ATHLETICS AND AMERICANS LOCKED IN DEAD HEAT; CUBS ON VERGE OF TITLE
By Charles H. Wentworth, Sporting Times
October 1, 1904
Pennant races tighten as season nears its dramatic conclusion
With the curtain about to fall on the 1904 season, the two great leagues of professional base ball remain alive with intrigue. Both pennant chases hold stories of triumph, heartbreak, and suspense, none more so than in the American League, where the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Americans stand level atop the standings at 85–60.
The race between these two titans has been nothing short of remarkable, each club trading blows throughout the summer, and now poised for a finish that promises to grip the base ball public until the last out of the year is recorded. The rest of the league has long since fallen from contention, while the Washington Senators remain marooned at the bottom.
In the National League, the matter appears closer to settled. The Chicago Cubs, with a glittering record of 91–56, hold a commanding six-and-a-half game lead over the New York Giants. One more Chicago victory will all but secure the championship and crown the Cubs as the kings of the senior circuit. For the Giants, hopes of overtaking their rivals grow dimmer with each passing contest. At the opposite end, the Philadelphia Phillies continue to bring up the rear, though September was mercifully less cruel as they dropped only modest further ground. Still, at 39 games back, they are the clear cellar-dwellers of the campaign.
Monthly Honors
American League
Top Batter: Harry Davis, Philadelphia Athletics – .435 average, 4 home runs, 31 RBIs, 19 runs scored
Top Pitcher: Jay Hughes, New York Highlanders – 6–1 record, 1.74 ERA
Rookie: Pete Hill, Washington Senators – .411 average, 1 home run, 21 RBIs, 14 runs scored
National League
Top Batter: John Ganzel, New York Giants – .415 average, 2 home runs, 19 RBIs, 26 runs scored
Top Pitcher: Christy Mathewson, New York Giants – 6–0 record, 2.25 ERA
Rookie: Ed Walsh, Brooklyn Superbas – 3–3 record, 1.79 ERA
As the season winds to its conclusion, all eyes now rest upon the Athletics and Americans to see who will emerge as champion of the junior circuit, and upon the Cubs to see if they can close the door on the Giants. October promises to deliver a final chapter worthy of one of the most gripping seasons the game has yet seen.
