Part 2
The promise for an exciting close of the campaign loomed up very bright in September, and during that month, while New York and Chicago still retained their leading positions, Boston temporarily rallied, and got into third place for a week; but Detroit pushed them back, while Philadelphia began to rally for a closing dash for one of the three leading positions.
At the close of September the record left New York in the van, with the a.s.surance of a successful termination of the campaign for the "Giants,"
while the struggle for second place between Chicago, Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia greatly added to the excitement of the closing month of the campaign. Chicago held on to second place, and Philadelphia, which club on September 29 stood in fifth place rallied brilliantly in October, and drove Boston to fourth place and Detroit to fifth, Boston having occupied fifth place on the 6th of October, Pittsburg, Indianapolis and Washington finally bringing up the rear.
A feature of the campaign was the fact that at no time after May was it doubtful in regard to the position of Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Washington as the three tail-enders of the race. But for this the campaign would have been the most brilliant on record. As it was, however, the contest for the three leading positions by the other five clubs made it exceedingly interesting throughout, New York's final success giving a new impetus to the succeeding campaign of 1889.
THE STATISTICS OF THE CAMPAIGN.
During the League championship season of 1888 an aggregate of 552 games were played, of which 530 were victories and defeats; and 22 were drawn games, and two were won by forfeit. Of the 552 games played and won, no less than 432 were won by single figure scores, and but 98 by double figures. A noteworthy feature of the campaign was, that while the New York Club won the championship by 84 victories to Chicago's 77, with but 47 defeats to Chicago's 58, they failed to score as many runs in the aggregate as the Chicago Club did by 659 to 725, the Chicago's majority of runs being 66. The New York Club's score of runs, in fact, was exceeded by Detroit, Boston, and even Indianapolis, the latter's aggregate of runs being 666.
Below will be found a complete summary of the statistics of the League campaign of 1888:
P
I
h
n
i
d
W
l
P
i
a
N
a
i
a
s
e
C
d
D
t
n
h
w
h
e
B
e
t
a
i
i
l
o
t
s
p
n
Y
c
p
s
r
b
o
g
o
a
h
t
o
u
l
t
r
g
i
o
i
r
i
o
k
o
a
n
t
g
s
n
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-- Victories
84
77
69
70
68
66
50
48 Defeats
47
58
61
64
63
68
85
86 Drawn Games
7
1
1
3
3
4
1
2 Total Games Played
138
135
131
137
134
138
136
136 Won by Forfeit
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0 Lost by Forfeit
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0 Per Cent. of Victories
.641
.570
.532
.522
.519
.493
.370
.358 Series Won
5
4
2
2
3
2
1
0 Series Lost
1
1
2
2
1
1
6
5 Series Tied
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
0 Series Unfinished
6
4
6
4
5
3
3
5 Chicago Victories
19
13
16
7
10
13
6
6 Chicago Defeats
3
9
7
13
5
19
11
23 Home Victories
44
43
37
34
41
38
31
26 Home Defeats
23
26
31
29
26
30
35
38 Victories Abroad
40
34
32
36
27
28
19
22 Defeats Abroad
24
32
30
31
37
70
50
48 Extra Innings Victories
2
1
8
6
3
6
3
0 Extra Innings Defeats
2
1
3
8
6
0
5
4 Single Figure Victories
70
55
62
58
50
57
37
44 Single Figure Defeats
44
45
55
49
51
58
67
65 Double Figure Victories
12
22
6
12
18
9
13
4 Double Figure Defeats
4
12
6
15
12
10
18
21 Batting Average
.240
.247
.229
.240
.243
.223
.233
.207 Fielding Average
.918
.906
.919
.904
.916
.914
.904
.899 Highest Score in Games
19
21
17
20
18
14
15
22 Worst Defeat
4-11
0-14
1-14
0-13
2-12
1-16
0-13
0-14 Won by One Run
21
18
28
16
10
10
13
12 Lost by One Run
12
7
16
21
19
16
28
17 Total Runs Scored
659
725
536
669
716
531
666
482
The following is the record of the single figure victories scored in the League championship arena in 1888:
SINGLE FIGURE
P
I
VICTORIES.
h
n
i
d
W
l
P
i
a
V
N
a
i
a
s
i
e
C
d
D
t
n
h
c
w
h
e
B
e
t
a
i
t
I
l
o
t
s
p
n
o
Y
c
p
s
r
b
o
g
r
o
a
h
t
o
u
l
t
i
r
g
i
o
i
r
i
o
e
k
o
a
n
t
g
s
n
s
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
-------------+---+---+---+----+---+---+---+---++--- New York
--
12
10
8[1]
5
11
13
11
70 Philadelphia
4
--
9
5
8
7
9
10
60 Boston
8
9
--
9
5
6
12
9
58 Pittsburg
7
6
7
--
8
8
8
13
57
[**Proofreaders note: The data for the last two teams was not included**]
[Footnote 1: One victory scored by New York was from a forfeited game charged against the Pittsburg team as 9 to 0.]
