Ward had divorced. In an article in June 1894, a writer for Sporting Life magazine wondered where the Dauvray Cup was, indicating it had already been lost. Unlike its brief successors, the Temple Cup and the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup, both of which have survived and are on display in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Dauvray Cup's whereabouts remain unknown. Helen Dauvray married a U.S. Navy Admiral, died in 1923, and was buried alongside him in Arlington National Cemetery.
As far as we know, this single photograph
is all that remains of the Dauvray Cup.
I've often wondered if having a named trophy, like the NFL's Vince Lombardi Trophy or the NHL's Stanley Cup, would have made the World Series more meaningful to baseball teams and fans. There would be no trophy for the World Series winner until 1967, and it would not be named until 1985: The Commissioner's Trophy. And who wants to celebrate the Commissioner of Baseball?
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In spite of their success, the Wolverines ended up losing money for the 1887 season, and fold at the end of the next season. Detroit did not return to major league ball until the American League and the Tigers arrive in 1901, and will not win another World Championship for 48 years.
The Browns won win their 4th straight AA title the next season, but will go 38 years before winning another Pennant. In 1892 they join the NL; by 1901, they will be named the Cardinals.
One more player of note for Detroit: Charlie Bennett was their starting catcher. He helped the Boston Beaneaters, later the Braves, win the NL Pennant in 1891, '92 and '93. In 1894, at age 39, his playing career came to an end when he lost his legs in a train accident in Kansas.
In 1896, the Detroit team of the Western League, which became the Tigers in 1901, opened a new ballpark. It was named Bennett Park in his honor. Wearing prosthetic legs, he caught the ceremonial first ball on Opening Day. He did this every year until 1926, dying early in 1927. He did this through 1911-12, when Bennett Park was torn down and replaced with a new ballpark on the site, named Navin Field for the Tigers' owner. He lived long enough to see Ty Cobb and Harry Heilmann star for Detroit.
In 1938, the ballpark was renamed Briggs Stadium, for the current owner. In 1961, another new owner renamed it Tiger Stadium. The Tigers are a charter American League franchise, and have won its Pennant 11 times, so it's hard to imagine the city being in the National League. But, from 1881 to 1888, it was. And, in 1887, they were National League Champions, and World Champions of baseball.
Detroit is in Michigan, and Michigan is the Wolverine State. The University of Michigan has always called its sports teams the Wolverines. There would be one more professional sports team known as the Detroit Wolverines, playing in the NFL in the 1928 season. Despite going 7-2-1 and finishing 3rd, they never played again: Tim Mara, the founding owner of the New York Giants, bought the Wolverines, and transferred their best players to the Giants. Apparently, at the time, that was within NFL rules.
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October 21, 1887 was a Friday. There were no other scores on this historic day.
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