The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-19
LEAGUES FINISH.
Will Be a Lively Fight in the
National and American.
In American Cleveland, Chicago,
Detroit and st. Louis
ARE ALL In A BUNCH.
New York, Pittsburg and Chica-
go Lead i'm the National.
Cleveland and New York May
Be Final Winners.
ARE ALL In A BUNCH


crossing topic of the lovers of the
great American game is not politics,
but who will carry off the pennants
in the two major leagues. Predic-
tions are always guesswork. There is
an indefinite something, which for
lack of better term is called strong
finishing that will win out against
great odds, as Detroit and Chicago
pulled out last year
1t is interesting to note a few
facts concerning the balance of the
schedule which will show the work
cut out for the various teams. In
the American league Detroit, Chicago,
st. Louis and Cleveland are SO close
that either one may carry off the
rag. Chicago has one less game to
play than st. Louis or Detroit. There
are only fourteen left for Chicago.
A glance at the schedule will show
that twelve of these are home games,
nine are with second division teams
and five with first division teams. De-
troit runs up against three straight
games at Chicago near the close of
the season, which may decide the
place of Chicago and Detroit It is
undoubtedly more advantageous for
team to play on its own grounds, so
that Detroit will have to go up
Cleveland has ten games with sec
ond division teams, all at home, and
five with first division teams. Detroit
plays twelve home games during the
balance Of the season and three away.
ST. Louis, which is making such a
run for the pennant this year, has
thirteen home games and two at De-
troit. Five are with first division
teams and ten with second division
teams.
The schedule has been so carefully
arranged that in the fifteen games
American league there is little ad-
vantage in one team over the other
| Cleveland has twelve home games and
three. at ST. Louis. If the pennant
race should settle into fight between
Chicago and Detroit, Chicago would
have the undoubted advantage OF
| playing on her own grounds with De-
| troit at the end of the season.
In the National league the Giants
| Chicago and Pittsburg are safely in
| three games with the Giants on theiI
| home grounds, and during the balance
| of the season will only play one more
game at home. New York, on the
other hand. has a schedule which
| calls for the balance of the season
| on home ground. Philadelphia has
! fourteen home games and three away
| With the lead that New York has an6
the considerable advantage of the
entire balance of the season on home
| ground, the Giants should pull out by
a safe margin; but she runs into the
| strongest competitors in the league
with tho exception of the Boston
games on October 6, and z, and
this may have considerable weight.
/ Chicago has only eleven more
games to play, while Pittsburg has
| only thirteen and New York seven
| teen. PittSburg runs into Boston
| Brooklyn and st. Louis and two
| games with New York at New York
/ With the comparatively poor showing
! of the second division the Pirate!
ought to be in at a close finish unles:
/ some surprises are sprung. The two
| New York games will have con
| siderable weight In deciding the
| chances of the Pittsburg aggregation