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Wednesday, Oct. 18
Federation Cup Series: Game 1
PHILADELPHIA – To say that the Philadelphia Athletics were favored to win the inaugural Federation Cup Series over the New Orleans Pelicans is to say that having indoor plumbing in the winter is sort of nice.

The Athletics were tabbed by most experts as an overwhelming favorite to demolish the Pelicans in this series. Anything short of a four-game sweep would be a shock to most observers.

So imagine the shock reverberating around Columbia Park as the Pelicans annihilated the Athletics in the opener of the series, 11-2. How could a team of castoffs and career minor-leaguers so thoroughly trounce the American League’s best? The Athletics couldn’t handle the baseball, for starters, committing four errors en route to the embarrassing defeat.

The Pelicans got it started quickly, scoring in the top of the first inning. Bull Prior led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Doug Stocker. After Jack Birnbaum struck out, the Pelicans stunned the hosts with a double steal. Then Prior ambled home on a ground out by Eddie Chalmers.

Philadelphia struck back quickly in the home half. Socks Seybold led off with a single and Ossie Schreckengost lashed a double down the left-field line and just like that, the game was tied 1-1. But Mike Jarrett escaped further damage.

New Orleans was undeterred, striking back in the top of the second. George Laughlin reached with a one-out single and Buck Allen, the hitting hero of the Federal League Pennant Series, continued his torrid hitting by smacking a shot well over the head of Danny Hoffman in center field. Laughlin trotted home on Allen’s clout, which went for two bags.

The Athletics drew even in the fourth. Harry Davis led off the frame with a single, stole second, advanced to third when Allen’s throw skipped into center field and scored on Hoffman’s ground out.

Then the wheels came off for poor Andy Coakley in the fifth. Prior laced a one-out single and Stocker reached safely when John Knight bungled a ground ball at third base. One out later, Chalmers singled to short left-center field to score Prior and put the Pelicans back on top, 3-2. Ed Smithers followed with a ringing double down the right-field foul line, scoring Stocker and Chalmers for a 5-2 New Orleans advantage.

Coakley tired in the seventh and was lifted after Stocker hit a long drive that Hoffman hauled in near the wall in left-center field. Birnbaum greeted new hurler Joseph Myers with a single and he scooted to third on a single by Chalmers. After Chalmers stole second, Smithers was intentionally passed. Bill Weber’s ground ball to short plated Birnbaum.

Still trailing by four, Connie Mack summoned Weldon Henley to start the eighth inning. Allen singled to lead off, moving to second on a sacrifice by Jarrett. Knight misplayed another ball, allowing Prior to reach base and advancing Allen to third. Prior stole second and then shortstop Monte Cross bobbled Stocker’s ground ball. Allen scored. One out later, Chalmers laced a double to left field to score two more runs and the rout was on. Henley was removed in favor of Randy Pogue at that point. Smithers greeted Pogue with another double, giving New Orleans a 10-2 lead.

To add insult to injury, the Pelicans added one more run in the ninth. Laughlin singled, Allen walked, Jarrett successfully sacrificed the runners up one base each and Prior skied a fly ball deep enough to send Laughlin plateward. Chalmers finished the day 4-for-5 and drove home four runs while Smithers knocked in three runners safely.

Thursday, Oct. 19
Federation Cup Series: Game 2
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Athletics had gone from expected to sweep to absolutely needing to win in about 24 hours. Young righthander Chief Bender saved the day.

Bender, 21, helped the Athletics even the Federation Cup Series at a game apiece, overpowering the New Orleans Pelicans with 12 strikeouts and holding them to just four hits in a 4-0 win at Columbia Park. This was the performance expected from the Athletics, who were embarrassed in Game 1.

Philadelphia got to Pelican hurler Bert Ducharme early. Ossee Schreckengost singled with one out in the first and went to third on a stolen base and a bad throw by catcher Buck Allen. Topsy Hartsel lifted a soft fly to left-center field and Schreckengost scored.

The Athletics got another marker in the third. Socks Seybold tripled to lead off the frame and scored on another Hartsel fly ball. Philadelphia then added insurance in the fourth when Bender laced a double to deep center field to plate a pair of runners.

