The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-10-31
THE AMER1cAN LEAGuE.


The American Baseball league had a
most successful season Everywhere
in the circuit prosperity is reported;
all the teams have finished far ahead,
and the magnates have cleared from
$4,000 to $4,000. Nearly all of the
players have signed for another season
and it is stated that fully one-half OF
the men in the National league will be-
come American leaguers next year. Ac-
cording to this the old body will be
nearly disrupted
The league itself went before the
public last spring as a major league for
the first time, and as such made bid
for patronage in the face of the old
league, and in its supposedly irwin
chile strongholds. The experiment was
considered hazardous even by the
stanchest friends of the young organs
cation. 1t turned out success beyond
the expectation of any but the most
sangufne. The league did not, as pre-
dlcted, bankrupt itself by putting up
such expensive plants in four Eastern
cities, but, instead, won the patronage
of the public from the start, and came
out of the first seasons warfare with
Its colors nailed to the mast and in
coed condition for another years fight.
From a playing standpoint the
league has furnished a race which was
close and exciting until the last week
of it's season. For the players them
selves the year has been trying one,
as every club has been hustling for
position right up to the finish. The
players We're kept constantly on edge
and obliged to extend themselves,
League Star Pitchers.
Of the American league pitchers, two
stand pre-eminent in class by them
selves. They are Clarke Griffith and
"Cy' Young, and so close was the race
between them that they finished the
season one point apart in the percent
age of games won. Young pitched Al
games and won 80 of them Griffith
pitched 80 games and won 25 of them,
losing seven. McGinnity was the lead
ing pitcher in the Baltimore club and
pitched the greatest number of games,
winning ~ and losing IS. Wiltse was
Philadelphia's best pitcher for the
length of time he was with the club,
and Bernard leads the men who
pitched the season out. Miller was the
leader among the Detroit pitchers
Patton in the Washington staff, Moore
in C1eveland's bunch, and Reidy in the
Milwaukee club, the last named win
sA Yearly half his games with team
-y lenders behind him.
}oleon Lajoie of the Philadelphia
Stics heads the league in batting
AESS4 large a margin as to place him
leSSl N;lass wholly by himself. He has
SNbr percentage of 413, while his
,ssEHst competitor Buck Freeman, is
nGSSkass than 81 points below Thirty
six men hit over 800 during the sea-
son. Boston leads in team batting and
Washington in club fielding.
For time President Johnson was
menaced by rowdyism among the
players. A little over month before
the close of the season there was an
umpire assaulted or fight on the field
nearly every day. This hurt the game,
but such actions were curbed when
Shortstop Shugart was suspended for
the rest Of his life. Although he was
allowed to return, the decision of Pres
ident Johnson had wonderful effect.
The American league promises that
it will be larger next season and
stronger. Doubtless it will st. Louis
will be part of the circuit and there
NAV ha other chances urrho Ay,or;
can league has come to stay" says
President Johnson, ''as long as the peo-
pie want baseball"