The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-30
Mr.. johnson Plays Foul.


From The ". Y. Tribune.
The President, not content with his late per-
formances at the Schutzenfest, has recently
expressed desire to take hand at base ball
Indeed, he has gone so far as to receive depu-
tation of New York athletes, calling them
selves the "Mutual Base Ball Club, of New
York." but called, at home, "Man- Eaters, 4"
and to accept at their hands badge of men,
bership, which he Immediately pinned on to
the lapel of his coat. He then proceeded to
punish the young men in question for forcing
themselves into his presence, by making a
speech to them. He was pleased to accept of
the badge, and pleased with the honor OF
being made a member of the club He held
the game of baseball to be moral recreation.
The game never attached any disgrace to its
members. He had played the game when a
babe, and was always delighted with it, He
hailed with pleasure the admitted fact that
the game was now hailed as a national one.
He thanked them for their kind attention. He
hoped they would enjoy whatever hospitalities
they might receive in Washington. Then the
| Club shook hands with the President, and the
President shook hands with the Club, and
then the Club retired. After that they went
| to Baltimore, and got one of the worst beatings
| they ever had in their lives.
Whether the game of base ball ever attaches
any disgrace to those who play it depends
upon how it is played. But bad player may
easily disgrace the game and in Mr.. Johnson s
way of playing his National game we see very
sterling illustration of it. When he took his
| place at the head of the field two years ago,
nothing could have been more promising than
the looks of affairs. All the litter caused by
the players in the great game then ended was
being cleared away. Bran-new bases were
planted, bran-new bats and balls were pro-
vided, and the eyes of the whole world were
upon this bran-new player who had Dragged
so tremendously about what he had done
and what he meant to do. But the bran
new gentleman soon began to astonish
everybody. lie seemed to take as ma
turally to muffs as to mullins, and to
enjoy wild balls as if they were wild ducks.
He was continually getting between the
legs of men of his own side, bringing his
bat recklessly down ON the heads of his
friends, and making feeble attempts at
twisting, that always ended in hitting the
man behind him. At length, when he had
played a series of the worst innings ever seen,
the opposition, or Congress Club, tripped his
feet from under him, and set him in corner
till he should have slept off his excitement.
This made him sullly, and when he found that
his hands were tied behind his back, he deter
mined to show what he could do with his feet.
Just as the game got started again, and all
was promising peace, joy, and satisfaction, he
slyly wriggled out of his corner, and by bold
thrust kicked the short-stop against the
pitcher, and then sent him rolling first against
one base and then another, until they all lay
in heap on the field. This is the situation
of the game at present. and we submit that
the Presidents friends owe it to the public,
who have been standing long time patiently
longing to see the game brought to an end, to
get him off the field as decently as they can.
He really is in no condition to be about, much
less to be playing National games where the
stakes are of tremendous Importance. Thus
far, all his scores have been blanks, and his
pitching and striking have been equally
divided between impotence and spite. He
may be very sure that no honest baseball
players will ever choose him on their side
aUaiO