ATHLETICS AND PIRATES CLEAR FRONT-RUNNERS AS JULY CLOSES
By Samuel T. Kingsley, Sporting Times
August 1st, 1903
League Races Begin to Settle, Monthly Honors Awarded
The month of July has passed into the books, and with it both major leagues now stand with clear leaders in the march toward the pennant.
In the American League, the Philadelphia Athletics have spent July asserting themselves with confidence, crafting a firm cushion at the top. Their record places them six and a half games in front of the Boston Americans, who cling to second place. The Detroit Tigers and New York Highlanders remain within sight, seven and eight games back respectively, but the Athletics’ grip has tightened. At the bottom, both the Washington Senators and the Chicago White Sox continue to falter. Their standing of 36–52 leaves them twenty games adrift, already staring at a long and difficult summer’s remainder.
Across the way in the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue their reign as the circuit’s dominant force. Their fine play has kept them seven games clear of their closest rivals, the Cincinnati Reds. The remainder of the pack jostles in vain, while at the cellar the Brooklyn Superbas linger forlorn, seventeen and a half games behind the leaders, their pennant hopes extinguished before the dog days even begin.
July’s Distinguished Performers
American League
Top Batter: Cy Seymour, New York Highlanders — A scorching .400 average, 4 home runs, 24 runs batted in, and 23 tallies crossed.
Top Pitcher: Eddie Plank, Philadelphia Athletics — A model of consistency, posting a 6-1 record with a stingy 1.89 earned run average.
Rookie: Barney Wolfe, Philadelphia Athletics — Showing poise beyond his years, going 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA.
National League
Top Batter: Danny Green, Chicago Cubs — Batting .382 with 1 home run, 23 runs driven in, and 25 runs scored, Green was relentless at the plate.
Top Pitcher: Bill Donovan, Brooklyn Superbas — A rare bright light for Brooklyn, notching a 7-2 record with a 1.75 ERA.
Rookie: Walt McCreedie, Pittsburgh Pirates — Sparked the club with a .398 average, 11 runs scored, and 14 RBI in limited play.
With two months of base ball yet to play, the pennant chases appear clearer, though far from settled. The Athletics and Pirates hold sway, yet in this game a fortnight can turn triumph into trouble. The weeks ahead promise no shortage of drama as contenders rise and pretenders fade.
