BROWNS AND CUBS SET THE EARLY PACE AS SEASON TAKES SHAPE
By Arthur H. Leland
Sporting Times
May 1st, 1916
The 1916 campaign has thus far been quiet in matters off the field, yet the play itself has been of a high and pleasing standard, with the opening weeks already offering a glimpse of how the two leagues may unfold.
In the American League it is the St. Louis Browns who have come out of the gate at a sharp clip. Their brisk start has carried them into first place with a commanding four and a half game advantage over both the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Senators. Cleveland sits close at hand, only another half game adrift in fourth, and remains well within striking distance should the leaders stumble. At the other end of the standings the early weeks have been unkind to Chicago, the White Sox already ten games behind the pace, with Detroit faring only marginally better, nine games back of the Browns.
The National League has seen a different complexion, with the Chicago Cubs setting the early standard. The Cubs hold a two-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, while the reigning champions, the Brooklyn Robins, find themselves in third place, four games off the top, tied in that position with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Matters are bleak in St. Louis, where the Cardinals occupy the cellar, eleven games behind after managing only three victories during the month of April.
Individual honors for the opening month reflect the clubs that have set the pace. In the American League, Cy Williams of the Browns has led all batsmen with a .367 average, adding two home runs, fifteen runs batted in, and nine runs scored. His teammate Rube Benton has anchored the pitching staff, posting a perfect 5-0 record with a 2.32 earned run average, while Philadelphia’s Mike Prendergast has earned notice among the newcomers with a fine 3-1 mark and a stingy 1.23 ERA.
In the National League, Brooklyn’s Joe Jackson has been the most feared hitter in April, batting .385 with three home runs, eighteen runs driven in, and sixteen tallies of his own. The Cubs’ Lefty Tyler has been masterful on the mound, opening the season at 5-0 with a 1.57 ERA, and fellow Cub Ferdie Schupp has distinguished himself among the rookies with a 3-2 record and a 2.20 mark.
Though much baseball remains to be played, the opening month has already sketched the first outlines of the 1916 race.
