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The Cranks Are Trying to Pick a Winner After Two Weeks of Championship Base Ball. BROWNS SETTING A HOT PACE. While the Quakers Lead the Eastern Teams—Some Averages—Money in Farrell. Special to the Eagle. Washington, D. C., May 2—Two weeks of championship baseball have been witnessed by the cranks of the circuit and they are as undecided as ever as to what team is likely to capture the pennant. True, several of the Weak teams have already found their level, while some of the strong clubs have yet to strike their gait. Still, again, unexpected strength has been developed by teams that were labeled ‘second division” before the sea son began, and those who were classed as first division possibilities have been unable to hold their places, owing to injuries to players or the delay of the veterans to thaw out. The race to date, however, has been keen enough to suit the most exact. The St. Louis Browns have made the pace hot, due more to the fact that they had a good start with a weak team than because of superiority. Chi cago made it evident that Tebeau's crowd can be beaten and it is confidently believed that they will go yonder when they face some of the Eastern teams. The ex-Clevelanders are dangerous factors, nevertheless, in their pres ent shape, but their chances would be mate rially improved should Mike Griffin accept Robison’s terms. The Philadelphias have thus far shown a clean pair of heels to their Eastern neighbors. There is no doubt that the Quakers are a wonderful batting team and they are taking advantage now of the fact that many of the Pitchers have not yet warmed up to their work. But when a hot spell develops the twirlers and the Quakers fail to hit together, it is expected that they will slide down the toboggan so fast that only the bunker at the tail end will stop them. Their pitchers, with the exception of Piatt, are not the real thing and they need more hits than most of the fast teams to get runners around to the Plate. Chicago and Cincinnati seem to be as strong now as they ever will be and they have suc ceeded only in keeping just above the .500 mark. The Orphans have really only two first class pitchers—Grifith and Taylor—the latter one of the pitching finds of the year. The Infield, too, lacks experience, if such an expert as Fred Pfeffer may be taken as an authority. Beside, the internal dissensions among the players, that is, the row between the Lange-Everitt and Ryan factions, will have their effects in the end. As to the Reds, they are weak at the bat, as hereto fore, and depend upon the effectiveness of their pitchers to win games. The twirlers are not an all powerful lot, consequently the victories and defeats about balance. The scales are likely to lean toward the defeat column when the team strikes a lengthy trip. Brooklyn, Boston and Baltimore are at pres ent fighting hard to maintain first division po sitions. They are now on even terms on the sunny side of the .500 mark. The showing of the first two up to date has not been up to ex pectations, but has been favorable under ex isting , conditions. In the case of Brooklyn, the absence of two of the best fielders has Plpfyed sad havoc with the run getting abili cies of the team. As already stated, Ander son has been playing good parl, the best that can be expected of him, but he is far from being the equal of Jones in the fine points of the game. Andy is unreliable at the bat and seems unable to grasp the opportunity to be of effective service in a pinch. It is there that Jones would be valuable, while he is fast and reliable on the bases where Andy has shown himself to be correspondingly unsafe. Jennings is also missed, and his absence now, even with Casey at third, is wo fully felt. Casey is many times the superior of Cassidy, but it will take a long time to get him to do the lightning work and quick thinking plays that Dahlen is capable of with Jennings be side him. Had Jennings and Jones been Tight Brooklyn would have won more than two-thirds of its games to date, despite the fact that the pitchers are not mystifying the opposing batsmen as successfully as they will later on. The accident to Dunn was a sad blow, for the little fellow, up to the time he was injured, was doing the best work of the Tet. Maul is being saved for a hot spell and McJames and Kennedy have been disap pointmente, being hit hard in nearly every game they have pitched. Hughes alone has kept pace with Dunn, these two between them being credited with six of the seven victories to date. When the team is complete, a Speedy advance to the