The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-03
Athletics i'm Fine Shape and
Should Win the Pennant.
Have a Long Home Series and
the Chances Are Good.
CLEVELAND is CLOSE.
Western Teams HaFe@a Hard
Fight Among 7 Themselves.
And in the Scrap Mack's Men
Are Bound TO Profit.

Philadelphia, Sept. SIT was happy
bunch of ball players that Connie Mack
brought to this town.
They are here to stay until the close
of the season, barring one trip to Bos-
ton for three games. one to washington
for four and another to New York for
one. At home, weather permitting they
will play thirty games, and out of that
number they should secure enough ana
more victories to insure the pennant.
In considering the result of the West
ern trip it must be remembered tnat
the Athletics were up against the
strongest bunch collectively in the
American league. They got two out OF
three from Detroit, three out of fiVe
from Cleveland, one out of three from
Chicago and three out of five from St
Louis, making a total of nine victories
and seven defeats on the trip
Now that the contenders have en-
tered the stretch, a better line is Of
fered upon the probable order of the
finish. Though the American league
looks as though the Athletics, barring
an extraordinary chapter of accidents,
will win easier than any other team
has since Boston copied the flag in
American league this year is in the
West. Chicago held the lead for a long
while, then Detroit grabbed 1t and
held 1t until the Athletics happened
Cleveland has never been able to ac-
quire the lead this season. it has al
ways been up there and is now ready to
step right in In the event of anything
going wrong with the leaders. 1t is the
very strength of these Western con-
tenders that should make the Athletics
finish rather easy, outside of what they
may do themselves in their own yard.
Chicago and Detroit have yet to play
ten games. Out of the twelve played
this far Chicago has won nine and De-
froit three. If the same ratio is main
tanned in the remaining games Cnlcago
should cop seven, which would come
pretty near throwing the Jennings fam
lily out of it, Chicago and Cleveland
have yet to play seven games. or the
fifteen games played thus far chicago
has captured eight and Cleveland
seven Assuming that they split 4-3
either way, both will come back, assun-
ing that the Athletics do better than
break even in the same time. Detroit
and Cleveland have yet to play eight
games. So far their series stands even,
each team having won and lost seven
games Again assuming that the rela-
tive percentage of victories is main
tanede. there will be another break be-
tween dangerous contenders- Eacn VIII
helm to pull down the other fellow all
OF which will help the tribe of Mack,
provided the latter keep on going about
their business and winning their per-
centage Of games
It now looks as though the club that
wins ninety-f1ve games, the number won
by Boston in 1904, the first year OF the
154-game schedule, will capture the pen |
nant this year. In 1901, Chicago won, !
with a percentage of $40, and strange |
~ enough the Athletics won it in 1902 |
with precisely the same percentage In /
1903 the last year of the 14O-game |
schedule the Bostons scored the easiest |
victory in the history of the American /
league, before or since They won |
nfnety-one and lost forty-seven games. |
bea ting out the Athletics sixteen games, |
having a winning percentage of 1853. 1t /
ia a remarkable fact that in five of the /
wix years that the American league, as |
now made up, has been in existence,
here has been a difference of only |
eleven points between the championship
winners.