Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-24
SPORTS OF The LAST WEEK
Base Ball Pennant Races Seem to Be
Developing Into Professions,
CINCINNATI AGAIN SURPRISES US ALL
Goes East In the Lead and Returns 20
Mill Creek In First P1ace-only
Race I'm the Western In
for Second.

Commencing with today the western
teams in the big league return to their divi-
sion to start a bit OF a whirl between them
selves and then to receive the eastern
teams. They will stay in the west until
August IL, when the third eastern trip will
and continue until August "a.
Another stay at home will follow until Sep
TENDER ID, when the fourth and final whirl
around the eastern circuit will take place,
the teams coming home to finish out the
season on September "a,
Cincinnati will com back home from her
second trip with a nice substantial lead
once more. On last Friday with out one
more game to play way from the home
grounds she was twenty-one points to the
good over the Bostonese. 1t is thirty points
less than the lead the Reds had when they
left Cincinnati, but it seems to be sufficient
for all purposes, as they will remain almost
uninterruptedly on the home grounds for
the coming three weeks. When they left
on the trip they were fifty-two points ahead
of the Beaneaters. This was on July 4.
When they had finished the trip about the
western circuit on July IL they had in
creased this lead to flfty-seven points, so
that their actual loss on the trip In the east
was thirty-six points.
1t is the second time that the Reds have
returned from the tour in the lead, but
this time the advantage has been cut down
one-half. When they departed for the first
tour on May % they were seventy seven
points ahead OF anything behind them. On
their return this lead had been cut down
to forty points, but in the stay-at-home
until July 4 1t was boosted up again to the
6fty-two- point advantage with which they
began the trip Just ended.
The Bostopians do not seem to have made
a sufficient gain on their home grounds.
When they left the west their percentage
was SIS. This was decreased Just one point
while they were touring among the eastern
clubs. While on the home grounds they
iforced this up to the 64.2 mark on last Fri
Y day. Cleveland had been p~lodding along
9steadily. On July 3 when the Spiders left
home they were at 6O.9 and at exactly the
same figure when they left for the east.
They come west with els, a gain of four
points in the ten days. Baltimore has been
F~jogging along at about the same rate. When
sthe Orioles left the west they were with a
spercentage of 59.7. They gained four points
son the tour in the east and on last Friday
eafter a ten-day stop on the home grounds
Ethey had exactly the same figure with which
Ehey arrived, 500. Chicago has been drop
tping steadily. She reached the Windy City
ION July 4 with a percentage of 56.7. She
kdropped seven points during her weeks stay
rand during the trip east she dropped an
feven dozen more, standing at 54.S in the
trace.
The eastern whirl of the western teams in
the Western league has also ended and this
,fas resulted in two particular features-the
HALL of st. Paul and the rise of Milwaukee.
HWhen the Saints reached st. Paul at the
conclusion of the first eastern trip on June
40 they were fourth, but with a percentage
of 500, that threatened to place them in
second and third place at any time. Their
play at home and among the western teams
did really boost them into the first place
when the second eastern trip just concluded
tbegan. They then had q standing of 63.2.
They come back in fifth place with a per-
%centage of 56,S, a loss of Ga points.
The Brewers have as much Of a record in
the opposite direction. When they started
on the western trip on June 10 they had
fifth place cinched with a percentage OF
$40. Their tour of the western clubs re-
suited in a raise to a percentage of 55.1.
They kept running upward all the while in
the east until now, at the beginning of the
western trip, they are fourth with a per-
centage of S.3, a gain of "a points over
their standing when they began their first
western trip.
The race is still for the second position
between these four clubs-St. Paul, Kansas
City, Milwaukee and Columbus. The Blues
come home with Is points less than at the
conclusion of the first trip, and the Senators
have % points less than the percentage
with which they started out on the first
at- A~tD T. .Al1t
in the lead at about the SAM figure witt
which she started on the western tour be.
fore. At that time she was 81 points to the
good, now she is 81. She took a big slumJ
an the meantime, for at the time st. Pau
held the lead the Hoosiers had lost 40 point,
and more. but they managed to regain al
this loss on the home grounds.
The rebaptized Babes have about hel,
their own in the east. They started on tn,
"trip with 1865 points, and are now at 35.6
Detroit has made a small gain, but tina
has been sufficient to raise them above tn
Babes. Minneapolis has been losing steadil,
since her last return home, being twenty
nine points less in percentage.
The awakening of the Giants after Ansol
had gone, and their recent h~ustling an
successful efforts to climb up the ladder
bears out the conclusion that the player
hid not and would not put forward thei
best efforts under the veterans Leadership
While Arson was at the helm they playe
the dopey game that characterized the wor
of the Colts during the last few season
of the reign Of the "old man" Why 1t
that Arson, who is supposed to give the me
under him the best of treatment, should b
unable to get good work out of his player.
is a mystery of the game that will neve
be explained.
The reorganization Of the Western leagu
circuit for another year, even II no MOI
changes are made this year. is a puzzliu
problem that faces its members. The CO
lumbus and st. Joseph teams will no doul
have other permanent homes by. anoth,
season. and there is another matter tn,
may make a change. The Cleveland teal
in the National league will unquestionab
be removed TO some other city before ne,
season and indianapolis is about the mo
prominently mentioned place Just now. II
Buffalo can hardly stand for an Easter
league team as 1t Is. In that case the Yves
ern league would have to seek three ne
cities and would have to consider the que
tion, perhaps, of trying Cleveland. The N.
tional league can make 1t surrender Indial