BOSTON AND PITTSBURGH TAKE COMMAND AS MAY ENDS — FIRST MONTHLY HONORS BESTOWED
By Samuel T. Kingsley, Sporting Times
June 1st, 1902
With the spring weeks behind us and summer’s warmth upon the ballparks, the base ball season has entered its full stride. Though much of the campaign still lies ahead, already clear leaders have begun to emerge in both circuits.
In the American League, the defending champion Boston Americans have made their intentions plain, surging to a commanding 28–7 record, a full nine games ahead of their nearest pursuers, the Philadelphia Athletics. The rest of the league finds itself playing catch-up, with the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, and Chicago White Sox already languishing 14 games off the pace. Boston’s combination of timely hitting and iron pitching has, at least thus far, left the others well in their wake.
Over in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to set the standard, riding their pitching staff and relentless batting to a 29–12 mark, placing them seven games clear. A revived St. Louis Cardinals outfit has emerged as their closest challenger, while the Boston Beaneaters and New York Giants stumble badly at the foot of the table.
As May’s books closed, the league offices announced the season’s first monthly player awards, with the addition this year of a new honor for rookies.
In the American League, Boston’s supremacy was underlined once more. Buck Freeman, the powerful Americans outfielder, was named Batter of the Month after hitting .368 with 3 home runs, 28 runs batted in, and 27 tallies scored. On the mound, his teammate Ted Lewis earned Pitcher of the Month, compiling a sterling 6–1 record with a 1.80 earned run average. The inaugural Rookie of the Month went to Philadelphia’s Bob Rhoads, whose 4–2 record and 3.23 ERA have given Connie Mack’s club a measure of youthful promise.
In the National League, the honors were spread about. Kitty Bransfield, the steady first baseman of the Pirates, took Batter of the Month, swatting at a .392 clip with 28 RBI and 29 runs scored. The top mound man was Jack Taylor of the Chicago Orphans, whose rubber arm delivered 8 victories against only 2 defeats in May, accompanied by a fine 1.99 ERA. The rookie laurels went to Jim St. Vrain of the St. Louis Cardinals, whose 6–1 mark and 2.55 ERA showed the composure of a veteran.
With the season still in its infancy, there is time yet for fortunes to change, but if May is any indication, the path to the pennants already looks well marked: in the American League, through Boston, and in the National, through Pittsburgh.
