The year was not prolific of freak or record-breaking performances in the American League. Walter Johnson of Washington, and Joe Wood of Boston were credited with sixteen straight victories, which raised the American League record in that respect from fourteen straight, formerly held by Jack Chesbro of the Yankees. Mullin of Detroit and Hamilton of St. Louis added their names to the list of hurlers who have held opponents without a safe hit in nine innings. Mullin performed his hitless feat against St. Louis and Hamilton retaliated by holding Detroit without a safety. The number of games in which pitchers escaped with less than four hits against them was smaller than usual, however. There were only seventy-eight shut-out games recorded last season by comparison with the American League's record of 145.
The longest game of the younger league's season lasted nineteen innings, Washington defeating Philadelphia in that combat 5 to 4, and it was played late in September when the two teams were scrapping for second place. The American League record for overtime is twenty-four innings, held by Philadelphia and Boston. There were a lot of slugging games in 1912, but not as many as during the season of 1911. Philadelphia piled up the highest total, 25, in eight innings, but it was made against the semi-professional team which wore Detroit uniforms on the day the Tigers struck. The highest genuine total of hits was twenty-three, made by the Athletics against New York pitchers. The Athletics also run up the highest score of the league's season when they compounded twenty-four runs against Detroit In May.
The semi-monthly standing of the race by percentages follows:
STANDING OF CLUBS ON MAY 1.
Club. Won. Lost. PC.
Chicago 11 4 .733
Boston 9 5 .643
Washington 8 6 .615
Cleveland 7 6 .538
Athletics 7 7 .600
Detroit 6 10 .375
St. Louis 5 9 .357
New York 3 10 .231
STANDING OF CLUBS ON MAY 15.
Chicago 21 6 .778
Boston 16 8 .667
Washington 12 12 .500
Cleveland 11 11 .500
Detroit 13 14 .481
Athletics 10 12 .466
New York 6 15 .286
St. Louis 6 17 .261
STANDING OF CLUBS ON JUNE 1.
Chicago 29 12 .707
Boston 25 14 .641
Detroit 21 20 .512
Athletics 17 17 .500
Cleveland 18 19 .486
Washington 19 21 .476
New York 12 23 .343
St. Louis 12 27 .308
STANDING OF CLUBS ON JUNE 15.
Boston 33 19 .635
Chicago 33 21 .611
Washington 33 21 .611
Athletics 27 21 .563
Detroit 26 29 .473
Cleveland 23 28 .451
New York 17 31 .364
St. Louis 15 37 .288
STANDING OF CLUBS ON JULY 1.
Boston 47 21 .691
Athletics 39 25 .609
Chicago 38 28 .576
Washington 37 31 .551
Cleveland 33 38 .492
Detroit 33 36 .478
New York 18 44 .290
St. Louis 18 45 .288
STANDING OF CLUBS ON JULY 15.
Boston 56 26 .683
Washington 60 33 .602
Athletics 46 36 .668
Chicago 44 35 .567
Cleveland 42 42 .500
Detroit 40 43 .488
New York 22 53 .298
St. Louis 22 56 .282
STANDING OF CLUBS ON AUGUST 1.
Boston 67 31 .684
Washington 61 37 .622
Athletics 55 41 .573
Chicago 49 36 .516
Detroit 48 42 .485
Cleveland 45 43 .464
New York 31 53 .333
St. Louis 30 56 .312
STANDING OF CLUBS ON AUGUST 15.
Boston 76 34 .691
Athletics 66 43 .606
Washington 67 44 .604
Chicago 54 55 .495
Detroit 55 58 .487
Cleveland 51 59 .464
New York 36 73 .327
St. Louis 36 74 .321
STANDING OF CLUBS ON SEPTEMBER 1.
Boston 87 37 .702
Washington 77 49 .611
Athletics 73 50 .593
Chicago 62 61 .504
Detroit 57 70 .449
Cleveland 54 71 .432
New York 45 78 .366
St. Louis 43 82 .344
STANDING OF CLUBS ON SEPTEMBER 15.
Boston 97 39 .713
Athletics 81 56 .591
Washington 82 57 .590
Chicago 67 69 .493
Detroit 64 75 .461
Cleveland 62 75 .453
New York 48 88 .353
St. Louis 47 89 .346
STANDING OF CLUBS ON OCTOBER 1.
Boston 103 48 .691
Washington 89 60 .567
Athletics 89 60 .567
Chicago 74 76 .493
Cleveland 72 77 .483
Detroit 69 80 .463
St. Louis 52 98 .347
New York 49 100 .329
STANDING OF CLUBS AT CLOSE OF SEASON
Bos. Wash. Ath. Chic. Clev. Det. S.L. N.Y. Won PC
Boston -- 12 15 16 11 15 17 19 105 .691
Washington 10 -- 7 13 18 14 14 15 91 .599
Athletics 7 18 -- 10 14 13 16 17 99 .592
Chicago 6 9 12 -- 11 14 13 13 78 .506
Cleveland 11 4 8 11 -- 13 15 13 75 .490
Detroit 6 8 9 8 9 -- 13 16 69 .451
St. Louis 5 8 6 9 7 9 -- 9 58 .344
New York 3 7 5 9 8 6 13 -- 50 .329
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Lost 47 61 62 76 78 84 101 102
NATIONAL LEAGUE
STANDING OF CLUBS AT CLOSE OF SEASON.
N.Y. Pitts.Chi. Cin. Phil.St.L. Bkln. Bos. Won. PC.
New York -- 12 9 16 17 15 16 18 103 .682
Pittsburgh 8 -- 13 11 14 15 14 18 93 .616
Chicago 13 8 -- 11 10 15 17 17 91 .607
Cincinnati 6 11 10 -- 8 13 16 11 75 .498
Philadelphia 5 8 10 14 -- 11 13 12 73 .480
St. Louis 7 7 7 9 11 -- 10 12 63 .412
Brooklyn 6 8 5 6 9 11 -- 13 58 .379
Boston 3 4 6 11 10 10 9 -- 52 .340
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ----
Lost 48 58 59 78 79 90 95 101
The Chicago-Pittsburgh game at Chicago, October 2, was protested by the Pittsburgh club and thrown out of the records, taking a victory from the Chicago club and a defeat from the Pittsburgh club.
CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
1871- Athletics .759 | 1885- Chicago .770 | 1899- Brooklyn .682
1872- Boston .830 | 1886- Chicago .726 | 1900- Brooklyn .603
1873- Boston .729 | 1887- Detroit .637 | 1901- Pittsburgh .647
1874- Boston .717 | 1888- New York .641 | 1902- Pittsburgh .741
1875- Boston .899 | 1889- New York .659 | 1903- Pittsburgh .650
1876- Chicago .788 | 1890- Brooklyn .667 | 1904- New York .693
1877- Boston .646 | 1891- Boston .630 | 1905- New York .668
1878- Boston .683 | 1892- Boston .680 | 1906- Chicago .765
1879- Providence .702 | 1893- Boston .667 | 1907- Chicago .704
1880- Chicago .798 | 1894- Baltimore .695 | 1908- Chicago .643
1881- Chicago .667 | 1895- Baltimore .669 | 1909- Pittsburgh .724
1882- Chicago .655 | 1896- Baltimore .698 | 1910- Chicago .676
1883- Boston .643 | 1897- Boston .795 | 1911- New York .647
1884- Providence .750 | 1898- Boston .685 |
INDIVIDUAL BATTING.
Following are the Official Batting Averages of National League players who participated in any manner in at least fifteen championship games during the season of 1912: