Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-11-13
THE AMERICAS 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 $250O0 Nearly all OF the
playee have signed for another season
and II 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 a bid
for 70 ronage in the face Of the old
league, and in it's supposedly irwin
chile strongholds. The experiment was
considered hazardous even by the
stanchest friends of the young Organi-
zation. IL turned out a success beyond
the expectation of any but the most
sanguine. The league did not, as pre-
dicted. 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
good condition for another years fight.
From playing standpoint the
league has furnished race which was
close and exciting until the last week
OF ~ season. For the players them
selves the year has been a trying one,
as every club has been hustling for a
position right up to the finish. The
players were kept constantly on edge
and obliged to extend themselves.
League star Pitchers.
or the American league pitchers, two
stand pre-eminent in a class by them
selves. They are Clarke Griffith end
ICY" 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 32 of them. Griffith
pitched 32 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 27 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 stan. Moore
In Cleveland's bunch, and Reidy in the
Milwaukee cluD, the last named win
ming nearly half his games with team
of tail-enders behind him.
Napoleon Lajoie of the Philadelphia
Athletics heads the league in batting
by so large a margin as to place him
| in a class wholly by himself. He has
hit for a percentage OF 413, while his
nearest competitor. Buck Freeman, is
no less than 81 points below. Thirty
six men hit over 300 during the sea
SON Boston leads in team batting and
Washington in club fielding
For a time President Johnson was
menaced by rowdyism among the
players. little over a 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 fol
the rest of his life. Although he was
allowed to return, the decision of Pres
ident Johnson had a wonderful effect
The American league promises thai
II will be larger next season ant
stronger. Doubtless it will. st. Lous
will be part of the circuit and ther,
may be other changes The Ameri
can league has come TO stay say
President Johnson, las long as the peo
ple want baseball"