The Topeka state journal., 1901-04-09
How the American and It's Rival
Compare.
Strength of the Two Leagues is
Shown Up.
FACTS ARE A SURPRISE
St. Louis Looms Up Heavy With
the Willow.
McGraw's Team Hardest Hitters
in the American.

Chicago, April s.-A baseball form card.
showing. as accurately a. possible. the
playing strength Of the various Na1ion1i
and American league teams IS, per-
haps, about as enticing repast as
could be set before the eager fan at
this time OF the year. The statements fol-
lowing are made up from the records OF
the men in their various leagues last sea-
son. and VIII be found as correct as the
official scorers around tEe country could
make them The idea has been followed.
as closely as possible. that ball club IN
action consists OF seven regular players.
strsnfh of q team Is not the mere Jumped
average Of the Is men Who wear its eolors
playing strength IS represented by seven
records, made by the regular in aud out
ratchers and a composite average record
OF the pitchers. Going through the 10
changes viii be noted as compared with
the strength shown BY the different teams
81 course. being due Is the present war.
Locking over the National league teams.
Louis looms up as the heaviest hitting
club In the business, If its minor league
company as they did last season in the
smaller towns. EittsburE ranks second
and New York fourth The Quakers.
weakened by the going Of 1ajoie. fan IN
seventh and Boston last
Another surprise is seen in the fact that
Mc(srawTs BaltinOre's. since the addition
Of Williams and DOnlin. are the hardest
hitting club-dealing. IA COURSE, In futures
chow that the National league clubs viii
hit harder than their rivals and also out
ehado them somewhat in the fielding
In mel king UP the records care has been
leaRues to match Nick TOung's scoring
rules, which include passed balls and wild
pitches in the field records OF the battery
players Batting averages. Of course, are
inF sceres Of tfe America, and EsasteFn
"A
can and Eastern men have been revised
10 parallel with the National ieaEuers.
saIyzfnss the fieures. looks weak with the
stick. unless Crolius and GOmans un-
known quantities prove husky Hamilton
~ the only regular over 800. and Kitt-
= hardly likely 10 do as well IN the last
Brooklyn has lost some OF its hitting
ability, but viii have four tOp-notch bat
ters IN Kelley, DAILY. Keller and Sheck-
Baltimore clubs till his abiding place is
Lotus Chicago club has a weak bat
the work Of HartzeI. Green. Raymer and
the catchers- The Reds have gained at
the addition OF Hogriever. Dobbs and
Harley Will make the team the fastest in
tns National league In base running
New York has climbed up in batting,
ano shows g grand bunch OF hitters-
5ueloW, Davis, HiclSman, VanHaltren and
Selbach, with good chances of Camel,
Murphy and Strang doing some sluggfng-
pared with several others.
The Jumping Of Lajoie leaves Phila-
deiphia with only three regular 800 point
hitters. while the nine does not show any
too strong in the field or on the bases.
and, as the men are not newcomers. from
minor leagues, IS more likely to lift the
Louis seems excellent totals. and even
should Childs and Kruger. its young re-
cruits. 1ail to keep up their records. looks
% be good FOR q high place On the slug
A pitching table. showing the twirlers
q each club and the percentage Of games
they won last season. is an interesting ad-
with a net winning per cent OF -5s6. while
Cincinnatfs curvers come last, with -427,
AsaNlng the question very much up to
Ames Rustes who was not in the game
the averages. An odd feature IS the fact
that the men whom New York has man
aged 20 assemble for a pitching star look
now with Brooklyn since the skipping of
MeGinnity and Howell The New York
S,tsiFlesEs percenfage oI wins IS 5S1s and
She ehanpioIs' pitchers only reach -515-
AleS5raW Baltlnnores. hrst team to be
considered In the American league. seem
strong enough with the ash. though not
Cd from Mussys crew. The Boston club.
on an actual analysis, does not seem as
the bases as had been imagined. Conn.
iskeys Chicago team is also light with
sliar soo-point hitter IN the bunch- me
despised C1evelands are much more dan
was supposed. and in the figilres at least
rank way ahead Of Somers' favorite Bos-
tons Detrpit'S team IS too light with the
war clubs, although speedy on the bases.
and the same may be said Of the Nil
Waukeess who have more stolen bases
than any other club in either league. The
philadelphia team is fairly powerful n
batting good IN the field and dead ia
thteF1rE- MannIng's Washingtons seem
TO be even poorer base runners, weak
batsmen and excellent felders.
The pitching statistics give the palm to
the Cleveland slabEnen as the most effec-
tive during last season. a winning per