The following is the record of the double figure victories scored by the eight League clubs in the championship arena in 1888:
DOUBLE FIGURE
I
P
VICTORIES.
n
h
d
i
W
i
P
l
a
V
N
a
i
a
s
i
C
D
e
n
t
d
h
c
h
e
w
a
B
t
e
i
t
i
t
p
o
s
l
n
o
c
r
Y
o
s
b
p
g
r
a
o
o
l
t
u
h
t
i
g
i
r
i
o
r
i
o
e
o
t
k
s
n
g
a
n
s
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
-------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++---- Chicago
--
3
0
4
4
3
1
7
22 Detroit
1
--
2
5
2
4
2
2
18 New York
3
0
--
3
2
1
2
2
13 Indianapolis
1
2
0
--
5
1
0
4
13 Boston
2
4
0
2
--
1
0
3
12 Pittsburg
3
2
0
1
1
--
0
2
9 Philadelphia
1
0
1
3
1
0
--
1
7 Washington
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
--
4 -------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++---- Defeats
12
12
4
18
15
10
6
21
89
The following table presents the figures of the _series_ of games won and lost in the League championship arena in 1888. The letters "W" and "L"
indicate games won and lost:
P
I
h
n
S
S
i
d
W
S
e
e
l
P
i
a
e
r
r
N
a
i
a
s
r
i
i
e
C
d
D
t
n
h
i
e
e
w
h
e
B
e
t
a
i
e
s
s
i
l
o
t
s
p
n
s
Y
c
p
s
r
b
o
g
L
T
o
a
h
t
o
u
l
t
W
o
i
r
g
i
o
i
r
i
o
o
s
e
k
o
a
n
t
g
s
n
n
t
d
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----++-+-+-
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
L
New York
--
--
8
11
11
7
10
7
14
5
12
8
14
5
15
4
5
1
0 Chicago
11
8
--
--
10
10
9
11
8
10
12
7
14
6
13
6
4
1
1 Detroit
7
11
10
10
--
--
10
10
11
7
8
10
11
8
11
7
3
1
2 Pittsburg
7
10
1
9
10
10
--
--
6
11
8
10
14
6
10
9
2
1
1 Philadelphia
5
14
10
8
7
11
14
6
--
--
10
9
13
4
10
9
2
2
0 Boston
8
12
7
13
10
8
10
8
9
10
--
--
11
9
15
5
2
2
0 Indianapolis
5
14
6
14
8
11
6
14
4
13
9
11
--
--
12
9
1
6
0 Washington
4
15
6
13
7
11
9
10
9
10
5
15
8
12
--
--
0
5
0
THE "CHICAGO" GAMES OF 1888.
The record of the "Chicago" games--or games in which the defeated team did not score a single run--in the League championship series of 1888 is appended:
P
I
h
n
i
d
W
l
P
i
a
V
N
a
i
a
s
i
e
d
C
t
D
n
h
c
w
e
h
t
e
B
a
i
t
l
i
s
t
o
p
n
o
Y
p
c
b
r
s
o
g
r
o
h
a
u
o
t
l
t
i
r
i
g
r
i
o
i
o
e
k
a
o
g
t
n
s
n
s
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++--- New York
--
1
2
4
2
1
3
6
19 Philadelphia
0
--
3
6
1
4
0
2
16 Chicago
1
1
--
3
1
2
1
4
13 Pittsburg
1
2
1
--
0
2
4
3
13 Detroit
0
1
2
1
--
2
1
3
10 Boston
1
0
0
3
0
--
1
2
7 Indianapolis
0
0
1
0
1
1
--
3
6 Washington
0
2
0
2
0
1
1
--
6 ------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++--- Defeats
3
7
9
19
5
13
11
23
90
EXTRA INNINGS GAMES.
The record of the victories and defeats scored by the eight League Clubs in extra innings games in the championship series of 1888 was as follows:
Date.
Contesting
Cities.
Pitchers.
