The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-15
TOPICS OF THB DIAMOND
NATIONAL LEAGUE RACE CLOSER
THAN AMERICAN so FAR,
which d a Coalition the Reverse %
PreVisus SEASONS neeFtAlmly 81 the
Game Emphasized by Campaigns
Thls Year Lever and Philippe.

Wnicn " 4 Aoniill0n the MeNerhe 81
PreSisus Seasons nceFtAlnty % the
Game Emphasized by Campaigns
This Year -I.eevCP and PhillipPe
The two big league baseball races thu.
FAR this ssason have brought forth one
condition Nhirh i In striking contrast ID
/ that Whhh has prevailed pretty much eveI
since the National League has had thu
American league for rival. There l.
much greater difference in points between
The leader anil iailender In the American
League than between the corresponding
teams In the National. In previous season,
the reverse has he~n the ease The season
h little more than a month old. and the
National cOntendOTs arr muCh mone closely
punched than those IN tho American.
Last Saturday morning there were Ssi
points difference between the Athletic.
and Browns, the frs' aud last In the Amer.
can league. In thu National. Pittsburg
and ~ Louis. the first and last. we're only
siI points apart Heretofore the National
clubs have been widely separated In points
indicative Of games won and lost and play
ing strength. The Athletics In the Amerl-
can League have been draw ing ahead much
more rapidly than has been the American
League custom. The race for the present
Ia among the Clevelands. Detroits and
New Works for second place. and a right
pretty race n IL. With plenty Of chance yet
Tor any team tn overhaul the leaders.
A. the finish Of Fridays battles there
we're isa points het Ween the irst and second
teams In the American. a. compared 70 p
between the first and secOnd National clubs
Nha oil
in the two leagues was small. the main
differences being between the first and
second and seventh and last teams. The
Browns we're 81 points behind the wash.
ingtons, while the Cardinals were only ID
points IN the rear Of the BrOOklyns. In be-
tween the clubs in both leagues were NJ
/ well punched as could be expected But
whatever the future brings our the fact
remains that for once the American League
race Is the more scattering Of the two.
The season has been full Of interesting
surprises One Of them IL the condition
already cited. the way the Athletics hav,
drawn ahead. Another is the way ssyera
NJ the strong clubs or reputedly strOnr
/ have been iolted In their efforts TO keep uT
] with the procession The Boston Red sol
- one club which hasn't played up 10 IN,
| form expected Of H. II IL gratifying Il
note that the Highlanders have held theii
own With two Of the strongest teams In IN,
/ league. the Athletics and De,roits. They
I have battod 10 an even break with botl
Of those agRreRations.
} II may h. said Of the ChicaFOs. pittsburRu
and New Works Of the National League
that all three have hsen getting bumped
freely III" uncertainty Of the national
game never vas more lorcibly Illustrated
I The Giants we're getting along impre-sively
until they went Wet and then following
thrs' defeats IN four gumes In Chicago
they st severe -lnpping IN ~ Louis.
IN his first tao games pitched In the West
MAtheN-on di2n last through either
I nlttsburgs have not We settled Gown to tlnt
, READINESS which - a Characteristic of strong
teams Their form hasn't been consistent
The Culls arrn showing near the even
strength and dspendability ~ previous
--azons aud the Pittsburgr. with al thcir
uudouht.d ability, haven't vet applied their
strength 10 bring out their best game
I ucoftaiutr has marked tho pitching Of
such ordinarily effective hOXmen ~ HrOWn
~ Chicago and Camnity aud Adams Of
Pittzburg Indeed. tamnItz and Adams
have been consistent losers and since going
West NaihrWrOH, the paragon Of pitchers
has not h-~n up 10 M. customary form
The vhvfore j. bavond ken. but mayhs
the FrratiC weather has -omsthluE tn do
with o ~ we'll a. the IN and Oui Fielding
that Eas bern such "a feature OF the first
four weeks u the SEASON. The strong
brace Of the BroOklyn~ IA the hrst week ~
the West Nas another surprise The kruok
lyns have besn doing some sayag" hating
since they took m" tran They jumped
on the PittsburgS two out o. three, then
slammed tue Reds
The game PLAYED By the Detror- when
here last week lacked the conviction Of the
! igers' game when ~ their hest last wear.
The drive AMI .lash and pepper we're mss
ing The champions game lacked the
tabiity. The sttnr hne-s and mOml quality
~ resolution 1T the AthletiC- but except
In the last game here the ligers were not
hitting ehsCtINely and teams play always
looks tame "a hen that y the case Cobb
didn't ht we'll when here Tie didn't biz
vel enough 20 Get on he blse- often and 10
ma e- q big dferrn,e IN DetroH's attack
to 'ut up vuper-.
However, some allowance must he made
for the aggre-=iyenes- shown by the High
landerS Tho highlander have not been
ha ~ every minute 81 The time ami Using
what strpnth they have shown earnestly
ami without Ietup. keeping 40 the enemy with
determination therefore they have been
hart 10 heat IN most OF their games. The
team never showed better lighting spirit
than this year larh Quinn. the big pitcher
has not h~sn gong along any TOO veil
lie NAV need more work or mora settled
ives thor However. NHrhop'z display of
form iu his last game. together viii the
steady enerti eness uI FOri aud Vaughn
make the pitching situation pleasing IN ON
look The puh,er- all u all have done
their share be- holding down opposing
teams and What Is most needed Just now y
better batting. 30 that The New Works can
get morp runs of their own Ia proport ion
30 their hits they have been doing well Ia
the scoring line.
n j. ~ plain a. the nose on ones face
that Il tho AthlefiC-' pitchers can hold
their present clip ne Maci men 70 10 hard
To catch The hoVmeu are going ~ top
speed The Aihlstics have moi one or two
PCT, hers who have been in winning form
but four pIauk. Render MORGAN aud
krHu-e How Tar can hey ros That j. a
question Arr the Athletics going 10 make
q runaway race Not If American League
history j. 10 ~ REPEATED In tact runaway
rscss IN either league have been s,arce in
recent year.
speaking of pitchers. h J.. hard IN parallel
the uuze- ~ the Two old PiftSburg war
horses. Lever and Philippe This is the
tenth year that tins uAIr of veterans have
been doing mound duty Tor the Pirates side
by side They became team mates IN Pitts
burg IN lHfD and have been with thai club
ever since, pitching q big share of games
A. pair their records are worth studying
IN 1881 Lever pitched In twenty seven
games aud had a pef, sntage Of victories OF
SIS Philippe pitched in thirty three
games that year and Won SO per cent NJ
NIN gffyt..k - a. taut y