The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25
BASEBALL CAMPAIGN or 1908.
Telling How Teams or Two Big Leagues
Moved About.

Az between the National and American
leagues in the baseball season Of 1908. there
was more shifting Of positions in the Ameri-
can. Neither race was AZ exciting az each
has furnished In previous years, and in both
the team that was In first place on July 1
stayed there to the finish. In both leagues
the most interesting fight was for second
place. the result Of the tussle for this posi-
ton IN the American League not being de-
clded until tbs next to the last day OF the
race. Second place in the National League
was In doubt until two days before the
nmsh, but in the American the second place
compositions changed places two days before
the nnsh. whereas In the National the
New Yorks who finished second, were in
mat berth continuously after Aug. 49,
In the American League the Washingtons
were always last from June 1 on, while
IN the National St. Louis took last place
away from Philadelphias az late as the
middle Of September
The New York Nationals played with
notable steadiness all through the season,
and the fact that only one team-Cincin-
nati-won the series from them. shows
what an even consistent game they played
They were first on May 1 and stayed there
tili May Is. when they took slight drop,
but by June Is were back in first place
lhey did not stay there long, being second
again on July and by the end OF the month
were down to third place. July was their
worst month. With the coming Of August
they began rally and by Aug is had
worked up to second place again, where
they took root and remained. The cham
p'on Pittsburgs were at their lowest point
on May 16-that 10 after the first few games
when teams might shift $50 points with a
game-when they we're third. They were
still there two weeks later and then began
to show the form that made them far and
away superior to all else in the National
League. They started upward in June,
were at the top by July and until the end
OF the season never were in danger Of re-
linquishing the lead.
The Chicagos, with the Pittsburgs and
New Yorks. were the only National League
! team that had the honor OF occupying
first place after the season was far enough
under way to count, They were third on
May 1, second on May Is and first on June l.
The month Of June found them crossing
the path Of New York and Pittsburg. On
June Is. the New Yorks having passed them
! and gone to the front. they shared second
place with Pittsburg. but two weeks later
they were third and Pittsburg was first.
BY Aug. they had ousted the New Yorks
from the second station, but by Aug is
the New Yorks had returned the compli-
| ment, and from that time on the Chicagos
| were third. More sweeping changes at
| tended Cincinnatis career than any of the
! first three clubs. The Reds were bringing
up the rear on May 1, but had jumped up to
| fifth place by the 18th. They lowered about
this position for over e month. July Is
| finding them In fourth place. and there they
| finished with no advancement. and only
Brooklyn having any chance Of passing
| them.
Brooklyn's campaign was attended with
marked In and out playing but not much
fuctuating in position. Their career, like
the Nationals race in gen eral, was tame
They were sixth on May and on May l5
On June I, 10 and July they were fourth
place occupants. and had fallen to their fina
destination, fifth place, by July Is. May
was Boston's best month. The Hub mer
were in the first division then, being fourth
on May and May l5. On June they were
sixth and in the same position at the enc
of each succeeding two weeks 10 the finale
The Philad elphias always were lowly
They were seventh on May I, last on May is
seventh on June and 49, last from June I,
to Sept. l. and seventh again by Sept. Is
The st. Louis team finished notch lower
n - khntr l..
the latter. incidentally, showing marked
improvement in the last two months. The
Cardinals we're as high as fifth on May /
then they shot down 70 last place in the
next two weeks They were seventh most
Of the last three months being relegated tc
the tail end In September.
Tangled lines characterized the May anc
June campaign in the American League
Ups and downs were numerous. The
champion Bostons were 30 inoffensive in
the first two weeks that May found them
in sixth place. But once in their stride
their ascent was swift. They were third
by the 18th Of the month, second on June /
first on June Is; After that they never
were headed. The Philadelphias did not
get so low On May and IS they were
second, third on June L. second on June s,
July ], Is, Aug 1 and Is, third on Sept. 1
and Is, and second at the finish. The Cleve'
lands were slow beginners and took bis
drop early in the season. The fence break.
ers were seventh on May and Is. but began
a rapid climb at that period. They were
fifth by June but did not tarry there
They had gone into third place by the 18th
Of June and in that position they anchored
for two months BY September they had
forced the Philadelphias to give up second
place TO them being ousted in turn by the
Ouakers lust before the close
The career Of the infant Of the American
League. the New Yorks, was checkered
but withal most creditable for a new team
thanks to the efficient manager. Clark
Griffith The New Yorks were third on
NAV |, but had tumbed to seventh place
| by June 1. All the month OF June they
we're trying TO sind themselves" and II
was not until July that they began to get
together and move up. Then they went
up with a rush and were fourth by july u.s.
they were fifth on Aug /, then jumped
forward to third place, dropping to fourth
by Aug. IS. They had criss cross time
with the Detroits for while, but for the
greater part OF September were fourth
where they finished. The Detroits had
| a meteoric beginning. BY May they had
scaled the heights to the pinnacle. II TOOK
them month TO toboggan from first &c
sixth place. They stayed sixth in June
but improved in July TO the extent OF reach
ing fourth place by Aug. l. BY the 18th
they were fifth and there remained except
for a few days when 81 Louis was ahead
This st. Louis Browns made big dstouI
in the first three months. They were last
on May /, fifth on May is, third on June !