The
Temple Cup was a
trophyA trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
awarded to the winner of a best-of-seven, post-season championship series in the
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, from 1894–1897. The 30-inch-high silver cup was donated by coal, citrus, and lumber baron
William Chase TempleWilliam Chase Temple was a coal, citrus, and lumber baron during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was also a part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates from baseball's National League...
, the owner of the
Pittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
at the time. There was only one major league at the time, so the Series was played between the first- and second-place teams. The Temple Cup was also known as the
World's Championship Series. If one team won three titles, that team would have permanent possession of the Cup.
History
In the 1880s, there had been postseason play between the winners of the National League and the
American AssociationThe American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
, but in 1892 the National League absorbed the Association, becoming a 12-team league, and played a split season. In 1893 the
Pittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
had finished second to the Boston Beaneaters (today's
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
). Pirates' president, William Chase Temple, felt that his team should have the option of having a playoff series to claim the title. As a result, Temple had his $800 trophy minted and donated it to the league. The revenue was to be split 65% to 35%; however, the players of the first series (1894) decided to evenly split the money. However, after the series the
New York GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
cheated some
Baltimore OrioleThe Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
players out of their money, tainting the Cup and prompting Temple to sell the Pirates in disgust.
Lack of enthusiasm on the part of the players doomed the series; their apathy spread to the fans, who stayed away in droves in later years. Interest in the Series faded quickly, as it seemed artificial, with the second-place team winning three of the four series. However, the concept would be revived in 1900 with the
Chronicle-Telegraph CupThe Chronicle-Telegraph Cup was the trophy awarded to the winner of a postseason competition in American professional baseball in 1900. The series, played only once, was a precursor to the current World Series....
. The Baltimore Orioles appeared in every Cup, winning the last two series. The team won two Cup series and came the closest to having permanent possession of the trophy.
After the Cup was ended, the trophy was returned to Temple, whose Pirates team never finished higher than sixth place in the standings during the Cup's existence. In 1939, the Cup itself was tracked down by
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. It was in the possession of a Temple family member in
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The Cup was displayed at the
1939 New York World's FairThe 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
. The Temple family later sold the Cup for $750 to the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and MuseumThe National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
, where it remains today.
Summary of Temple Cup Series
- 1894
-Champions:*Temple Cup: New York Giants defeated Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 0*National League: Baltimore Orioles-National League final standings:-Events:...
: BaltimoreThe Baltimore Orioles won their first National League pennant in . They won 24 of their last 25 games. After the regular season's conclusion, the Orioles participated in the first Temple Cup competition against the second-place New York Giants...
1st, New YorkThe New York Giants finished second in the National League pennant race in . After the regular season's conclusion, they participated in the first Temple Cup competition against the first-place Baltimore Orioles...
2nd - New York won Series, 4 games to 0
- 1895
-Champions:* Temple Cup: Cleveland Spiders defeated Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 1* National League: Baltimore Orioles-Statistical leaders:*Batting: Jesse Burkett .409*Home Runs: Sam Thompson 18*Wins: Cy Young 35*ERA: Al Maul 2.45...
: BaltimoreThe Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. The Orioles finished first in the National League, winning their second straight pennant...
1st, ClevelandThe 1895 Cleveland Spiders finished with a 84-46 record and a second place finish in the National League. After the season they played the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the Temple Cup series, defeating them 4 games to 1.- Roster :...
2nd - Cleveland won Series, 4 games to 1
- 1896
-Champions:*Temple Cup: Baltimore Orioles defeated Cleveland Spiders, 4 games to 0*National League: Baltimore Orioles-Statistical leaders:*Batting: Jesse Burkett .410*Home Runs: Ed Delahanty & Bill Joyce 13*Wins: Kid Nichols 30*ERA: Billy Rhines 2.46...
: BaltimoreThe Baltimore Orioles won their third straight National League pennant in . After the season, they faced Cleveland Spiders in the Temple Cup for the second year in a row. After losing 4 games to 1 in , the Orioles swept the Spiders in four straight...
1st, ClevelandThe 1896 Cleveland Spiders season was a season in American baseball. The team finished with a 80-48 record and a second place finish in the National League. After the season they played the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the Temple Cup series...
2nd - Baltimore won Series, 4 games to 0
- 1897
-Champions:*Temple Cup: Baltimore Orioles defeated Boston Beaneaters, 4 games to 1*National League: Boston Beaneaters-Statistical leaders:*Batting: Willie Keeler .424*Home Runs: Hugh Duffy 11*Wins: Kid Nichols 31*ERA: Amos Rusie 2.54...
: BostonThe Boston Beaneaters won the National League pennant. It was their fourth of the decade and their seventh overall. After the season, the Beaneaters played in the Temple Cup for the first time. They lost the series to the second-place Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 1.- Regular season...
1st, BaltimoreThe Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. After three straight first-place finishes, the Orioles slipped to second place with a record of 90-40, 2 games behind the National League-leading Boston Beaneaters. After the season, the two teams met in what would be the final Temple...
2nd - Baltimore won Series, 4 games to 1