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[base BALL' GOSSIP.CURRENT NEWS AND OF THE GAME.GOSSIPT*«t 8a)ll*nn'a Yarn of the Good Old Day* of Yore—A 8ngB«atlon That Female Umpire* Would Solve the Vexed rroblom—A lilt and Hun Tiny.Tho HIondIlio of ’87.KN years ago, said Ted Sullivan, the Irrepressible, the other day. “’the Northwest was tho ball players’ Klondike. There wan whero the boyspicked up goldennuggets from richrich moguls’ pockets. It was before tho era of minor league reservations, and after the last day of Sopieiniierplayers were eligible to sign withleague clubs. In the fall of ‘87 a great aggregation of management talent waited for the hour to arrive when the game of grab could commence. I bad the promise of two players—IMlly Hoy and Walter Wllmot—that they should sign with Washington. Jim Mttlrlc. Gus Sclnnelz, Old Anson and Al Spalding were there, too. Mutrle saw me talking to Rimer Fouler and he Imagined that I wanted him. Elmer had been presented with a gold-mounted bat and was In high favor, but he didn’t impress me favorably. Mutrle, however, swooped down on mo blood raw and declared: ’Washington can’t beat New York and I’ll land Foster.’ I strung him along a bit to cover my own tracks in the high grass, and when night came Mutrle threw Foster bodily into a back, drove him 14 miles into the country, and actually pressed $1,000 Into his bands for bis autograph. Wllmot was coveted by Chicago, and he responded to the Invitation of Anson .the details of the game as some of these*Illiterate ex-puglllsta that are put ltt to preside ever could learn la a life 150 years. And for the sake of tru» sport these capable women could bo Induced to take up tho Indicator. Thero would be interjected Into tho game a subtilo Influence that would r.t once tamo the Jennlngs-Doyle-McGraw-Tebeau actors. Do you think that there would bo an exchange of talk between player and umpire that this pugnacious Tim Hurst permits? Could the players rush in and haul the woman umpire about by the ears, or treat her to a llow of vile talk? No olr. The players would remember that tho patrons expect every ball player to bo a gentleman. A fair, resolute and cfllcient female umplro would do moro for Nick Young’s supervision of the national game than a wagon load of O'Days, Lynches nnd Emslles.”Go Higher Up.From the New York Clipper: There nppenra to he too much of the feeling among certain managers that we make the rules and wo can break them,” which Is proving such a detriment to the game. One of the magnates once expressed the opinion that we do not want a Sunday school made out of base ball, and the many instances of rowdyism seen on the ball Held during the past season leads one to believe that the players are possessed of the same Idea. It seems almost Incredible that any base ball manager should believe In such teneto. Yet the fact has been fully demonstrated time and again during the past season, when managers have sat on the bench among their players and allowed the latter to use the moat Indecent and Insulting language, not only to the umpire, but to the people who support the game. Where would those players and their managers be If the public was to withdraw Its support from the game?TED SULLIVAN, nnd Spalding to meet them In Minneapolis, and after that conference he offered me $100 to release him from his word, but I refused nnd lie stuck to me. Detroit also wanted Hoy, hut he wired Fred Stearns: ’I cannot sign, for I have promised to go with Ted Sullivan.’ Both players have been a credit nnd an honor to the profession. I voluntarily gave Hoy $200 moro than I had offered him. In those days broken pledges were common. After I had secured Hoy I hoard from old man Hewett. who owned the Washington club. Ho wired me: 'Indianapolis offers $2,800 for release of Paul Hines. Do you think Hoy will do? Can we spare Hines?’ I Immediately replied: ‘Lock all the doors. Buy champagne and Jolly tho Indianapolis agent along until you get the money. Hoy will more than fill the bill.’ ” And so he did. Even to this day there is regret In Washington over Hoy’s release.lilt-And-Hun I’lay.From Boston Globe: I was ratheramused to read where both Anson anil Comlakey claim that the Chicago club was the first to introduco the hit-and-run system as fur back as 187G. Tho hit-and-run system was Introduced by the Boston club In 1875. the year they won every game played at tho South End grounds. Messrs. Spalding, Barnes, White and McKey went from Boston to Chicago In 187G nnd Introduced their winning Boston methods. Other teams have tried It ever since, but usually give It up as a bad Job, as It Is not always possible to make this play a success. For example, n great base running and weak hitting team might prefer to take chances of stealing a base and come home on the lilt In place of going from first to third. Tho old Boston and Chicago teams had a lot of clever place hitters and worked with signs, even more than the best teams of the present day.Tholr Ambition.Both Tom Lynch and Tim HutfM would eagerly cast aside the indicator, provided they could secure berths as managers of major league teams. Lynch would prove a martinet with the players under his charge in tho enforcement of stralght-lnced discipline. though whether he would extract satisfactory work from his charges is another story. Hurst would command the respect of the players, though his peppery Hibernian ire would have the effect of twisting and rattling the unseasoned novices, especially when Tim gave vent to his ' sulphur-blue parts of speech.