NAPS AND GIANTS LEAD THE PACK AS SUMMER BEGINS
Cleveland and New York Set the Pace—Monthly Honors Announced
By Samuel T. Kingsley, Sporting Times
June 1st, 1907
With the spring campaign now behind us and summer days arriving, the picture in both major leagues is beginning to take shape. While much baseball remains to be played, the early leaders have begun to make their intentions clear.
In the American League, the Cleveland Naps continue to impress, maintaining a two-and-a-half game lead over the Detroit Tigers. The two clubs have traded first place back and forth throughout May, but the Naps close the month with the advantage. Their consistency at the plate and steady pitching have kept them atop the standings as the calendar turns to June.
At the opposite end, last year’s pennant winners, the Chicago White Sox, are enduring a difficult campaign. Their form has faltered badly, and the defending champions now sit at the bottom of the table. With their season beginning to slip away, Chicago faces a pressing need to rediscover the spark that carried them to glory in 1906.
Over in the National League, the reigning world champions, the New York Giants, continue to show their mettle. They hold a one-and-a-half game lead over the hard-charging Chicago Cubs, who have been in fine form through late May. The race is fast becoming a two-team affair, as the remainder of the league has fallen several games off the pace. The Brooklyn Superbas, meanwhile, find themselves again mired in last place, fully twelve games behind.
Monthly Awards
American League
Top Batter: Chick Stahl, Boston Americans — .345 average, 3 home runs, 12 runs batted in, 12 runs scored.
Top Pitcher: Jimmy Dygert, St. Louis Browns — 7–0 record, 1.71 earned run average.
Top Rookie: Roy Hitt, Cleveland Naps — 4–3 record, 1.03 earned run average.
National League
Top Batter: Ty Cobb, Philadelphia Phillies — .389 average, 2 home runs, 21 runs batted in, 17 runs scored.
Top Pitcher: Addie Joss, New York Giants — 6–1 record, 1.44 earned run average.
Top Rookie: Glenn Liebhardt, Philadelphia Phillies — 5–1 record, 1.48 earned run average.
As June begins, the stage is set for a thrilling summer of baseball. With strong challenges mounting from Cleveland and New York, and the likes of Detroit and Chicago not far behind, the coming weeks promise the kind of spirited competition that defines the game.
