The Cordova daily times., 1918-05-21
BALL TEAMS ARE
STRIKING FAST
GAIT IN RACE

NEW 1OHh, May Gil the rec
ords of past seasons can be accented
as criterion, the unusual perform
ances of the leading clubs in the ma
jor league pennant races to date do
not necessarily indicate runaway
winning of the National and Ameri-
can league championships this year.
While it is true that the New York
Nationals and the Boston Americans
set most remarkable pace during
the first two weeks of the season,
there is nothing in the history of
either league to substantiate the be-
lief that these two teams will con-
iinue their extraordinary percentage
of victories and thus cIinch the pen
nants long before the schedules are
completed.
Several unusual factors enter into
the situation this season, one of which
is the fact that the major league play
opened later than has been custom
airy in past years. While the New
York Giants completed the month of
April with eleven victories and but
one defeat, and Boston lost but two
games out of thirteen played, such a
high winning percentage can hardly
be maintained with succeeding shifts
of the circuit teams Opposing com
binations are certain to grow stronger
with the approach of war weather,
increasing practice and competition
Furthermore, the initial East VS.. West
clash is likely to develop closer strug-
giles and a broader distribution oftySc-
tories
If such was not the case, however,
statistics based upon the play of the
clubs in both leagues would appear
to bear out the opinion that, remark
able and impressive as the spurts of
the Giants and Red Sox have been,
they cannot be maintained at any
thing like the speed shown during the
first two weeks of the season AL
though the New York Nationals win
ming percentage on May l was .917,|
the highest on record for the past ten
years, and the Boston Americans
.846, the second highest in the Ameri-
can league for the same period, the
fact stands out that very few of the
clubs which have led the leagues on
May 1 also closed the season in first
place.
But three such examples have oc-
Cured in the National league since
1908. In that year the Chicago Cubs
ended the month of April with eight
games won and three lost, for a per-
centage of 1877. The same team also
won the pennant with SAB. In 1915
Philadelphia led on May 1 with al
percentage of 800 and closed the sea-
son in first place with 592. Last sea-
son the Giants were out in front at
the close of April with a percentage
of .667, and finally won the pennant
with .636. In the American league,
Detroit, in 1909, led on May l with
1853, and captured the pennant with
.645. The Philadelphia Athletics also
duplicated the feat in 1918, when they
won their way into the world series
with a winning league percentage of
.627, after leading on May with
1859.
1t will be seen from the foregoing
that in the past ten years but five
out of the sixteen clubs composing
the two major league combinations
from season to season have been out
in front at the close of the race in
April and still had the stamina and
playing balance to finish the schedule
race showing the way to the rival
clubs.
The following compilations show
the club in each league which led in
the pennant race on May | since 1908