The Washington herald., 1913-11-26
Johnson BEST
in THELEAGUE
Official Records Show the
"Big Train Best Finger
in Circuit.
BOEHLNG RANKS SIXTH
Southpaw Proved Valuable Running
Mate for Walter-Other
Sporting Gossip.
Hy WILLIAM PEET.

Official records are not needed to con-
vince baseball fans of the District, that
Walter Johnson was the leading pitcher
of the American league during the sea-
.son, which closed last October, but with
Statistician Howe's figures in frcnt of u.s.
little dope might not be amiss.
The American League at its meeting last
a year voted 10 discard the usual method of
5etermining a pitchers record by the
number Of games won and lost, substitut-
ing the number of innings pitched, at bat
opponents, &c, and with this method Of
reckoning in vogue the official marks,
published elsewhere on this page show
Walter johnson head and shoulders above
any of the others, leading the league by
q generous margin.
Not only has Walter johnson won more
games CS7 against seven defeats but he
has pitched more innings than any other
Finger in the Ban johnson circuit, more
opponents have faced him and no twirler
can approach him in the matter of strike
outs.
Rebel Russell Of the Chicago White Sox
ranks next to Johnson in the matter of
innings pitched with 316 against 346 for
sells, comes next.
That Grin had a valuable running mate
for Walter johnson in the person of Joe
Boehing, these same records clearly
show. The Richmond ThunderboIt'
ranks sixth among the american league
twirlers and strange to relate Joe Engel
comes next, with Groom, Gallia and
Hughes in the order named.
The pitching records are for five full
games or more with fifty-seven men in
all considered. Connie Mack's fingers
are not found near the top, but the Ath-
letics grabbed the championship. This,
of course, is easily explained. for Mack
juggled his pitching talent around so
slOillfully that hardly a box score was
complete without the names of three or
four White Elephant leather-chuckers.
Danny Maher, the American jockey
who dropped in upon the English rum
ming tracks fifteen years ago, and has
been riding abroad with marked success
ever since, again this year leads the list
Of jockeys on the English tracks, both in
winning percentage and in total number
Of winning mounts. Because Maher has
not always accepted as many mounts as
some of the native English jockeys he
has not in all years scored the greatest
number OF wins during the season He
has rarely failed, however, to lead the
list In percentage. Maher, who halls
from down in Hartford, where his par
ents still live. is one Of the few jockeys
who have not permitted successes in the
saddle to turn his head, His habits are
of the best; he takes care of himself at
all times, and during the winter spends
the time in other branches of outdoor
sports in order to keep down in weight,
and so is still able to ride at around 12O
pounds. Maher has cleaned up for
tune that runs well into the seven fig
ures through his earnings upon the race
track and through judicious investments
made always upon the advice Of some of
Europe's greatest financiers with whom
he is upon the friendliest of terms.
War clouds have been visible to the
naked eve of and on for the last two |
years. and fandom is wondering whether |
or not they will blow past and leave |
smooth seas for the big leagues. Beneath |
the surface, however. the suspicion con- |
tinues to ooze out that something may |
vet be doing The newcomers are known |
to be flirting with many players whose |
services are under reserve in the major |
circuits. The magnates are disposed to |
believe that numerous rumors about play
ers are little more than press agent pro-
ductions. They claim that If the new
leagues contemplate making any big |
move. it would be kept strictly secret
and that no names would be made public
until they had been actually placed upon
contracts. It is pretty certain that some
of the big leaguers are a trihe nervous
In spite of the fact that they are fortified
by war fund. They do not call 1t by
that name, however. When a major
Lacquer does refer to this money, he
speaks of it merely as an emergency
fund 1t is there just the same, and
while the magnates are saying little
about it, they have probably mapped out
a course which they will pursue ins uni
son, should the invaders force the issue.
At any rate, it looks very much as IL the
National and American Leagues, as well
as the International League and Ameri-
can Association, are to find competition
rather brisk next spring.