Page:Spalding's Baseball Guide (1894).djvu/65

 {| Averages. Scored. of Runs per Game. Sacrifice Hits. Bases Stolen. Averages. Battery Errors. Fielding Errors.
 * align=center|
 * align=center|Base Hit
 * align=center|Total Runs
 * align=center|Average
 * align=center|Total
 * align=center|Total
 * align=center|Fielding
 * align=center|Total
 * align=center|Total
 * Boston
 * align=right|.272
 * align=right|1,003
 * align=right|7-98
 * align=right|313
 * align=right|223
 * align=right|.921
 * align=right|78
 * align=right|350
 * Pittsburgh
 * align=right|.319
 * align=right|662
 * align=right|7-36
 * align=right|360
 * align=right|210
 * align=right|.925
 * align=right|70
 * align=right|347
 * Cleveland
 * align=right|.314
 * align=right|944
 * align=right|7-41
 * align=right|323
 * align=right|236
 * align=right|.916
 * align=right|83
 * align=right|375
 * Philadelphia
 * align=right|.308
 * align=right|988
 * align=right|7-88
 * align=right|301
 * align=right|213
 * align=right|.929
 * align=right|60
 * align=right|336
 * New York
 * align=right|.292
 * align=right|887
 * align=right|7-29
 * align=right|255
 * align=right|313
 * align=right|.903
 * align=right|121
 * align=right|386
 * Cincinnati
 * align=right|.255
 * align=right|778
 * align=right|5-82
 * align=right|245
 * align=right|237
 * align=right|.928
 * align=right|80
 * align=right|316
 * Brooklyn
 * align=right|.270
 * align=right|793
 * align=right|6-08
 * align=right|243
 * align=right|205
 * align=right|.912
 * align=right|77
 * align=right|405
 * Baltimore
 * align=right|.367
 * align=right|774
 * align=right|6-27
 * align=right|275
 * align=right|237
 * align=right|.910
 * align=right|116
 * align=right|386
 * Chicago
 * align=right|.285
 * align=right|834
 * align=right|6-58
 * align=right|332
 * align=right|283
 * align=right|.907
 * align=right|79
 * align=right|422
 * St. Louis
 * align=right|.261
 * align=right|665
 * align=right|5-48
 * align=right|175
 * align=right|196
 * align=right|.910
 * align=right|104
 * align=right|372
 * Louisville
 * align=right|.284
 * align=right|767
 * align=right|6-09
 * align=right|283
 * align=right|192
 * align=right|.917
 * align=right|67
 * align=right|318
 * Washington
 * align=right|.265
 * align=right|703
 * align=right|5-65
 * align=right|207
 * align=right|130
 * align=right|.904
 * align=right|77
 * align=right|470
 * }
 * align=right|318
 * Washington
 * align=right|.265
 * align=right|703
 * align=right|5-65
 * align=right|207
 * align=right|130
 * align=right|.904
 * align=right|77
 * align=right|470
 * }
 * }
 * }

It is a significant fact that the Boston team, which won the pennant, had a base hit average of but .272 to the tail end club's base hit average of .265; but in total runs scored the champions led by a score of 1,003 to the tail end club's 703. This shows what little use the mere figures of the batting average of base hits are in estimating the value of the batting in winning games. What is wanted are the figures showing the average of base hits made by which runners are forwarded, not the average of base hits alone; as a batsman may be way up in his average figures of base hits alone, and yet, as a team worker at the bat in forwarding runners by his base hits, he may be the occupant of a comparatively low position in the latter averages. In battery errors, New York, Baltimore and St. Louis were "way off" in comparison with the three leaders in the race. In fielding errors, Washington had the poorest record, with Chicago and Brooklyn next in order in being charged with large figures in the error column. In stolen bases, New York led Boston by 313 to 223; but it was Boston's combination of team work batting and base stealing that beat New York's record. In sacrifice hitting Pittsburgh led. THE BASE RUNNING OF 1893. There is no questioning the fact that more skillful base running was done in the League arena in 1893 than ever before. The brainy managers and captains of the League clubs have learned by experience that skillful base running is a very potent element of success in winning pennants, and more attention is being paid by managers to having good base runners in their teams than hitherto. Of course, to make base running thoroughly affective good team work