Since the reconstructed National League began its new life, blundering management of teams has characterized the running of a majority of its twelve clubs, and it will continue to do so while the system of engaging players for their records merely and not for their ability in doing team work and in playing harmoniously together, is continued. Especially, too, is the plan of engaging players whose daily habits of life are at war with their ability to do first-class work in the field. Year after year are drinking offenses condoned by the club officials who run the club, and old time drunkards re-engaged for the coming season, while steady, sober players are left out in the cold. Besides this blunder, there is that of engaging half worn out stars in the place of rising young players ambitious of distinguishing themselves in the League arena. This mistake in team management was as conspicuous in 1894 as it was in 1893.
A feature of the professional base ball season of 1894 was the almost phenomenal success of the clubs—alike of the minor leagues as of the great major league itself—in battling against the serious drawback of the "hard times" of the year, which prevailed throughout the entire season. Experience shows that in the sports in vogue which have innate attractions for public patronage in times of great financial difficulties in the commercial centres of the union, the national game stands conspicuous; and the past season in this respect presented a most notable record, no such crowds of spectators ever having been seen at the leading contests of the season as in 1894.
Another feature of the past season was the interest taken in the college club contests of the spring and early summer campaign, the leading club teams giving a superior exhibition of team work play in the field to that of 1893. In fact, the national game flourished as a whole throughout the entire country in 1894 as it never had done before in the history of the game.
#The League Championship Campaign of 1894.#
The struggle for the League's championship pennant in 1894 was the most noteworthy one on record in one particular respect, and that was in the exciting struggle by the three leaders of the first division for the championship, which struggle began on June 20th with the Baltimores first and Boston second, and was continued on that line until New York became one of the trio on July 5th, after which date these three clubs occupied the position of first three in the race to the finish, the other nine clubs not being "in it" after July 5th. In all other respects the race for the pennant of 1894 was far from being up to the standard that should characterize the League's championship season, no less than three of the minor league pennant races being more evenly contested than was that of the great major league. From the following record of the difference in percentage points each season between the leader and tail ender it will be seen that in no less than seven of the seasons from 1881 to 1894, inclusive, were the pennant races of past seasons superior in this respect to that of 1894, that of 1891 being the smallest in difference of points on record.
Here is the record in question:
——————————————————————————————- POINTS OF POINTS OF POINTS OF YEARS. DIFFERENCE. | YEARS. DIFFERENCE. | YEARS. DIFFERENCE. ——————————————————————————————- 1881 277 | 1886 493 | 1890 499 1882 441 | 1887 333 | 1891 223 1883 570 | 1888 303 | 1892 367 1884 400 | 1889 328 | 1893 359 1885 442 | | 1894 418 ——————————————————————————————-
Judging by the percentage figures of the twelve clubs, recorded at the end of each month's campaign of the season, the race was a one-sided one almost from the start, the Baltimore and Boston clubs being in the leading positions from the very outset of the race, the remaining ten clubs fighting for third place from April 19th to June 20th, when New York took the lead of the other nine, joining Baltimore and Boston in the struggle for the leading position.
A League pennant race—or that of a minor league, for that matter—to be up to the regulation standard, should at least show a difference in percentage figures varying, on the average, not far from 250 points; a model race, in these figures, not exceeding 200 points. But this standard has not been reached in League records for fifteen years, the best being over 223 points. Then, too, comes the record of the occupancy of the several positions of the two divisions, this, to a certain extent, showing the character of the pennant race of the season. In this regard, an evenly contested race should show a weekly change of position in each division, for one thing, and also a change from first division to second division at least once a month. A model race should see the first three positions changed weekly, the first six places at least fortnightly, and the tail end positions once a month at farthest. But what does the figures of the pennant race of the League for 1894 show? Let us glance at the; records of the occupancy of the first and second divisions in last year's pennant race. From the 22d of April to the close of the season, the Baltimore and Boston clubs were never out of the ranks of the first division clubs; nor were the Chicago, Washington and Louisville clubs ever out of those of the second division. This alone was a one-sided condition of affairs in the race. From May 1st to July 17th the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh clubs occupied positions in the first division, and the Cleveland club was in the first division from April 22d to June 27th and from July 17th to the finish, while New York was in the same division from June 29th to the close and Brooklyn from August 27th to the end of the season. On the other hand, Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati, together with Washington and Louisville, were practically out of the race from May to September.
The April campaign finished with St. Louis, Cleveland and Boston tied for first place in the race, with Philadelphia, Baltimore and Cincinnati following. Boston and Baltimore's occupancy of fourth and fifth places being the lowest each occupied during the entire season's campaign, while Cincinnati's position, tied for that of first in the race on April 20th, was the highest that club reached from April 19th to September 30th; St. Louis, as tied for first place, together with Louisville on April 20th, was the highest these three clubs reached. Baltimore was the first to reach the leading place in the race, that club being first, with the percentage figures of 1.000, on April 24th; St. Louis occupying the lead on April 28th; Cleveland on May 2d, that club occupying the leading place from that date to May 28th, when Pittsburgh jumped into first place for a short time. Boston occupied the lead for the first time on April 26th. The nearest New York got to the leading position was on April 19th, when the club was tied for first place with Boston, St. Louis and Washington. The highest position the "Phillies" reached in the pennant campaign was second place, which they occupied on May 23d. Brooklyn's highest position was reached on June 22d, when that club occupied third place. Chicago's highest was eighth place, and the only clubs which stood in the last ditch were Chicago, up to May 10th; Washington, from May to August 15th, and afterwards Louisville up to the finish of the season.