After several seasons of treading water, the Chicago Nationals have finally gotten over the hump and currently lead the Senior Circuit standings over Pittsburg by a slim one game lead. The “Cubs” have been winning ballgames due their strength with the bat, leading the league in most offensive categories in a year where offense has been muffled around the league. Catcher Frank Chance leads his team in hitting with a .311 average while Fred Clarke continues to be the team’s best all-around batsmen, hitting .308 with 19 doubles and 37 stolen bases. 28 year-old rookie hurler Lucky Glade is the difference maker for Chicago, having won 16 games with 3 shutouts already. Pittsburg’s pitching remains superb-Waddell with 14 wins, 219 strikeouts, and a 1.83 ERA- but has slipped on the offense, perhaps due in part to the loss of Ginger Beaumont in the trade to get veteran spitballer
Clark Griffith. Philadelphia is riding the shoulders of rookie Lefty Caldwell, who is showing remarkable poise and command, earning a 17-7 record with a 1.35 ERA and 7 shutouts already. Cincinnati is reeling from the loss of Sam Crawford to Detroit and Jake Beckley to New York, both American League steals. Second year pitcher Jack Harper has taken the brunt of the damage, having suffered 20 losses already. Although it’s still too early to tell which team will end up on top by the end of the year, if we must choose, Pittsburg, on the shoulder’s of its strong pitching corps, should make a return trip to the World’s Series.
National Club Standings July 31, 1904
Code:
Club Won Lost Pct G.B. Avg. ERA
Chicago 57 38 .600 - .263 2.63
Pittsburg 55 38 .591 1 .250 2.07
Philadelphia 54 40 .574 2.5 .241 1.80
New York 47 47 .500 9.5 .251 2.59
Boston 46 47 .495 10 .251 2.53
St. Louis 44 53 .454 14 .248 2.40
Brooklyn 42 53 .442 15 .234 2.64
Cincinnati 33 62 .347 24 .233 2.94
Former champion Cleveland has raced back to the top of the best teams in the American League, and on all accounts have a starting rotation that matches man for man with the strong Pittsburg club.
Earl Moore continues his dominant pitching, now with increased success of keeping batsmen off base – 166 hits in 219 innings is by far his best ratio of his career. He’s gone up against most of the American League aces (13-10 against them) and has not garnered the victories either Ed Killian (17-6, 1.62 ERA) or Charlie Smith (15-5, 2.02 ERA) opposing weaker teams. Six other teams vie for what amounts a 2nd place finish behind the Naps, each having lost roughly the same number of contests they’ve won. St. Louis leads that pack. Despite an extremely anemic offense, ace Red Donahue has managed a way to eek out victories, having gone 15-9 with a miniscule 1.90 ERA Ever since his disastrous 1902 winter tour, Donahue has improved every year to where he now ranks as one of the dominant hurlers of the day. The only other team of note with an outside chance is Boston, where Cy Young,
Tom Hughes, and
Bill Dinneen all have ERA’s within a tenth of a run of 2.00. Young, at 10-10, needs seven more wins for 350 total career victories.
American Club Standings, July 31, 1904
Code:
Club Won Lost Pct G.B. Avg. ERA
Cleveland 60 34 .638 - .247 2.10
St. Louis 48 46 .511 12 .230 2.30
Chicago 47 46 .505 12.5 .249 2.60
Detroit 47 47 .500 13 .245 2.25
New York 45 47 .489 14 .264 2.62
Boston 44 48 .478 15 .238 2.04
Philadelphia 43 50 .462 16.5 .239 2.73
Washington 38 54 .413 21 .222 2.65