It will be seen that the four Eastern clubs won 155 victories to 142 by the four Western clubs.
The struggle between the East and the West in the American arena in 1888 resulted as follows:
CLUBS. | | | K | || | G | | | C | a | L || | a | | S | i | n | o || | m | P | t | n | s | u || G | e | e | . | c | a | i || a | s | r | | i | s | s || m | | c | L | n | | v || e | P | e | o | n | C | i || s | l | n | u | a | i | l || | a | t | i | t | t | l || W | y | a | s | i | y | e || o | e | g | . | . | . | . || n | d | e | | | | || . | . | . ----------+---+---+---+---++----+----+----- Athletic | 7| 10| 14| 15|| 46| 74|.622 Brooklyn | 10| 14| 11| 13|| 48| 80|.600 Baltimore | 6| 6| 11| 11|| 34| 79|.430 Cleveland | 4| 7| 10| 9|| 30| 73|.411 +---+---+---+---++----+----+ Games lost| 27| 37| 40| 48|| 158| 306|
CLUBS. | | | | || | G | | | | | || | a | | | | | || | m | P | | | B | C || G | e | e | A | B | a | l || a | s | r | t | r | l | e || m | | c | h | o | t | v || e | P | e | l | o | i | e || s | l | n | e | k | m | l || | a | t | t | l | o | a || W | y | a | i | y | r | n || o | e | g | c | n | e | d || n | d | e | . | . | . | . || . | . | . ------------+---+---+---+---++----+----+----- St. Louis | 10| 10| 14| 16|| 50| 77|.649 Cincinnati | 10| 6| 14| 10|| 40| 77|.519 Kansas City | 3| 9| 8| 9|| 29| 75|.387 Louisville | 5| 7| 9| 8|| 29| 77|.377 +---+---+---+---++----+----+----- Games lost | 28| 32| 45| 43|| 148| 306|
It will be seen that the East won by 158 to 148.
The most noteworthy contest of the season in the League championship arena in 1888, was the game played at the Polo Grounds on September 4, between the New York and Philadelphia teams. In this game eleven innings had been completed without either side being able to score a single run when sunset obliged the umpire to call the game on account of darkness. The turnstile count showed that 9,505 people had passed through the gates.
It was a pitchers' contest from start to finish, both Keefe and Sanders doing great work in the curving line. But ten base hits were made in the eleven innings, six against Sanders and but four against Keefe. O'Rourke, Richardson and Andrews led the little batting that was done.
The fielding play was of a phenomenal order, brilliant stops, catches and throws occurring in every inning, and being loudly applauded.