—Washington Post.A* to Ilatamen.Of the four leading batsmen of the National League this season three are left-handed batsmen. Delehanty alone batting from tho right-hand side of the box. The question, then, may be raised, are left-handed batsmen as a rule better hitters than the right-handed? Of the men who have carried off the batting honors In tho National League, Anson. O’Rourke. Duffy and Kelly batted right-handed; hut White. Dnlrymple, Brouiliers. Childs and Burkett used the other side. Left-handers. especially those who are quick on their feet, have a groat advantage of heating out bunts and slow infield hits, but the good, strong, substantial hitters are men like Anson. Kelly. Duffy, Delehanty and Lange. There Is a growing belief In the superiority of left-handed batsmen, and there are probably more In the league to-day than there have been since the formation of that body. The New York team In this respect has never been equaled by any other National League club. When Seymour nnd Warner are the battery, eight of the nine men face tho pitcher from the left-hand side of the Box. Clark being the only right-hander of the nine. And yet the usual rule that left-handed batsmen cannot bat left-handed pitchers has been exploded by the Giants this season. In only one or two Instances have they failed to hit “southpaws” freely. Four of the eight usually faced the left-handed pitcher from the opposite side of the box—Davis. Gleason. Warner nnd Mc-Creery nil being able to bat from either side. It Is the nine which can get to first base on a sprint which Is now sought for. the swift-footed men for whom lnfielders dare not play deep, and against whom the slightest fumble Is fatal. Such a team Hanlon has In Baltimore: such a team Joyce has ) gathered for New York, and such a team Teheau Is trying to build up. Nine men, or even seven, who are sprinters, will keep an opposing Infield on tenter hooks from start to finish. The 2:30 ball player, like the 2:30 horse, must give way to the 2:u0 man. even If bo can bit harder when he docs hit.A Many-Sided Man.There Is no ball player In tho big league so well known—so far as bis ball playing reputation Is concerned— and so little understood as Oliver Pat Tebeau, of tho Cleveland club. Upon the ball field ho Is a human tempest, with cyclonic attachments that threaten destruction to all surrounding objects. He fights for everything In sight that will give him an advantage in his efforts to win games, consequently he is a terror to umpires aa well us to opposing players. The public at large consider him a tough and a rowdy. This estimate does him Injustice. Off the field he is quiet andII II;n Como al Last.An ardent female base ball student writes to the Chicago Evening Post that she has a solution of the rowdyism of the game nnd the rank work of the league umpires. It might be noticed by President Nick Young, who appears to be unable to select gentlemen for the autocratic positions. Sim says: Why not have women umpires? There Is no valid reason why a woman who understands the game cannot umpire a contest. In this big land th:*re arc women who know as much aboutCAPT. TDBEAU. dignified In bis deportment, anil a gentleman in all his social relations. He Is as sensitive to the wants and misfortunes of human nature as a woman; bis heart and pocketbook are always open to appeals for charity, and withal he is a great ball player, as the records show. During the season Just closing he has made a remarkable record. In 10G games In which he played, alternating at four different positions he has made but nine errors. This surpasses all previous records. Players may come and go. but this record will stand as a monument to his skillful. earnest and faithful work upon the diamond.A Fair Motlicl.The veteran base ball writer. Mr. Chadwick, says: In estimating victories and defeats pitched in I Judge ilie result, where two or more pitchers take part on one side, according to the runs scored off the pitching, as there are no data In the scores to show the runs earned off each pitcher. If a pitcher goes in and six runs or more are scored off his pitching In two Inning-. and only four off the one w*n succeeds him in the defeat. I charge the former with the defeat. The man is obliged to be mixed up any way *jn-der existing faulty rules for scoring in the pitcher’s work.
Newspaper Details
Oak Park Vindicator
Oak Park, Illinois, US
Fri, Dec 17, 1897
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Ryan E.
CA, USA 30 Apr 2017
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