In's.
Scr.
Clubs.
--------+----------------+------------+----------+-----+ Sept. 1
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Sanders
v. Wash'n
Widner
12
2-0 July 30
Philadelphia
Boston
Buffinton
v. Boston
Sanders
11
4-3 July 31
Philadelphia
Boston
Sanders
v. "
Clarkson
11
6-5 Sept. 22
Philadelphia
Indianapolis
Sanders
v. In'polis
Healy
11
6-5 May 26
Philadelphia
Boston
Buffinton
v. Boston
Madden
10
1-0 Aug. 11
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Casey
v. Detroit
Getzein
10
1-0 Aug. 13
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Buffinton
v. In'polis
Burd.i.c.k
10
2-1 Aug. 9
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Casey
v. Detroit
Getzein
10
6-5 April 20
Pittsburg
Pittsburg
Morris
v. Detroit
Getzein
12
5-2 Aug. 1
Pittsburg
Chicago
Galvin
v. Chicago
Baldwin
12
6-4 Sept. 21
Pittsburg
Pittsburg
Morris
v. Boston
Radbourne
10
2-1 Sept. 3
Pittsburg
Indianapolis
Morris
v. Indianap's
Healy
10
5-4 Sept. 4
Pittsburg
Indianapolis
Galvin
v. Indianap's
Boyle
10
5-4 May 10
Pittsburg
Pittsburg
Morris
v. Boston
Clarkson
10
11-10 June 28
Boston
Boston
Sowders
v. Washington
O'Day
14
9-7 Aug. 15
Boston
Boston
Radbourne
v. Detroit
Beatin
12
4-3 April 21
Boston
Washington
Clarkson
v. Washington
O'Day
11
1-0 June 19
Boston
Washington
Sowders
v. New York
Keefe
11
8-7 April 30
Boston
New York
Clarkson
v. New York
Welch
10
4-3 April 28
Boston
Washington
Sowders
v. Washington
Daily
10
4-3 July 30
Indianapolis
Detroit
Burd.i.c.k
v. Detroit
Getzein
11
6-5 July 31
Indianapolis
Detroit
Healy
v. Detroit
Conway
11
7-5 July 6
Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Boyle
v. Ph'd'phia
Casey
11
9-8 June 8
Detroit
Boston
Getzein
v. Boston
Clarkson
16
11-5 May 12
Detroit
Detroit
Conway
v. Philadelphia
Gleason
12
3-1 July 2
Detroit
Indianapolis
Conway
v. Indianapolis
Healy
12
4-3 July 24
New York
New York
Welch
v. Boston
Madden
13
6-3 July 28
New York
New York
Keefe
v. Philadelphia
Sanders
10
4-2 June 6
Chicago
Boston
Van Halt'n
v. Boston
Radb'rn e
10
3-2
DRAWN GAMES.
Date.
Contesting Clubs.
Cities.
Pitchers.
In's.
Scr.
------+---------------------+----------+---------------+-----+---- Apr 23
New York v. Was'ngt'n
Washingt'n
Welch O'Day
13
1-1 Aug 13
Chicago v. New York
New York
Baldwin Welch
12
5-5 Sept 3
Philadelphia v N York
New York
Sanders Keefe
11
0-0 May 15
New York v. Pittsburg
Pittsburg
Keefe Galvin
11
3-3 Aug 8
Pittsburg v. Boston
Boston
Morris Sowders
11
3-3 Sep 28
Detroit v. New York
New York
Gruber t.i.tcomb
10
2-2
The following is the record of the victories scored by the eight League Clubs on home grounds in the championship arena during 1888:
P
I
h
n
i
d
W
l
P
i
a
G
N
a
i
a
s
a
e
C
d
D
t
n
h
m
w
h
e
B
e
t
a
i
e
i
l
o
t
s
p
n
s
Y
c
p
s
r
b
o
g
o
a
h
t
o
u
l
t
W
r
g
i
o
i
r
i
o
o
k
o
a
n
t
g
s
n
n
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++--- New York
--
4
8
5
6
6
7
8
44 Chicago
6
--
4
7
5
4
9
8
43 Philadelphia
4
4
--
3
5
7
9
5
37 Boston
3
4
1
--
6
6
6
8
34 Detroit
4
5
8
5
--
7
6
6
41 Pittsburg
3
6
2
6
7
--
8
6
38 Indianapolis
3
5
3
5
4
4
--
7
31 Washington
1
4
4
3
4
5
5
--
26 ------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++--- Games Lost
24
32
30
34
37
39
50
48
294
The record of victories on opponent's grounds is as follows:
P
I
h
n
i
d
W
l
P
i
a
G
N
a
i
a
s
a
e
C
d
D
t
n
h
m
w
h
e
B
e
t
a
i
e
i
l
o
t
s
p
n
s
Y
c
p
s
r
b
o
g
o
a
h
t
o
u
l
t
W
r
g
i
o
i
r
i
o
o
k
o
a
n
t
g
s
n
n
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++--- New York
--
4
6
7
5
4
7
7
40 Chicago
5
--
4
5
5
5
5
5
34 Philadelphia
1
6
--
6
2
8
4
5
32 Boston
5
3
8
--
4
4
5
7
36 Detroit
3
5
3
3
--
3
5
5
27 Pittsburg
4
5
4
2
3
--
6
4
28 Indianapolis
2
1
1
4
4
2
--
5
19 Washington
3
2
5
2
3
4
3
--
22 ------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---++--- Games Lost
23
26
31
29
26
30
35
38
238
[Ill.u.s.tration: JOHN B. DAY, NEW YORK]
[Ill.u.s.tration: F. K. STEARNS DETROIT]
[Ill.u.s.tration: A. G SPALDING, CHICAGO.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: F. DE H ROBINSON, CLEVELAND]
LEAGUE CLUB PRESIDENTS.
[Ill.u.s.tration: W. A. NIMICK, PITTSBURG.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: J. T. BRUSH, INDIANAPOLIS.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: WALTER F. HEWETT, WASHINGTON.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: A. J. REACH, PHILADELPHIA.]
LEAGUE CLUB PRESIDENTS.
