The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-15

AZ seems CERTAIN uOW IA1S WA%S
ever team does win the pennant
this year win win it with the low.
est winning average known in the
American league. The Tigers now
hold the low record. In 1908 they
+ won the pennant with a winning
percentage OF .5SS. In 1915 Boston
won with .59l and in 1918 Boston
won with 1886. These are the only
three times in the history OF the
league that the winning club fell
below 500.
In q, schedule of 154 games the
pennant winner has averaged around
$50 and has had to win at least
95 games to do it. At present with
the season half gone no team has
come even close to having such
q record. The leading teams are
more than fifty points behind the
record.
In other words, while Detroit
won but Al games in the first half
az the season she must win at
least 81 In the second half to
give her a winning percentage Of
much less than the average and
she must win as more games to
give her as good an average as
the lowest ever known for q win
ner in the league.
Since the season is more than
half over 1t can be taken for grant
ed that the various clubs have
about settled down to their normal
speed. Therefore the Tigers must
improve greatly If they would
triumph. Instead of winning forty
one games and losing forty-six in
the second half they must win forty
eight and lose but twenty-nine.
That is to say that they must play
at least 90 per cent better from
now to the finish than they have
played to date.
Should the Tigers win, as they
expect to do and though they must
surely have phenomenally low
percentage in winning there will
be more glory in winning this year
than ever before for the reason
that the clubs are more evenly
matched than ever before.
New York won last season by
taking niIiety-eight games and losing
fifty.four. 1t is a safe bet now that
no team in tI1e league will win
ninety EIGHT games this year be-
cause no team has won half that
many at the end of the first halt
and 1t should be harder to win
games from now on than it was al
the start.
It would be ridiculous at this
stage of the game to try to pick
An.,v sun
league, even the Athletics, have
chance and the first five teams
an almost equal chance. The
Tigers may he pardoned for be-
lieving they will triumph and
though they are still slightly
behind the leaders they appear to
have about the brightest OppOr-
tunity Of the lot.
This is based upon the theory
that the law of averages will oper
ate as it has through the ages
Thus far the Tigers have had abou
enough evil luck to last them for {
season. They have struggled along
with half their dependable pitchers
in the hospital. At one time two o
their most consistent hllrlers wert
out of commission at the same time
Injuries or illness has attacket
about every man on the team.
Their best hitter, Harry Heilmann
was practically helpless at bat To-
Q long stretch Of games because o
illness. Outfielders, infielders, ant
batterymen alike have been out o
commission.
1t does not seem reasonable tina
this kind OF luck Is in store To-
the club all season. It would appea,
that the athletes had been handi
capped long enough and that now
since every man jack on the cluI
has been down at some time o.
other, the breaks should turn. i
Il also plausible that If the cluI
could cling tight to the heels Of tn,
pacemakers during their period O
misfortune they should do better
when their physical condition Il
normal.
In one other respect the Tigers
have an advantage. They have
fewer double headers to play DUR
Ing the remainder Of the season
than any other team. In the hard
grind toward the finish it is job