ATHLETICS, PIRATES SET THE PACE AS SUMMER APPROACHES
By Samuel T. Kingsley, Sporting Times
June 1, 1905 – With spring giving way to the warmth of summer, the base ball season finds itself well under way, and both circuits are beginning to take shape as clubs set their sights on October glory.
In the American League, the Philadelphia Athletics (24–17) hold a narrow half-game advantage over the Detroit Tigers, with the Cleveland Naps and New York Highlanders pressing closely behind. The race is still young, but it is already proving to be one of the tightest in recent memory. At the opposite end of the table, the Boston Americans have endured a wretched opening stretch, hampered severely by the loss of their veteran star pitcher, Cy Young, whose shoulder ailment has left the champions of old looking far less formidable.
The National League standings are somewhat clearer. The Pittsburgh Pirates, on the strength of a 26–17 mark, enjoy a cushion of two and a half games over both the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. At the bottom, however, a private duel is shaping between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Superbas, each sitting at 16–27, ten games adrift of the lead and six behind sixth place.
As May has concluded, the leagues have named their monthly honorees:
American League Awards
Top Batter: Cy Seymour, New York Highlanders – .362, 2 home runs, 15 runs batted in, 25 runs scored
Top Pitcher: Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, Detroit Tigers – 7–0, 1.70 earned run average
Rookie of the Month: Beany Jacobson, St. Louis Browns – 3–3, 2.72 earned run average
National League Awards
Top Batter: Honus Wagner, Pittsburgh Pirates – .385, 19 runs batted in, 20 runs scored
Top Pitcher: Doc White, Philadelphia Phillies – 7–2, 1.99 earned run average
Rookie of the Month: Irv Young, Cincinnati Reds – 3–4, 1.89 earned run average
With the season’s first full month behind us, the battles for supremacy are tightening. If the opening weeks are any indication, the summer of 1905 promises a campaign rich in drama, skill, and the unrelenting pursuit of the pennant.
