Evening journal., 1914-02-28
.Genr'I Sports
MONEY In
BASEBALL WINS
TIE VICTORY
Supremacy Of the American
League During Var Demon
StrateS Fact

That there is a clear and concise
reason for the supremacy Of the
American League over the Nationals.
during the past four years. is shown
by a mathematical review Of the game
from 1903 to 1913. Playing strength
on the diamond, in these days OF
fierce competition, is acquired and
maintained only by the exercise Of
enterprise and the expenditure Of
much money.
Passing up the abstract element Of
enterprise. which is not susceptible
OF mathematical demonstration.
glance back over the major league
records shows clearly that the Ameri-
can League has been aided as a
whole by the acquisition of a greater
quantity OF that concrete element,
yulgarly called coin. Taking it by
and large" money is made out OF
baseball in proportion to the amount
OF interest aroused and the period Of
sustainment OF said interest The
only exceptions are the ones that
prove the rule.
Interest in baseball depends largely
on close combats, and, after a study
OF the tabulated history of the two
major leagues there can be no ques-
tioning the statement that the eight
American league teams as a whole,
have been better during the period
from 1904 to 1918, inclusive, since the
rival circuits settled down to business
and emerged from the uncertainties
which attended their war
In those 10 seasons Of absolute sta
bility, when IL was not possible Tor
the teams OF one league to recruit
from the other. but only by slow
process of developing players, the
American League teams have kept
much closer together in playing
strength than have the outfits Of tho
older league. No American League
team has averaged TO win so per
cent. OF its games IN ;he last 10
years, and no team in that league
has failed TO win 40 per cent. OF its
games. In the National League
three teams have won 50 per cent
OF their combats, and three teams
also have failed TO win 40 per cent.
nf their diamond battles.
That means, of course, that year
after year the leaders have been far
ther away from the tail-enders in
the old league than in the younger
ones, and more teams have been
hopelessly out of the pennant race by
June l each year IN the National
than IN the American League. Battles
I'm the top half of q race may sustain
interest in the cities where teams are
competitors until the last week OF a
season, but the league y whole
does not profit by close lights for
the bunting when two or three of its
teams are SO much weaker than tho
rest as TO furnish slight opposition
70 the contending teams.
Five teams in the American League
have won more than half their games
In the aggregate in the last ten seasons,
and the other three have tailed TO win
half their battles. OF the three which
have lost more than half their games in
The ten wears. each has enjoyed seasons
Of first division prestige. They are New
York. Washington and st. Louis. The
Yankees and Browns used to be IN the
6rst fpht OF four. and Washington has
Rnished second the last two seasons. OF
lbe Eve teams which have won more
Than half their games in ten years an
except Philadelphia have finished IN inc
second division in some "f ihc season.
severed by the statistics. The ups and
Downs have been somewhere near equal