Saturday, Oct. 21
Federation Cup Series: Game 3
NEW ORLEANS – American League hitters proved no match for Rube Waddell all season long. Federal League hitters fared no better in their first look at the lefthander.

Waddell allowed just three hits and struck out an incredible 19 batters in leading the Philadelphia Athletics to a 3-0 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Athletic Park. The Athletics now lead the series, two games to one. It was Waddell’s third straight shutout in the postseason.

New Orleans ace Chris Thompson tried to keep the Pelicans close, but Philadelphia broke through in the top of the fifth inning. John Knight singled, moved up on a ground out and then scored when Eddie Chalmers made a terrible throw after Waddell’s deep fly ball to right field.

The Athletics added two more in the sixth when Topsy Hartsel walked and went to second when Doug Stocker threw wildly after fielding Danny Murphy’s grounder. Thompson then was called for a balk, advancing the runners. Pelican manager Marty Hogan opted to intentionally walk Danny Hoffman, loading the bases for Monte Cross. Cross tapped back to Thompson, who fired home to force Hartsel. But Knight singled to center, scoring Murphy and Hoffman.

Sunday, Oct. 22
Federation Cup Series: Game 4
NEW ORLEANS – Mike Jarrett isn’t intimidated by American League hitters. The New Orleans Pelicans’ righthander proved it again, earning his second victory of the Federation Cup Series as the Pelicans beat the Philadelphia Athletics at Athletic Park, 3-0.

Jarrett scattered six hits and was the beneficiary of New Orleans’ three-run first inning outburst. The series is now tied at two games each.

Philadelphia righthander Andy Coakley lost for the second time in the series. Coakley settled down after the first inning, but the damage had already been done.

Doug Stocker walked with one out in the stanza and Jack Birnbaum then reached safely when John Knight misplayed a grounder to third. Eddie Chalmers singled to load the bases and Ed Smithers followed with another safety to score Stocker and Birnbaum. Chalmers scored on Bill Weber’s groundout and the Pelicans led 3-0.

Coakley allowed only two more hits the rest of the afternoon. Jarrett, however, was able to pitch himself out of trouble when he needed to.

Monday, Oct. 23
Federation Cup Series: Game 5
NEW ORLEANS – Chief Bender was almost unhittable in Game 2 of the Federation Cup Series. He was simply perfect in Game 5, retiring all 27 batters he faced as the Philadelphia Athletics beat the New Orleans Pelicans at Athletic Park, 7-0.

Bender tossed a four-hit shutout in Game 2 following a Philadelphia loss. On Monday, Bender fanned 10 Pelicans and improved to 3-0 in the postseason.

Philadelphia pushed across a single run in the second inning on Danny Hoffman’s solo home run, added two more in the fourth and exploded for four in the seventh against Bert Ducharme, who didn’t help his cause with four walks. Hoffman and John Knight each drove in two runs for the Athletics, who mustered seven hits.

Wednesday, Oct. 25
Federation Cup Series: Game 6
PHILADELPHIA – Rube Waddell was human, after all. But he was still too much for the New Orleans Pelicans to handle.

Waddell struck out 17 batters and allowed just four hits, but was scored upon for the first time in four postseason starts. But the Philadelphia Athletics still managed to beat the Pelicans, 3-1, to clinch the inaugural Federation Cup Championship.

The Athletics roughed up New Orleans ace Chris Thompson for three runs in the third inning, giving Waddell all the support he needed. Harry Davis stroked a one-out single. With two outs, Topsy Hartsel delivered a single to right-center that advanced Davis to third base. Hartsel moved up on the throw and then both runners scored when Danny Murphy banged a safety to center. After Thompson threw wildly to first on Danny Hoffman’s come-backer, Monte Cross singled to plate Murphy.

The Pelicans finally solved Waddell in the fifth, but only briefly. Thompson and Bull Prior led off with back-to-back singles. Bill Weber’s grounder forced Thompson at third base, but Jack Birnbaum chased home Prior with a single to right-center.

That New Orleans managed two wins in the series was a surprise, but in the end, the combination of Waddell and Chief Bender proved too much for the Pelicans. Bender, who tossed a perfect game in Game 5 to go with a four-hit shutout in Game 2, was named MVP of the series.