The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-07
THE NATIONAL GAME.

Clubs Are and Whnt They Amount TO This
Season-Condiiion of the Grounds.
The base ball season Of 1872 may now be said TO
have fairly opened. The Bostons tRed stockings)
commenced play ON the 4th inst. ON their grounds
at the "Hub" their opponents being picked nine,
composed OF players from the Lowels, the uar-
wards, the ri-Mountains, and the stars OF Brook
lyn. Blrdsall, the right field ana change catcher
for the Reds filed the position OF catcher for the
opponents OF MS club
The Baltimores, OF the Monumental CITY, opened
play some days ago and have since been regularly
practising for the sterner contests which they will
take part In during the latter part OF the present
month. Their niue Is composed OF Matthews as
pitcher. Craver as catcher, E. Mis- first base VIII
Hams. thlrd base; Radclin, short stop; member OF
THE OLD KEKIoNGA CLUB,
whose name we have forgotten second base; Fisher.
right field and change catcher; George Han, centre
field; York, lett field, and Lennon and Htgham as
substitutes.
The Troy Cub-late Haymakers-are out In full
feather and, like the irate and puglistic Hbernlan
az Donnybrook FAIR, somewhat impatiently waiting
for some one to tread on the caudal apLendage OF
their coat.
The Philadelphia Athletics the club wnicn now
denantly flies the champion whip pennant, Is not
reported having done nythlng OF note thus far,
unless 1t is to quarrel among themselves
as to which of their twelve or thirteen
players shall constitute the regular playing nine.
From the first they have exhibited o marked de-
gree of mastery indecision In relation to this very
important question: and. In all probability, they
VIII nave TO lose four or five games before they
can decide the matter They are talking consider
ably OF putting the artenuated, and apparently
semi -anasthsed MireIy on first base, simply be-
cause he has evinced the one redee ming quality
his play OF being nara hitter, putting the gentle
manly little
out altogether. No lutte Ill feeling ana jealousy
mas Deen sairreu up among Tue brotne ,n Love peo
Treacv to play left field. Indeed, these usually do
CHE and peace loving Broad.brlms have worked
themselves into quite perspraton over this ques-
ton, for they think that Cuthoelt, who Is to the
manner born. and who has no superior as left
fielder, should not be oversiaughed and sent into
right field by q selfcon ceited fellow from the chi.
cagO White Stockings club which has always
been most cordially hated In Philadelphia. Taken
all and ALL the outlook for the Athletics Is not nearly
80 serene as 1t might be.
In Cleveland, now, things are vastly different
Word to the effect That everything relation
to their club-the Forest Citys-has assumed a
sUPERLArIvE DEGREE OF LONELINESS,
while the Knowing ones assert that the position OF
the realnered bped is eminently satisfactory. This
Is as II shoad De, ana II the amicaole eeiing now
douptedly make good record Tor themselves dur
ing the present season.
the Mutual Club, of this city. AS PLAYING nine
lney are. most undoubtedly, better than they were
Sase; Halhsa. second Sase Pierce, short stop;
field; Eggler, centre hed McMuen, right field and
change pitcher, and HICKS ana Bestlc
excellent catchers, the former having played last
year in the Eckfords ana the latter In the Flya-
ways-the junior champions. The Board oil Direc-
tors have adopted a SET Of very stringent rules Tor
the government OF the PLAYERS, who will be required
10 I've up 70 them owak the PLANK mt tue G euo
Grounds still being too wet Tor play. About the
2oth OF the present month lhey VII! make trip to
Baltimore. where they are engaged to play the Bal.
tlmOres the nrst OF their regular championship
series.
Owing to the Indictment weather which held on 80
long this spring the ball grounds in TINS city are
not as yet in that degree OF excelency 80 much de-
sired but doubtless within the next ten DAYS they
will be dry and solid enough TO admit OF the playing
natural dryness, is in better condition now than Is
the Union. Mr. Cammeyer let the water OF his
grounds tine Unon) somewhat TOO early, and
the consequence was The frost got In them to sucn
degree that 1t Will still require three or four days
to tiaw 1t out completely. lie has per-
improvements In his grounds that Will Doubtless
render them still more popular than they have been
stand has been removed, together with the seats,
up IN the corner above tner old position and to the
- ~ THE ATLANTIcs IN THE FIELD.
The old, time-nonored Atlantics, OF BROOKLYN
opened play on the Capito!lne Grounds yesterday
little Uoncords, Junior ciuo, Of BROOK.
lyn the Anantics were short the services OF
Carney, Barlow and Chapman, but substituted
In their places Pearce and Start, Of the Mutuals,
and Kenny, who played VITO them last year. There
about two hundred persons present, and all
seemed TO enjoy the sport hugely. notwithstanding
the playing was only mediocre.
The Juniors started OF well, but were unable to
hold to their work any length or time. AS for the
Atlanics they saw from the Drst That the game
Was theirs and therefore played accordingly.
Ferguson, Purdock Dehtman and BRETT did verv
well indeed in their respective positions, the latter
pitching mucn better tnan many thought him able
to do.