August 1, 1872 - Mutual and Athletic Locked In Battle For First

With slightly more than half the 1872 season's games played, there is a pitched battle for National Association supremacy between the finest clubs of New York and Philadelphia:

Mutual - 20 wins, 7 losses
Athletic - 16 wins, 4 losses
Forest City - 11 wins, 9 losses
Boston Red Stockings - 10 wins, 16 losses
Mansfield - 8 wins, 10 losses
Atlantic - 6 wins, 7 losses
Eckford - 5 wins, 6 losses
Lord Baltimore - 5 wins, 21 losses

Defunct teams:

Haymaker - 13 wins, 12 losses
Olympic - 5 wins, 4 losses
National - 4 wins, 7 losses

The Haymaker club of Troy recently announced that they will no longer continue as a member of the Association, so there will be many players from their club as well as the two Washington clubs available for the clubs of 1873 to select from. Meanwhile, both Mutual and Athletic have many Association games this month (although only one game against one another), so we shall see whether this battle can remain a season-long struggle for the pennant.

The individual leaders:

Batting

Buttery, Mansfield - .483
King, Mutual - .469
Sager, National - .467
Foley, Lord Baltimore - .463
Pinkham, Athletic - .444
Barnes, Boston - .438
Cone, Boston - .437
Treacey, Olympic - .429
Mincher, National - .423
Murnane, Mansfield - .395

Hits

King, Mutual - 60
Barnes, Boston - 57
Foley, Lord Baltimore - 56
McVey, Boston - 51
Geo. Wright, Boston - 47
Eggler, Mutual - 43
Mack, Lord Baltimore - 43
Pike, Haymaker - 43
Gould, Boston - 42

Runs

Barnes, Boston - 41
Eggler, Mutual - 34
King, Mutual - 34
Foley, Lord Baltimore - 33
Higham, Mutual - 33
McVey, Boston - 32
Geo. Wright, Boston - 32
Pike, Haymaker - 30
Hatfield, Mutual - 29
Selman, Athletic - 29

Total Bases

Foley, Lord Baltimore - 73
King, Mutual - 73
Barnes, Boston - 67
Pike, Haymaker - 64
Geo. Wright, Boston - 59
McVey, Boston - 57
Eggler, Mutual - 56
Pinkham, Athletic - 54
York, Haymaker - 54
Higham, Mutual - 50