The April Campaign
The National League’s championship season opened on April 18 with the Philadelphia team having the champion Brooklyns as visitors. Doc White outlasted Donovan of Brooklyn 2-1 in 10 innings with the help of seven strikeouts and slightly less sloppy defensive play. Slagle drove in White with a two-bagger in the last frame to defeat the champions. Twenty year old rising star Mathewson of the New York team was whipped by the Bostons for 5 runs on 12 hits. Winning pitcher Vic Willis drove in four runners, 3 of which scored on a home run to the deepest part of the Polo Grounds. Despite a Herculean effort by
Noodles Hahn of Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh team overcame the young lefthander in the 13th inning when player-manager Clarke singled home a racing Wagner. Waddell ended the contest with his own 13th frame and nine strikeouts. In the final game of the day, the St. Louis team beat the visiting Chicagoans 5 to 4.
Tom Hughes lost his control in the final frame after being up 4-1, needing just 3 outs to secure the victory. All told nearly 18,000 people witnessed the four contests.
If the scores of the first games in the American League season are any indication, then it looks like the championship will be tightly contested. In Philadelphia, promising pitcher Plank alliterated balls wide of their mark, suffering 7 walks to opposing batters, but was given the win by the poor fieldwork of the Washingtons, 5-4. Leftfielder Freeman helped Cy Young outlast the Baltimore team 6-5 with a 4-hit, 3 runs batted in effort. Out west, Detroit slips by Milwaukee 4-3 and the Chicago team bests Cleveland 5-2. American League turnstiles counted just over 17,000 people in attendance, not quite eclipsing the Nationals. President Johnson certainly has to be pleased with a rousing start to the season.
In the experimental month of the season, we see that most teams are still trying to find their pace, with most teams very close in the number of wins so far. Not true for the Cincinnatis. After losing the opening against Brooklyn, the Redlegs have rung up 12 consecutive wins to lead the National League. A surprising start by keystone sacker Steinfeldt, hitting .458 and strikeout leader
Hahn (21) are primary reasons for the fast play.The Orphans of Chicago are truly alone in the second division, only having won two contests to date.
National Club Standing April 30
Code:
Club. Won. Lost. P.C. Club. Won. Lost. P.C.
Cincinnati 12 1 .923 | Pittsburgh 5 6 .455
New York 7 4 .636 | St. Louis 5 6 .455
Philadelphia 7 4 .636 | Boston 3 8 .273
Brooklyn 5 6 .455 | Chicago 2 11 .154
On the south side of Chicago, better fortunes have found the White Sox undefeated early in the inaugural American League season. However, jumper Fielder Jones may miss significant time this season having suffered an injury legging out a double in the second game of the season. Has the effects of the "war" already begun to bite the game's greedy players? Young Zaza Harvey has stepped in admirably, hitting a whopping .480. Poor pitching plagues the Milwaukee team and hitting hasn’t come around yet for the Blues of Cleveland.
American Club Standing April 30
Code:
Club. Won. Lost. P.C. Club. Won. Lost. P.C.
Chicago 6 0 1.000 | Washington 3 3 .500
Boston 4 2 .667 | Philadelphia 2 4 .333
Detroit 4 2 .667 | Cleveland 1 5 .167
Baltimore 3 3 .500 | Milwaukee 1 5 .167