(NOTE: Instead of just basic facts, I'm going to jazz things up with bits about players and other things of note, particularly in the minors, which I've been giving scant attention to and would like to highlight more)
MAJOR MATTERS, JUNE 1 EDITION:
Well, May has proven one thing: it will be no cake walk in the National League. No fewer than five teams are in solid contention for the pennant, and three of them are all knotted up atop the standings. With identical 24-18 records, Boston, Cincinnati and St. Louis all have staked a claim on first place. Three-time defending champion New York is 22-19 while even the perennial doormats from Chicago at 21-20 are in the mix. One would have to believe that the New Yorkers would have the edge based on experience and the simple fact that aside from the retired Squirrel Downs, the club is the same as the one which thoroughly dominated the circuit for the past three seasons.
Over in the American League, things look eerily familiar. The Washington club is, as usual, sitting atop the standings. And just as in the early stages of the 1904 season, both Cleveland and Boston are not far behind. But as the season winds toward summer, can those two put the heat on the defending pennant holders, or will they wilt themselves?
One interesting possibility: what if Cincinnati were to win the National League pennant and Boston the American? That would set up a return to the Queen City for prodigal Red Leg Sean McGonigle. The Mighty Mick, now known as the best hitter in all the land, was at one time employed by Cincinnati. He jumped his contract in 1901 to play in the newly minted American League with Boston. Since then he has amassed a lot of hits and acclaim, especially from the supporters of the Boston Americans. It would be an entertaining spectacle to see McGonigle have to step onto the field in Cincinnati again. For his part, the Mighty Mick is unconcerned, noting that he and his mates are mainly striving simply to win the pennant. And to his credit, he's doing his part: McGonigle currently leads all of base ball with a .402 average.
BEATING THE BUSHES, JUNE 1 EDITION:
The Providence club leads the Eastern League with a 28-8 record and much of the credit can be handed to right-handed picher Nat Davis. Davis is 13-0 this season, and the 26-year-old has adjusted quite well to a regular turn in the rotation in this, his fourth year of professional ball. That 13-0 record will certainly draw attention from the contenders for the American and National pennants over the next few weeks.
Dandy Dave Payne would like to send a telegram from his hotel in Toledo to the offices of the Cincinnati Reds. It would read: Am ready. Stop. Nothing else need be said from the 21-year-old infielder who leads the American Association in hitting with a .373 mark. He believes he's ready and is waiting for the Reds to summon him to help them in their quest for the pennant.
When 24-year-old Otis Chesterfield was signed off the Live Oak, California town team by Tacoma, no one in the Pacific Coast League raised an eyebrow. After 60-some-odd games with the Tigers though, Chesterfield is garnering plenty of attention. A cheerful man with a quick and ready laugh and a lethal batting stroke, Chesterfield leads the PCL in hitting with a tidy .412 average. Asked about the rumors of his contract being purchased by one of the "major" clubs, Chesterfield shrugs. "I'm just here to play ball. If someone wants to pay Mr. Gray (Edward Gray, Tacoma owner) for me, that's their business. I reckon I can hit anywhere."
OTIS CHESTERFIELD