--- In SABR_Records@yahoogroups.com, "Jean-Pierre CAILLAULT"
<jpc1957@...> wrote:
>
> I assume most of you will be able to straighten me out on this
right away.
>
> The Reach Guide from 1883 (and 1884 and probably many other years,
too) says
> "The club which shall have won the greatest percentage of games
played in
> the championship series, shall be declared the Champion Club of
America, for
> the season in which such games were played. In the event that two
or more
> clubs shall have won the same percentage of games, then the club
which shall
> have lost the smallest percentage of games shall be declared the
champion."
>
> I interpret this to mean that tie games are included in the
calculation of
> winning and losing percentage. For example, Team A goes 60-40-0,
Team B
> goes 60-39-1. Both have the same percentage of games won
(60/100), but Team
> B has a smaller percentage of games lost (39/100 vs. 40/100) so
Team B is
> champion.
>
> If that's not the correct interpretation, then under what
circumstances
> would the second sentence of the rule be invoked?
>
> If my interpretation is correct, then if Team A goes 60-40-0 and
Team C goes
> 59-39-2, Team A would be declared champion (60/100 better than
59/100), even
> though Team C has the better percentage of games won when ignoring
tie games
> (59/98 better than than 60/100).
>
> Any thoughts about this?
>
> Thanks,
> JP Caillault
>
I don't think tie games counted for anything before 1885 JP. They
weren't even sent to the Secretary as were the box scores of decided
games. The determining factor for the pennant in those days was
victories. In the NL meeting on December 6, 1882 printed in the 1883
Spalding Guide it states as follows: "Resolved, That the Chicago
Ball Club of Chicago, Ill., having won the greatest number of games
in the championship series, is hereby awarded the LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP of the United States for the year 1882."
Later "revisionists" count drawn games which changed at least one
batting championship.