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kenyan_cheena · 03-26-2007, 02:09 AM

A DYNASTY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

Friday 9 September 1904

Story by Albert Haynes for the New York Age

Atlantic Coast Baseball Federation history was made today as the New York Yankees became the first team to win five consecutive Championships, their dramatic 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds sealing a 3-1 Championship Series victory. Even before 1887, when the federation followed the North-Eastern Baseball League's lead in splitting its teams into two divisions, there had never been a ballclub to finish in 1st place for five consecutive seasons. The fact that, without fail, the Yankees have been able to win the best-of-five game Championship series to claim the title in each of these past five seasons makes the feat even more impressive.

The nucleus of this Yankees team must be considered the finest group of players any team has fielded at one time in the history of baseball. The "Bronx Bombers" have been Champions of the Cartwright Division eight times in the last twelve seasons and players such as 2nd baseman Raymond Lincoln, hard-hitting leftfielder Michael Jones and pitcher Braylon George have played a big part in that success.

They may be a formidable team, but many look upon the Yankees' domination of the ACBF during the past decade as a clear indicator that the sport is in dire need of change.

"Yes, it's amazing what they have achieved," said the Boston Globe's resident baseball writer David Lewisham. "But everyone knows they couldn't have done it if Goldstein hadn't been pumping all those funds into the team. All those Championships have been, for all intents and purposes, 'bought'. You tell me one other club in the ACBF who can compete with Goldstein in the player market and I'll call you a liar. There's no reason to believe things will change, either. Goldstein can pretty much get any player he wants and some of the guys he's discarded have gone on to be really successful on other teams."

Lewisham went on to say that he feels the time has come to consider the idea of a national league once again.

"I remember when Harrison put together the NBL," he said. "It really seems a lifetime ago now, sadly. I was just into my teens and I thought it was such a great thing that he had done. But greed and corruption meant it never had a chance. It's the owners of our teams here in the Atlantic that prevented it from thriving and I find it inexplicable that, over thirty years later, those attitudes still exist. I can only sit here and daydream of the prospect of watching the Yankees and the Reds going at each other, but right now, it's nothing more than a fantasy. A fairy tale. For our sport to really live once more, for the competitiveness to return, things need to change. I just hope it happens during my lifetime."

Some would call Lewisham's attitude a simple case of sour grapes. The Red Sox finished Chadwick Division Champions and eventual league runners-up to the New Yorkers in '01 and '02, also. Nevertheless, he may have a point. The sport of baseball is at a stage where, even before each season begins, the eventual victors can be predicted with close to 100% accuracy. It does appear that some kind of change is a necessity, and sooner rather than later...

03-26-2007, 02:09 AM	#4
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	A DYNASTY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS Friday 9 September 1904 Story by Albert Haynes for the New York Age Atlantic Coast Baseball Federation history was made today as the New York Yankees became the first team to win five consecutive Championships, their dramatic 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds sealing a 3-1 Championship Series victory. Even before 1887, when the federation followed the North-Eastern Baseball League's lead in splitting its teams into two divisions, there had never been a ballclub to finish in 1st place for five consecutive seasons. The fact that, without fail, the Yankees have been able to win the best-of-five game Championship series to claim the title in each of these past five seasons makes the feat even more impressive. The nucleus of this Yankees team must be considered the finest group of players any team has fielded at one time in the history of baseball. The "Bronx Bombers" have been Champions of the Cartwright Division eight times in the last twelve seasons and players such as 2nd baseman Raymond Lincoln, hard-hitting leftfielder Michael Jones and pitcher Braylon George have played a big part in that success. They may be a formidable team, but many look upon the Yankees' domination of the ACBF during the past decade as a clear indicator that the sport is in dire need of change. "Yes, it's amazing what they have achieved," said the Boston Globe's resident baseball writer David Lewisham. "But everyone knows they couldn't have done it if Goldstein hadn't been pumping all those funds into the team. All those Championships have been, for all intents and purposes, 'bought'. You tell me one other club in the ACBF who can compete with Goldstein in the player market and I'll call you a liar. There's no reason to believe things will change, either. Goldstein can pretty much get any player he wants and some of the guys he's discarded have gone on to be really successful on other teams." Lewisham went on to say that he feels the time has come to consider the idea of a national league once again. "I remember when Harrison put together the NBL," he said. "It really seems a lifetime ago now, sadly. I was just into my teens and I thought it was such a great thing that he had done. But greed and corruption meant it never had a chance. It's the owners of our teams here in the Atlantic that prevented it from thriving and I find it inexplicable that, over thirty years later, those attitudes still exist. I can only sit here and daydream of the prospect of watching the Yankees and the Reds going at each other, but right now, it's nothing more than a fantasy. A fairy tale. For our sport to really live once more, for the competitiveness to return, things need to change. I just hope it happens during my lifetime." Some would call Lewisham's attitude a simple case of sour grapes. The Red Sox finished Chadwick Division Champions and eventual league runners-up to the New Yorkers in '01 and '02, also. Nevertheless, he may have a point. The sport of baseball is at a stage where, even before each season begins, the eventual victors can be predicted with close to 100% accuracy. It does appear that some kind of change is a necessity, and sooner rather than later... Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 03-26-2007 at 07:41 PM.