THE LESSONS OF THE LEAGUE CAMPAIGN OF 1888.
Among the noteworthy results of the League championship campaign of 1888 meriting special comment as affording lessons to be profited by in the future, may be named, first, the success of the Eastern Club of New York, in winning the pennant from the West; secondly, that of the Chicago Club in attaining second place in the race in the face of drawbacks which, under any other management, would have sufficed to have left the Club among the tail-enders; and thirdly, the remarkable failure of the Boston Club to attain even one of the three leading positions in the race, after that club had incurred such a heavy expense in strengthening its team with "star" players. The success of the New York Club in winning the championship, introducing, as it did, a new possessor of the League pennant and its accompanying honors, may justly be regarded as an advantage to the general interests of the National League, inasmuch as it is anything but desirable that one club should, season after season, carry off the honors, as the old Boston Club did in the early history of the professional championship contest; or as the Chicago Club has done in monopolizing the championship of the National League during the past thirteen years of its history. Such monopoly of the honors of each season's campaign, by one or two of the leading clubs of each year, materially lessens the public interest taken in the annual compet.i.tion.
Besides which, it interferes, to a costly extent, with the financial prosperity of a majority of the competing clubs. Now that a club, new to championship honors, has replaced one of the monopolists, the other previously unsuccessful clubs will begin to entertain hopes of being able to "get in at the death," as the fox hunters say, in future pennant races, if not this ensuing year, and thereby a new interest will be imparted to coming campaigns.
A feature of the past campaign of 1888 worthy of remark, too, is the fact of the surprisingly good work on the field accomplished by the so-called "weakened Chicago team." While this work was unquestionably due in a great measure to able management, the a.s.sisting element of "temperance in the ranks" had much to do with it. It is equally unquestionable that the very reverse had a great deal to do with the lamentable failure of the Boston team to follow up the success with which that club's team opened the campaign. The contrast, these two clubs presented in this special respect calls for the most earnest consideration of the vital question of insisting upon temperate habits in all the club teams during the period of the championship season each year. The evil of drunkenness among the professional teams is one which has grown upon the fraternity until it has become too costly an abuse to be longer tolerated. Drunken professionals should be driven from service just as the crooks of a dozen years ago were, never to be allowed to return. Drunken players are not only a costly drawback to success individually, but they permeate the whole baseball fraternity with a demoralizing influence. The fact is, professional baseball playing has arrived at that point of excellence, and reached so advanced a position in regard to its financial possibilities, that it will no longer pay, in any solitary respect, to allow players of drinking habits in first-cla.s.s teams. The demands of the game, as it is now played, are such as to require a player to have all his wits about him to play ball up to the standard it has now reached. He needs the steadiest of nerves, the clearest eyesight, the most unclouded judgment, and the healthiest physique to play the game as it is required to be done by the exacting public patrons of the present day. Another thing, the capitalists who have ventured thousands of dollars in baseball stock companies, can no longer allow their money to be risked in teams which are weakened by the presence of men of drinking habits. Mr. Spalding's plucky and most successful experiment has conclusively shown that a baseball team run on temperance principles can successfully compete with teams stronger in other respects, but which are weakened by the toleration of drinking habits in their ranks. Here is a lesson taught by the campaign of 1888 which points a moral, if it does not adorn a tale.
