The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-04-06
Condition of a Base Ball Club.

L Hc CleftIdHu 1euueT SetS OH the
following good thing on the Forest
City nine of that city.
The pitcher for the summer of 1872
has been practicing for several weeks
outside Of the city limits, and though
not feeling well, can now throw reg
ulation ball with such sWiftness that
it cannot be seen unless covered with
phosphorus; and often the friction oc-
casioned by its passage through the
air causes a heat so great as to burn
the ball to ashes before it reaches the
catcher, who only finds a mass of Gin
ders in his hands. The assistant or
reserve pitcher had been practicing
but few weeks, but he can throw
ball through eighteen inches of oak
plank now; and if he keeps on the
man on deck will be compelled to en-
case his stomach in monitor turret
and other armor, or suffer the conse-
quences.
The catcher has been for three
weeks past engaged in breaking up
pig iron at the Newburg rolling mills,
and to still further tougher his hands,
he allows the big twenty-ton trip
hammer to drop on them two hours
each day. They are now about the
size of a windmill, and if a ball gets
by him, it will be by traversing the
atmosphere of an adjoining county.
The reader can gamble on this.
The first baseman is trying the diet
system to steady his nerves, and can
1s,4
both feet all day in the abdomen
without winking. He will nevermove
his foot from q sand-bag unless in the
line of his duty, and runner for the
first base may light on him like a
night hawk on June bug without
making him swerve hair.
The second baseman has developed
himself more especially for his mis-
cellaneous and active service. He can
stand on his head, catch a ball with
his feet, reverse his position, and
knock grasshopper off from null
len stalk at eighty rods nine times out
of ten. There will be no use in II
runner trying to dodge him, for he has
globe sights on his nose, and can
plumb man in the hull or rigging,
just as he chooses.
The short stop is probably the best
man for his position that can be found
this side of the Suez canal. He is
short himself, and has lived on pie
crust all winter, can turn thirteen
somersaults without splitting on his
hands, and catch a ball with equal
facility in either hand or his teeth.
The third baseman has been max
ing sauerkraut and riding a veloci-
pede all winter, to develop the mus
cles of his lower limbs, which are i'm
mense, and give him the appearance
of being troubled with elephantiasis.
But don't fool yourself; he can run
down giraffe in three minutes, and
can bat a ball so far that his opponents
never think of chasing them the same
day they are hit, but proceed with a
new ball.
The three felders have been frisk-
ing about in the country all winter,
and drinking angle worm oil to give
suppleness to their limbs. They go
on all-fours faster than many profess
sionals can run, and are so timber
that circus men die off like sheep after
seeing their performance.
In fact, We may well be proud of
our club for the present year, and if
there is any organization in the coun-
try that thinks it can compete with
them, let them draw on us at six
sight through the United
States Treasury Department Tor
sooner if they get sight of us), stat
ing how many dollars worth of conf
dence they feel in their favorite club
We do not forget our club manager,
who is all that a father could be to the |
boys, and who does much more than
his name would indicate to make the |
season and its matches successful.
The scorer for the present year has
been selected as the champion whit
tier of the State. He has purchased a
bran new knife, two thousand shingles,
and will keep his notches on the
double-entry plan; that is, one entry
for the other side and two for his own. /
A youthful hen found an egg, and |