PENNANT RACES TIGHTEN AS SUMMER APPROACHES
Indians Still Lead American Circuit While Giants Head Close National Struggle
By Samuel T. Kingsley
Sporting Times
July 1st 1919
With the long summer months now at hand and the campaign entering its most decisive stretch, the contests for supremacy in both major circuits promise to remain keenly fought. The standings show that no club may yet claim comfort, for the pursuers remain close at heel in each league.
In the American League the Cleveland Indians continue to occupy the leading position, though their once larger advantage has been reduced to two and one-half games. The Philadelphia Athletics have pressed them steadily and now stand as their closest challengers. Behind the leading pair, the Washington Senators are four games off the pace, while the Boston Red Sox remain within striking distance at five and one-half games to the rear, waiting for any opportunity should the leaders falter.
At the opposite end of the circuit the Chicago White Sox face a difficult road. Their struggles have left them with the poorest mark in base ball, the Chicago club now resting eighteen and one-half games behind the leaders and staring at what may prove a long remainder of the season.
In the National League the situation is even more uncertain. The month of June witnessed three different clubs occupying the top rung as fortunes shifted from week to week. As the month concluded, the New York Giants held the narrowest of advantages, standing one game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Close behind are the Philadelphia Phillies, just one and one-half games back, followed by the Brooklyn Robins at two games and the Boston Braves three games off the lead. With such slender margins separating the contenders, the senior circuit appears destined for a prolonged and spirited struggle.
At the bottom of the National standings, the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves engaged in their own contest, each club presently twelve games behind the leaders and striving to avoid finishing as the league’s lowest occupant.
Monthly Honors
American League
The month’s foremost batsman was Happy Felsch of the Washington Senators, who struck at a .330 pace while adding two home runs, twenty-four runs batted in, and fourteen runs scored.
Pitching distinction goes to Jeff Pfeffer of the Cleveland Indians, whose five victories against two defeats were accompanied by a tidy 2.00 earned run average.
Among the newcomers, Grover Lowdermilk of the Detroit Tigers earned notice with a 5–2 record and a 1.75 earned run average.
National League
Batting laurels fall to Buck Weaver of the Boston Braves, who compiled a remarkable .420 average while contributing one home run, fourteen runs batted in, and crossing the plate thirty-two times.
The leading pitcher was Grover Cleveland Alexander of the Brooklyn Robins, posting a 6–2 mark and a 2.13 earned run average.
Rookie honors belong to Ira Flagstead of the Chicago Cubs, who batted .293 while driving in fourteen runs and scoring twelve.
With half the summer still ahead and the margins between victory and defeat so slender, the coming weeks promise to bring further drama to the pennant chases in both leagues.