Another special lesson of the past campaign which was practically ill.u.s.trated by the Boston Club was, that star players do not make a winning team. The fact is, the pennant cannot be won by any costly outlay in securing the services of this, that, or the other "greatest player in the country." It is well managed and harmonious teams, not picked nines led by special stars, which win in the long run. Now and then--as there are exceptions in all cases--a picked nine will attain a certain degree of success. But for steady struggles for permanent success in the professional championship arena, team work of the very best, and admirably managed teams will alone achieve steady victory. The old Boston teams under Harry Wright, and the Chicago teams under Anson, are a standing proof of this fact. Let the National League magnates ponder these truths earnestly.
THE LEAGUE PITCHING OF 1888.
While there is no more reliable a record, by which to estimate a pitcher's skill in the box, than the figures showing the runs clean earned off the pitching; in the absence of such figures the best criterion is that of the record of victories and defeats pitched in, the percentage of victories to games played being the deciding point in awarding the palm of superior work in the box. In 1888 the pitchers were handicapped by the absurd rule which charged runs scored on bases on b.a.l.l.s as _earned_ runs, successive bases on b.a.l.l.s giving an earned run to the batting side, even in the absence of a single base hit. To estimate a pitcher's skill on such a basis is nonsense. As the scoring rules do not admit of the record of data showing runs clean earned off the pitching, and not off the fielding and pitching combined, we are obliged to make up a record of the percentage of victories as the only reliable figures at command on which to judge the pitching of the season. By and by the Committee of Conference will get out of the old rut in this respect, and then correct data will be available; until then we must do the best we can under the circ.u.mstances, and consequently the names of the pitchers of the League Clubs who took part in not less than ten games are appended, and these are placed in the order of the best percentage of victories.
P
e
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c
P
e
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n
L
a
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W
o
y
a
o
s
e
g
n
t
d
e
PITCHERS.
CLUB.
.
.
.
.
--+-----------+------------+---+---+---+----- 1
Keefe
New York
35
12
47
.745 2
Conway
Detroit
31
14
15
.689 3
Buffinton
Philadelphia
29
15
44
.659 4
Sanders
Philadelphia
19
10
29
.655 5
Krock
Chicago
25
14
39
.641 6
t.i.tcomb
New York
14
8
22
.636 7
Clarkson
Boston
33
20
53
.623 8
Tener
Chicago
7
5
12
.583 9
Welch
New York
26
19
45
.577 10
Sowders
Boston
19
15
34
.559 11
Morris
Pittsburg
29
24
53
.547 12
Van Haltren
Chicago
13
11
24
.542 13
Staley
Pittsburg
12
12
24
.500 14
Burd.i.c.k
Indianapolis
10
10
20
.500 15
Galvin
Pittsburg
23
25
48
.479 16
Whitney
Washington
19
21
40
.475 17
Baldwin
Chicago
13
15
28
.464 18
Gruber
Detroit
11
13
24
.458 19
Crane
New York
5
6
11
.455 20
Casey
Philadelphia
14
19
33
.424 21
Beatin
Detroit
5
7
12
.417 22
Getzein
Detroit
18
26
44
.409 23
Boyle
Indianapolis
15
22
37
.405 24
Madden
Boston
7
12
19
.368 25
Widner
Washington
4
7
11
.364 26
O'Day
Washington
16
31
47
.340 27
Shreve
Indianapolis
11
24
35
.314 28
Radbourne
Boston
7
16
23
.304 29
Gleason
Philadelphia
7
17
24
.292
Some remarkable pitching was done during the season of 1888, alike in the American arena, as in the League. The strategic work was up to a very high mark in the League, and in this, Keefe, Conway, Buffinton, Clarkson, Welch, Galvin, and Morris bore off the palm, while in speed alone, Crane of New York excelled.
The detailed record of victories and defeats pitched in during the championship campaign of 1888 by those who pitched in at least five victories, is as follows. The names are given in the order of most victories and fewest defeats:
VICTORIES.
