Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06
LEAGUES ARE EQUAL
Little or No Difference in Play
ing Strength.
AMERICAN HAS WON MORE
Three Hundred and Five Games
Have Been Played.
LUCK CUTS A BIG FIGURE
Interesting Statistics of Games Play
ed by Two Major Base Ball
Organizations Since 1908.
LUCK CUTS A BIG FIGURE
By I. E. Sanburn.

By I. E. Sanburn.
Special Dispatch to The Star
CHICAGO, ILL.,, November 5.-If those
base ball fans TO whom the victory of
the Athletics over the Cubs in the lat.
worlds series was so staggering that
they have not yet done explaining il
will spend few moments studying inter
league base ball history some of their
wonderment may be modified.
There is nothing in fact, figures or
actual results to indicate that there is
now or ever was the great difference i'm
the playing strength of the American
and National lea ues which loyal ad-
herents of these rival organizations con-
stantly are asserting there is. Claims or
pronounced superiority for one league
over the other cannot be substantiated
and are based on arguments developed
out OF personal bias, sentiment or loyalty.
whatever one chooses to call il.
AS a matter Of cold. hard facts. based
on the results Of contests between the
major leagues during the eight seasons
since they stopped lighting each other
and began to play interieague games,
American League and always has been.
But it is so hit, considering the period
of time covered and the quantity of
games played. that Ii indicates the two
circuits are evenly matched, taken as II
whole, rather than any marked differ
ence.
Have Played 3o5 Games.
Since the spring Of 1903, when peace
was assured. American and National
League teams have been pitted against
one another in 305 games. not including
ties. This includes all varieties of con-
tests from worlds series battles to sin
gle exhibition games between teams on
training trips. OF those 305 games
American League teams won 160 and
National League teams 145.
That margn OF nineteen games, cover
ing distance almost as long as the two
full championship seasons, would repre-
sent only seven or eight games margin
in season. In either league that would
be considered fairly close race between
first and second. much closer than the
1910 pennant races in either major league
this year.
The luck which cuts SO much figure
in a single game or in a short series Is
bound to even up in the long run, and
can be computed Of small account when
spread over the period of eight years.
1t simply was bound to happen some
day. therefore. that the pennant en-
blematical OF the worlds championship.
tional League fields. would swing its
silken folds over the fence into the
American Leagues bailiwick There was
nothing more strange or necessary to be
explained about it than wheL the change
in the wind blows the blossoms OF the
apple tree into your back yard instead
of your neighbor's, provided the tree
grows anywhere near the fence.
That the American League possesses
the small advantage it does in the rec
fact it started with the upper hand in
1903. 1t had just wooed away from the
League during the war lot
Of skilled veterans. compelling the old
to recruit with young talent
at the time when there was not much
young talent. 1t required only about
four seasons for this young blood to at
tain the upper hand as the interleague
figures show. In those four years the
American Leagues veterans deteriorated
and the National Leagues youngsters
improved just enough to throw the al
most evenly balanced scales to the side
Of the older organization.
Still Hold Advantage.
For the next three years the advantage
remained with the National League, ac-
cording to the dope. In that time the
American League has been replacing vet
Grams with young blood and developing
1t up to major league standard, while
the former youngsters of the old circuit
have become veterans. With this sea-
sons records at hand 1t looks as II the
SCALE always tilted only slightly. was
toward the young. leaguers' side
tell. History which means anything
means that the switch will be short OF
not more than three or four years dura-
ton. And because you never can tell
in base ball. 1t may be for only one
year.
Figures Are Interesting.
An interesting story is told by the
figures. For the first four years Of the
present base ball regime there was an
advantage in favor of the American
League and its players of greater ex-
perience. In 1903 the Junior league won
b games from teams In the rival major.
while the National won q games from
the American League Fewer games were
played In 1904. no worlds series taking
place. The American League won l.:
games and lost IL to the National
League In 1905 1t was 20 victories TO
The following year, 1906. saw the YER
iict overwhelmingly in favor of the
younger circuit, its teams winning twen-
y-two games from the National. while
he latter was credited with only seven
Victories over American League teams
I'd to and including that year the new
eague was leading on interleague dope
Nv ninety-four victories to seventy-four
or the National. margin of twenty
our games.
Then the pendulum swung toward tho
League for a period. In 1907
he veteran organization was victorious
n twenty-five games and lost eighteen
O its rivals teams. In 1905 the verdict
till favored the National by thirteen
rames to ten on the seasons interieague
,Iay Last year there was margin or
ix games I'm the Nationals favor. the
yictories being seventeen for the OLD
eague and eleven for the American. In
hree seasons. therefore, the National
cams cut the balance against them from
wenty-four games down to eleven. At
he end of 1909 interleague games stood
3S for the American and 10 for the
National.
Value Of Results.
This season the American League won
| small majority of the fifty interleague
amaS vlayed The record shows TWENTY