AMERICANS AND PIRATES SET EARLY PACE AS NEW SEASON BEGINS
By Samuel T. Kingsley, Sporting Times
May 1st, 1902
April has been swept away with the spring winds, and with it came the first rumblings of the 1902 base ball season. Though the year is yet young, patterns are already beginning to form in both leagues, and fans are quick to take note of those clubs hitting their stride from the outset.
In the American League, the Boston Americans appear intent on proving that last season’s pennant was no fluke. With a 6–1 record, they sit atop the table by a game and a half, a continuation of the fine form that carried them through 1901. Their bats have been lively and their pitchers steady, much to the delight of the Fenway faithful.
Hot on their heels are the St. Louis Browns, surprising many with a strong opening at 5–3. Though it remains early, their spirited play has made them a club to watch as May unfolds. The remainder of the circuit is tightly bunched, no team more than four games off the pace, reminding all that fortunes can shift quickly in this new and competitive league.
Meanwhile, in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates have wasted no time in stamping their authority once again. A blistering 10–2 start has placed them two games clear of the field, and whispers around the diamond suggest they may be poised for another wire-to-wire campaign.
The Philadelphia Phillies, buoyed by strong hitting, trail at 8–4, while the Cincinnati Reds keep within striking distance a game further back. At the other end of the table, however, both the Chicago Orphans and the St. Louis Cardinals have stumbled badly, finding themselves mired in seventh and eighth place. Their faithful can only hope that May brings better fortune than April.
Thus, as spring training becomes a memory and the campaign settles into its rhythm, the stage is set. Will Boston and Pittsburgh tighten their grip on the flag races, or will others rise to challenge their supremacy? That answer lies in the long summer months to come.
