San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-06

Though CLieago still leads New York
as National League pennant winners
eleven to ten. the New York Giants,
worlds champions for the past two
years, are the lifetime champions OF
the parent major circuit. which has
been continuously in the field since the
centennial year of 1876.
The Chicago Cubs, with their many
championships behind them, led the Ma
tional League in lifetime percentage for
more than third of century, until
New York took away the lead in 192l.
About the same time that the Giants
took first place from Pittsburg in the
1921 pennant race, McGraw's famous
team also achieved the lifetime leader
ship of the league.
At the start of the 1921 season, Chi
cago's lifetime percentage was Dol, one
point better than that of New York.
BY the time the season was over, the
Giants. pennant winners, had advanced
their lifcti.l lie percentage to .562. while
that of Chicago slumped to .J37. n
seventh place Cub team helped bring
about this marked shrinkage in per
centage. Last year New York won
another remnant, while Chicago finished
fifth. with the result that New York S
lifetime margin over the Cubs is now
eight points. The Giants lead with
.,J(t3 over forty years; Chicago is second
with .5J5 in forty-sevcn years. and
the pittsburg club is third with 30
in thirty-six years. These are the
only National League clubs which have
won more games than they have lost.
Giants Were Ahead In 1921.
Not only do the Giants lead the Ma
tionnl League in. lifetime percentage.
hut thcv also enjoy a margin over every
other club in the veteran circuit. ii
also is interesting TO note that Chicago
had held n continuous edge on the
Giants until 1921. BY 1920. Chicago
margin over New York had dwlndled
to three victories. and by winning
fourteen out Of twenty-five games from
the Cubs in 1921. the Giants took the
lead for the first time from their Windy
City rivals. Last year the Giants again
defeated Chicago in fourteen out Of
twenty-five games, and they now enjoy
a fiftecn-gamc advantage over Chicago.
The Giants hold a decided edge over
all Of their other rivals. having won
over 400 games both from Philadcl-
mia and Boston and 900 from st.
Louis. New York has lost less games
than any rity now in the league. and
only one club-Chicago-has won more
contests. And Chicago has won only
sixty more games. despite the fact that
il has been represented in seven more
championship races than New York
The Boston club. despite nine pen
nant winners, lost the most games. 26tl2
and st. Louis won the least. 1899. The
Cardinals are the only club in the
league which has failed to register 1000
victories.
Only One Without Title.
st. Louis also is the only club in the
league which never has won cham
pionship. The highest point the Car
dinals ever have reached is the third
position. Chicago has the enviablc dis
tinctiOn of never having finished last
in its fOrty-seven years in the league.
The Cubs have two eighths and one
ninth, but they finished in these posi-
tons in the old days Of the twelve
club league. New York has finished
first or second twenty times. This
record is largely due to McGraw's mas
terful work as manager of the Giants
for in his twenty years in New York
he has won eight pennants and landed
second on eight other occasions.
The National League was organized
in New York City on February >,
1876, the grand old circuit having cele
bratcd its fOrty-sevcnth anniversary last
Friday. The New York session was
the result of an earlier Conclaye in
Louisville, the original get-together
meeting.
The Hon. Morgan G. Bukleley. who
later won distinction as Governor and
United States Senator from Connect
cut, was elected the first president of
the league at the New York meeting.
and the National League took the field
in 1876 with the following clubs: Chi
cago. Boston. st. Louis, Louisville.
Cincinnati. Hartford. the Mutuals of
Brooklyn and the Athletics of PhiladeI-
phia.
Has Had Eight Leaders.
The National League has had only
eight presidents in its forty-seven year
career. After Mr.. Bulkeley's regime
in 1876, there came the courageous
William A. Hubert, who remained in
office from 1877 until the time of his
death in 1882. Col. A.. G.. Mills, of
New York, was the president in 1888
and 1884, and on his resignation was
succeeded by the late n. f. Young,
of Washington, who held the office for
the next eighteen years. In 1902 Harry