Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-12
Team Standings.
GIANTS LED NAT. LEAGUE
 IN FIELDING AVERAGE.
Champions Played 45 ErrorIess Games
 During 1917 Season.

The official fielding records of the National league for the season of 1917 show substantial improvement in this department by comparison with the 1916 ratings. The total fielding chances offered the past season were I52,196, of which unusually large total | all but 1875 were cleanly played. In the season of 1916 the total chances offered were 51,732 and the misplays 1889. The Boston, Brooklyn and Gin cinnati clubs increa sed their respective error totals over their 1916 figures, but these la pSeS were more than offset by the improved defensive work of the five other clubs.
 The champions led the league in fielding and were charged with the lowest number of errors. 20S.i The New i usually low record of passed balls, with seven fols the i os games St. Louis
 had the greatest number, of fielding chances, namely, G.eS0; Pittsburgh the lowest with 6,460.
 New York played 45 errorlesz games, Philadelphia 43, St. Louis g, Boston and Pittsburgh 25 each, Cincinnati and Brooklyn 34 each. and Chicago B. n, individual play, John Miller led the first basemen with an average of i .998, with Holile credited with the greatest number of chances offered ! 1.724. Miller's record of one error in 545 chances is noteworthy.
 The second basemen were led by I.Jofn Rawlings of Boston, a peW%Nmer, with 467 accepted chances out oe 4TS offered in 96 games. Dave Shean had 774 chances-the top fgure-of which
 he missed 30. Henry Groh played in 154 games at
 third and headed all others in that
 position with an average of .966, he
 making but Is errors in more than half a thousand opportunities. Baird had most chances offered ,f5S0), fol- lowed by Zimmerman with 525.
 At Shortstop, John Rawlings again appears m first place. The honors however. belong to Arthur Fletcher, with MaranvilIe following. The fiIt named had S80 chances offered, of which he accepted all but 39- William kopf, playing his first complete sea son had S14 chances in 145 games:
 Charles Jackson of Pittsburgh heads the outdelders, being charged with but one error in 3s games. George Pas kert. having played in 13S contests, is entitled to the leadership. Max Carey chances. of which he accepted all but 10. Charles Stengel is first with 30 assists from the outf1eld, Carey follow ing with 2S.
 John Adams of Philadelphia who mis- played but one of the I'll chances of fefed. William Killefer and Ivey Win go each caught 120 games, the former having the greatest number of chances -765. Lew McCarty had but one passed ball in 54 games; Hank Gowdy one i'll 49 games, and George Gibson one in B games
 The pitchers were led by Eppa RiXey and Al Demaree with perfect
 fielding in 39 games each, the left handler being credited with the post of honor by reason of his los chances as against Den1aree's P. Alexander had most chances 133), with one error, followed by Barnes of Boston with one misplay in 115 chances.
 Harry H. Myers of Brooklyn secured records in four different positions .outfield and at first. second and third base. Zeider of Chicago is rated in the second and third base. and short stop standings; and Fitzpatrick of Boston appears among the outfielders and second and third basemen.
 John 1Honus) Wagner's 1917 record shows he played in 47 games at first where he accepted 455 out of 462 chances. He also played in IS games at third. where he made three nnisplays in 5S chances.