e since Chance had been manager of the
organization, it was a welcome sight to see Evers apparently in as good
form as ever and Zimmerman so strong with the bat that the leadership of
the batters finally returned to Chicago after it had been absent for
years.

* * * * *

Cincinnati, under the management of Henry O'Day, finished fourth in the
race. It was by no means a weak showing for the new manager, in view of
the team which he was compelled to handle. Until the New York club
played its first series in Cincinnati, which began May 18, the Reds were
booming along at the top of the league, apparently with no intention
that they might ever drop back. It was New York that won three out of
the five games played and took the lead in the race, and when that
happened Cincinnati never was in front again.

To the other managers, who had been watching the work of the Cincinnatis
it was apparent that sooner or later the break would have to come for
the reason that, as the season progressed, better pitching would have to
be faced by the Cincinnati club, while it was doubtful whether the
Cincinnati pitchers could do any better than they were doing. The
manager seemed to have known this, for when the break did come and the
Reds began to totter, he said in reference to their downfall that no
team could be expected to win with only ordinary pitching to assist it.

In this manner Cincinnati played through the middle of the season always
just a little behind most of its opponents. As the latter days of the
year began to dawn the Reds began to improve and not the least of which
was in the better work of the pitchers.

They did well enough to beat Philadelphia for fourth place, and while
O'Day did not have the satisfaction of finding his first year as a
manager generous enough to him to make him the runner-up for the
championship team, he actually put his club in the first division, which
is something in which many managers have failed and some of them
managers of long experience.

* * * * *

Misfortune and ill luck always attaches itself in a minor degree to
every team which engages in a championship contest, but most assuredly
Philadelphia had more of its share of reverses through accidents to
players and illness than any team of the National League. Yet the
Philadelphias were courageous players from whom little complaint was
heard. They took their misfortunes with wha