Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-28


sectional clash in the two major leagues
was closely fought, SO close in the Ameri-
can League that the series was a tie.
Each section won .twenty-eight games.
There are no particular laurels for the
American League east as a whole in this
result, for the eastern teams were on
home grounds and were expected to more
than hold their own. In the National
League the east won twenty-five games
and the west twenty-eight which was
not bad for the east, considering. that
its teams We're away from home. 1t was
fairly close series under the circum-
stances.
1t would appear from the American In
tersectional scraps that strength in the
west is more evenly distributed than in
the east, whatever it may be later when
the Athletics, for instance. strike their
stride. 1t was only through the good
work of the Red Sox that the eastern
contingent was able to break even. The
Red Sox won ten games and lost three
whereas every other eastern team lost
more games than it won. The Washing
tons won six and lost eight the High
landers won four and lost seven. and the
Athletics won four and lost six, very
poor showing for the champions.
The White Sox did the best work of
any of the teams. They won eleven games
and met with but three defeats. 1t was
their whirlwind rush through the east
that enabled the visiting teams to get
draw. The Detroits, not showing the CO.
hesive strength of recent years. broke
even with six and six. The Clevelands
won five and lost six, and the Browns
made the poorest showing of the eight
-sc% av.d ,ff,n o.
verses.
The National League record was: New
York-Won, II; lot, y Brooklyn-Won, B:
lost, 8. Philadelphia,-Won. >: lest. ..
Boston-Won. 3; lost. II. Pittsburgh
Won. 5: lost, L. Cincinnati-Won, 8: lost,
g. Chicago-Won. I: lost. 5. st. Louis
Won, 8; lost, I. Here, too, the distribu-
ton of strength was more even in the
west, the Brooklyns and Bostons falling
down hard for the east None OF the
three stronger western teams, however,
won a sufficient proportion of games to
make it formidable at this time as con-
Germs coming visits to the east. Ii the
Reds are potential pennant winners, their
visitors did not show it. Eight out of
fourteen is hardly a pennant clip meath
our vine and fig tree. The Giants have
all the better Of 1t, taking the first test
as a criterion.
The distinct feature of the two series
was the playing of the two leading
teams. the Giants in the National ana
the White Sox in the American. 1t is
hard to parallel case of two leaders
cleaning up SO handsomely away from
home at the same time. The Giants rose
from second to first place. gained fifty
three points and came back home ninety
eight points ahead of the Reds. Unless
they crack during their coming long
home stay, and there is no visible dam
ger of that, they will be further in the
lead when they go away again.
In actual games, however. the Giants
on their return east had lead OF only
two games, which doesn't sound nearly
as big as ninety-eight points. Points are
wiped out by the wholesale by the loss
Of a game or two. and the way to meas
ure distance between clubs is by games,
not by points. But trust McGraw to keep
his men playing their best all the time
He is too wise a general to regard any
thing as a foregone conclusion until the
foregone conclusion is fact accomplish
cd: and it is a far cry from that yet.
The White Sox gained twenty-one points
in the east, or about one game. They
went back home three and half games
in the lead, which is a pretty encourage
ing basis on which to operate for their
coming stretch of home games. Not be-
ing as much known quantities as the
Giants. they cannot be regarded yet as
having as good an outlook to win the
pennant In their league as the Giants
nave In theirs. Inc AtnletlCS ana bOS-
tons are more threatening for the White
Sox than the Cincinnatis, Pirates or Cubs
are for the Giants.
The American League race, from what
has been seen of the teams here, lies
among Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston,
the Athletics being included. not because
Of what they have done this year. but de-
cause it is felt that they will show the
strength of last year in due time. That
will give them a bigger proportion of vic
tories, even though the White Sox and
Red Sox have improved and are capable
of making a better showing than last
year. AS to the National League teams,
we shall know more about the western
four when we have seen them. The i'm
preston about here IS that the Cubs have
gone back. but the Pirates and Phillies
look to have 1t in them to make more
trouble, the trouble extending to the
Giants. than they have done.
A good deal of shifting attended the
intersectional series. but not enough in
the leading high positions to stir up the
Iiveliest interest. Both leagues are suf-
fering from a lack of balance, but then
the teams that are fighting for first place
are sufficiently close to keep the races
from being dull. AS to the other teams,
they are in it at present only to the ex-
tent Of affecting the first and second
clubs by what games they win from or
lose to the latter.
Every team In the American League
shifted except the White Sox. The Red