top is sure to occur. ' Boston is manifestly strong in every posi tion except the box. It has only two reliable Pitchers in Nichols and Willis, who like Dunn and Hughes, have won most of the games. However, Lewis will soon report and with this trio in shape, the champions will be with the leaders. The showing of the Baltimores has been pleasing to the owners and has surprised the Cranks. Like the Reds, the Orioles are not strong hitters, and have to depend on their pitchers to win their games. This was mani fest on Saturday, when Boston was beaten, owing to the wonderful work of McGinnity, who made the record of the season to date by holding the champions down to two hits. _ It was suggested to President Ebbets—who, by the way, is proud of his discovery—that a mistake was made in not bringing McGinnity to Brooklyn instead of McFarlan. ‘If it was a mistake,”” said Ebbets yesterday, ‘it was a lucky one. Had we brought McGinnity to Brooklyn we might have been compelled to Part with him to clinch the deal with Wash ington. Instead, by leaving him in Baltimore we are developing what may be a star pitcher next year. While the Baltimores are far from pennant winners, they are likely to be first division Possibilities under the able leadership of Mc Graw and Robinson. In their four games with Brooklyn they showed that they were not in the same class with the Superbas, although they fought every game tooth and nail. This latter attribute will stand them in good stead throughout the season, and they will win many games ,froim commparatively stronger teams in consequence. The game on Satur day, with Boston, is an ample illustration of this fact. Louisville is a fast team, individually, but will not amount to much in the long run, due to lack of team hitting, not over strong field ing and in and out cost pitchers. It will not land higher than its present position. New York is also at its level as made up at pres ent. With only one goud pitcher, in Doheny --who, by the way, is laid up for repairs—and a a weak outfield, the Giants should not do bet ter than ninth. Put with Ruske and Seymour back and Meekin pitching his game, a few pegs better should be their portion. Washington and Cleveland are recognized tallenders. The victory of the Senators on Saturday is the natural outcome of the na tional game, for without the occasional thro down of the strong by the weak, there would be little interest in baseball. So confident were the Washingtonians that the Brooklyns would win that they offered odds of 4 to 1 with few takers. And the same odde will pre vail when ten of the other eleven teams come here, for Irwin's aggregation is looked upon only as minor league material. Cleveland is not so strong as the Browns of last yeer and with the cold shoulder offered to them to the Forest City ties, they should make a sorry showing. Pittsburg is one of the comparatively strong teams that is far below its proper place. Like Brooklyn, the Pirates have been weakened by accidents to players and when they are whole again a move toward the top may be antici pated. This week will be an interesting one for Hanlon’s men. After finishing with the Sen ators, they will go home for one game with Boston on Thursday and then go to the club for a series of three. An even break with the champions will be doing well. Blanson ex pects to win the three remaining games with Washington. Last week Brooklyn won four out of six games and approached closer to the 200 mark in batting. At present they lead their opponents in both batting and fielding, although the later have made 11 more hits and 12 more fielding chances. Brooklyn also leads in stolen bases by 31 to 20. Individual ly, Keeler still leads the regulars in batting with an average of .500, Casey, the newcom er, following closely with .421. Gaston has an average of 1,000 as a result of his single game, while Hughes has batted to the tune of .667. Dunn and Dahlen are the only other players above the .300 mark but McGann, Anderson, Kelley and Daly are coming fast. The fielding has been excellent. Following are the records to date: “When I paid off Charley Farrell before sending him to Brooklyn,” said Earl Wagner to the Eagle correspondent on Saturday, ‘I told him that I did not think it was the last check he would receive from the Washington club. Oh, yes, I expect to get the Duke back for he has been a profitable man to me. When I first got him, there was a bonus of $1,500 as an induceent for a player that the other peo ple wanted. Then I unloaded him to New York, with Meeklin for $7,500. That made $9,000. Then he came back to me with $2,500 for Joyce, and in the deal with Brooklyn I got another $2,500, making $14,000 In all.” “But $2,530 of that was stage money,” inter rupted Arthur Irwin, who stood by. “That implies that the Brooklyn money was bogus,” chimed in one of the Brooklyn officials who heard the sally. “Well,” said Wagner, ‘‘the amount I have named in connection with Farrell is accord ing to the published statements when the deals were made, and it is nearly correct. Brooklyn got a good man in Farrell, one who, in condition, is among the best in the busi ness. We offered him his release for $500 some time ago because we had two high priced catchers drawing $5,600, and did not care to carry them. When he refused, we de cided to hold him this spring, feeling certain that somebody would come along, as Hanlon did, and make us an offer. “To don’t think Brooklyn got the worst of the deal,’ ‘continued Wagner. “For an all around player, there isn’t anybody any better than Casey. He can play third and behind the bat there isn’t a prettier worker in the business. His strong point is run getting, and I’m glad to see that Brooklyn has put him at the top of the batting order.” Hanlon’s advice to his players to show that they are in the game by objecting to unfair decisions on the part of the umpire, is all right in its way, and will receive the support of the home cranke, provided it is not over done. It is human nature to stick up for one’s rights, particularly on the ball field, but it can be overdone, and that is just what has happened in the case of Kennedy. Roaring Bill is aptly named, for he has done little else this season than scratch gravel and howl at the umpire. His tactics on Saturday were particularly represensible, consisting as they did of continued growling at Umpire Gaffney. It would have been all right had it helped Kennedy any, but the more he growled the worse he pitched, and it looked at times as if Bill was undecided whether to work his arms or his jaw. Kennedy went a step too far when, in the sixth, he deliberately spiked the ball. Un fortunately Gaffney did not see the act and therefore could not put Bill out of the game. There was a lengthy kick over the bringing in of a new all, as it placed Gaffney in a bad light before the Washington cranks, who be lieved that the umpire did not have nerve enough to use his authority. He was called all sorts of names for permitting Kennedy to get rested at a critical point. It was hardly his fault, for he was not sure at the time that Roaring Bill had spiked the old ball and only changed it on hearsay. But as Washington won, the incident was partly forgiven and for gotten. “The forging to the front of such men as Thomas, Lander, Tenney and others, is ele vating the tone of the national game and placing it on an equality with other profes sions,” said Robert Young, assistant secre tary of the National League, to the Eagle cor respondent, the other day. ‘The playing of baseball has reached a point where it re quires more than physical strength to be suc cessful. Intelligence and quick wittedness are essential, because the ability to think quickly begets the ability to act quickly. The game is a scientific one and the man who possesses superior intelligence and agility with only fair physical strength, is the suc cessful ball player of the future. Many col lege bred men nowadays are working as clerks or in other professions for nominal wages, when, like Thomas, Lander, Tenney and others, they could become all players, at comfortable salaries. To be connected with sports, or athletics, or baseball, is not a dis grace by any means nowadays, a fact that is clearly illustrated by the standing of such men as Professor Stagg, A. E. Copeland, Thomas, and the rest. Batting. Fielding. a.b.r.1d.s.b. Ave. po @tcAve. Gaston tee 10 1 0 1.000 0 1 1.000 Hughes 4 ~§00 1 3 $75 Keeler 13 48 10 24 500 20 o= 0 27 1.060 Casey . 1g 8 421 10 1 3% Duna . a 333 1.000 Dahlen 13 a i 13 «317 21 at 16 ast McGann 13 45 33 +289 138 10 148 0 Anderson 13 al 14 2274 20 32 Kelley aeons ig 30 12 249 aT 44 ae Daly 13 43 10 222 909 33 wo 647 Kennedy 14 21¢ LR 14 1.000 Smith aL +193 25 8 36 044 sete 6 a) 2 Cassidy MecJames te. +150 14 Tis 125 90 Farrell 13 21 Jennings PU 00 14 86 McFarle one 1,000 Grim sa deee aco 000 eae ea eee eee Team teens 13 422 71 :129 31 232 347 169 24 540 956 Opps pees 18 466 6) 1320 20 297 339 187 20 352 953 —.
Newspaper Details
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn, New York, US
Mon, May 01, 1899
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 23 Jun 2026
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