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 assisting 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-class 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 illustrated 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 balls as earned runs, successive bases on balls 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 circumstances, 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 | | | | | | r | | | | | | c | | | | | P | e | | | | | l | n | | | | L | a | t | | | 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|Titcomb |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|Burdick |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.
| | | P | | | | I | || | | | 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 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . || . —————-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-++—- Keefe | —| 3| 5| 5| 5| 3| 8| 6|| 35 Clarkson | 5| —| 5| —| 6| 1| 5| 6|| 33 Conway | 5| 5| 5| 2| —| 5| 6| 3|| 31 Buffinton | 3| 4| —| 5| 2| 7| 5| 3|| 29 Morris | 6| 3| 4| 6| 3| —| 4| 3|| 29 Welch | —| 3| 5| 6| 1| 4| 3| 4|| 26 Krock | 5| —| 2| 3| 4| 3| 4| 4|| 25 Sanders | 0| 3| —| 3| 1| 3| 5| 4|| 19 Sowders | 3| 1| 2| —| 2| 4| 2| 5|| 19 Whitney | 3| 3| 4| 3| 1| 3| 2| —|| 19 Getzein | 0| 4| 4| 2| —| 2| 3| 3|| 18 O'Day | 1| 2| 3| 2| 3| 3| 2| —|| 16 Boyle | 2| 1| 2| 4| 2| 1| —| 3|| 15 Titcomb | —| 1| 2| 1| 3| 2| 1| 4|| 14 Casey | 1| 2| —| 2| 4| 2| 2| 1|| 14 Van Haltren| 0| —| 2| 1| 2| 2| 2| 4|| 13 Baldwin | 3| —| 1| 3| 2| 2| 2| 0|| 13 Staley | 0| 2| 0| 1| 1| —| 6| 3|| 12 Gruber | 2| 1| 1| 3| —| 1| 2| 1|| 11 Shreve | 2| 1| 0| 3| 3| 1| —| 1|| 11 Burdick | 1| 3| 0| 1| 1| 3| —| 1|| 10 Tener | 2| —| 0| 2| 1| 0| 1| 1|| 7 Madden | 0| 0| 2| —| 0| 3| 1| 1|| 7 Radbourne | 0| 1| 0| —| 2| 1| 0| 3|| 7 Gleason | 1| 0| —| 0| 0| 3| 1| 2|| 7 Crane | —| 1| 2| 0| 1| 0| 0| 1|| 5 Beatin | 0| 0| 0| 1| —| 1| 0| 3|| 5
DEFEATS | | | 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 || D | | i | l | o | t | s | p | n || e | Y | c | p | s | r | b | o | g || f | o | a | h | t | o | u | l | t || e | r | g | i | o | i | r | i | o || a | k | o | a | n | t | g | s | n || s | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . || . —————-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-+—-++—- Tener | 1| —| 2| 0| 0| 0| 1| 1|| 5 Crane | —| 0| 0| 0| 1| 1| 2| 2|| 6 Beatin | 1| 2| 1| 2| —| 0| 1| 0|| 7 Titcomb | —| 1| 0| 1| 3| 2| 0| 1|| 8 Sanders | 3| 2| —| 2| 1| 1| 0| 1|| 10 Burdick | 1| 1| 3| 1| 1| 0| —| 3|| 10 Van Haltren| 2| —| 1| 2| 3| 2| 1| 0|| 11 Keefe | —| 4| 1| 4| 0| 1| 2| 0|| 12 Staley | 2| 1| 2| 2| 3| —| 1| 1|| 12 Madden | 3| 2| 2| —| 2| 2| 1| 0|| 12 Gruber | 3| 1| 2| 2| —| 0| 2| 3|| 13 Conway | 2| 2| 1| 2| —| 3| 1| 3|| 14 Krock | 2| —| 2| 3| 2| 3| 1| 1|| 14 Buffinton | 4| 2| —| 3| 2| 2| 1| 1|| 15 Sowders | 3| 2| 4| —| 2| 2| 2| 0|| 15 Baldwin | 1| —| 1| 1| 4| 4| 2| 2|| 15 Radbourne | 2| 5| 0| —| 2| 2| 2| 3|| 16 Gleason | 2| 3| —| 3| 3| 1| 0| 5|| 17 Welch | —| 6| 4| 3| 2| 2| 1| 1|| 19 Casey | 5| 1| —| 1| 5| 2| 3| 2|| 19 Clarkson | 4| 3| 4| —| 2| 2| 3| 2|| 20 Whitney | 4| 1| 2| 5| 2| 4| 3| —|| 21 Boyle | 5| 5| 3| 3| 1| 5| —| 0|| 22 Morris | 3| 4| 4| 2| 3| —| 2| 6|| 24 Shreve | 4| 4| 4| 2| 5| 3| —| 2|| 24 Galvin | 4| 3| 7| 5| 3| —| 1| 2|| 25 Getzein | 5| 3| 3| 4| —| 7| 3| 1|| 26 O'Day | 4| 5| 4| 5| 3| 3| 7| —|| 31