National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-15
THE DIAMOND FIELD.
BASE BAIL GOSSIP FOR THE COMING
SEASON.

ARRANGEMENTs:MAD BY THE LEADING
CLUBS WHERE THE PROFESSIONALS
WILL PLAY-soME STRONG TEAMS AND
SOME WEAK ONEs-THE AMATEUR MINES
LOOKING UP.
The national game Of base ball is alreadyt
tracing considerable interest among the mem
bers Of the fraternity and prospects are fair for
stronger, better and more frstclass professional
teams this coming season than ever before. The
men engaged last year, In accordance with the
terms Of the constitution governing the clubs to
which they belonged, were declared from enter
ing int contracts for 1875 until AFTER the LIST Of
November last. Since that time there has been
q scramble for superior players, and for some time
it was q disputed question where they were going
and to what club they belonged. After heavy
correspondence, advancing Of propositions, pre-
pairing and signing Of contracts, the leading
players have finally settled for a year, and are
already preparing for the coming campaign.
THE CLUBS NOW FORMING
for 1875 will show more amateurs turned profess
SIGNALS than has been noticed Of late years. One
club, the new Centennial, Of Philadelphia, Of
which the managers expect great things, Is made
be quite q number Of Well-knoWn ball players
shelVed this coming season. come of whom have
figured in contests for the past six years. Those
who take an interest in the game can look through
the following list Of professional clubs for 1875,
and Judge Of the relative strength Of each. If
they can DICK out the cluO LQRL VIII WIN the pen
nant, and back it up with greenbacks, there's
millions in it;' but they will do better to wait
awhile. There seems to be wonderful amount
Of revolving" among few of the professionals.
Burdosk, for instance, is claimed 81 the Hart
fords, Chicagos, MutuRls and Athletics. 1t would
seem TO be the better policy to expel such man
from the National Association, If proven guilty
Of breach Of contract in writing, than to force him
to play in q nine against his Will, where he can
do incalcula6le harm in such way that no direct
says he will play with the HartfOrds, and in that
nine only. Force would seem to be in demand
the former without any good grounds, however,
though they assert that he signed with them
first.
THE BOSTON CLUB,
still the champions, retain the same players,
with one exception, Hall going to the Athletics,
and Manning, who played with the nine in 1873
but since that time has been in Baltimore returns
as follows: SpSIdfng, pitcher; White or McVey,
catcher; O'RouIke, first base; Barnes, second
base; schafer. third base; George Wright, short
Leonard, left field; Manning, right field; BeaIs,
substitute: The red-egged gentlemen VIII, no
doubt, do their "little utmost" to keep the pen
nant at the Hub for still another season.
THE HARTFoRDs,
who were so unfortunate last year, are not dis
cOuraged at their many defeats, but have
gathered together team that Will reflect credit
announced are: Bond pitcher; Allison, catcher;
Mills, first base; Burdock, second base; Ferguson,
third base and captain; Carey, short stop; Rem
Easton club, is now said to be engaged he having
legally signed, although he is charged with re-
cefving $ic0 from the st. Louis club. The Mu-
tuals furnish four good players in Burdock,
Allison, Remsen and Carey, while Ferguson, York
and Mills are not second-class by any means.
Bond, the ex-Atlantic pitcher, will bother many
a hard hitter, as his pitching won several games
for the Atlantics when opposed to better clubs.
THE ATLANTIcs.
This old-time organization propose to enter the
field again, for the twentieth season. NOtWith-
trained last season, Chapman is hard at work to
get o club in Brooklyn to win few games from
clubs visiting BeecheTYille and rake in few
shekels on the so-operatiye principle; He 4S. has
Patterson Barlow and other players, and will
play and captain the nine himself He will also
strong or weak, are the rock on which the red
legs always get stranded, and others may get
taken into camp next season.
THE MUTUALs
are slow in making their selections, but they
may be formed hard club TO ge: away with.
Hatheld, their left-felder, will not play bail
hereafter it is said. The Mutes lose good player
in John. As far as announced the names are as
follows: Matthews, pitcher; Hicks, catcher; Start,
first base; Nelson second base; Gedney, left held;
eTs T,tSa1t engaGemepts and The New YoFkeTs
may yet succeed in getting team that will be
as good, If not better, than the one that won the
Sc CODO place IN the COulGsLss
In PhiladeIphia the game promises to be very
lively. There will be three professional mines in
the neld, though ii looks as II some OF them would
have hard time to hang together TO the end OF
the season. even If they succeed in organizing for
a commencement.
THE ATHLETICS
are in hot water already, and there is trouble be-
cause one player gets more money than another,
and designations are in order. Eggler, Of the
Philadelphia nine, was to receive 81 200 for play
ing left field, and then those who did not get SO
sIm Ses of To
moving smoothly, and the Athletic nine, with q
few changes perhaps, will be as follows: NC
s Rdid g sffptsln S9iaPR sStsasF An
centre field; Bradley, right held. MeMullin has
signed with the Athletics, but, 1t is said, will
play with the Philadelphia His name also ap-
pears on the list furnished from st. Louis.
THE PHILADELPHIA
were unsuccessfullas season. blt intend to buckle
on the armor with renewed strength for the con-
tests of 1875.
The latest announcement stands thus: Cum
mings, pitcher; Snyder, catcher; Gould, first
base; MeGeary, second base and captain; Meyerle,
third base; Fulmer, short stop; Shatfer, left
field; Dean, centre field; Fisher, right field Will
liams substitute. Snyder is said TO have signed,
as we'll as McMullin, but there must be some mis-
take about signatures.
THE CRNTEENIALs.
The third club is named the Centennial, like
two hitherto professionals in the nine, Bechtel
and CraTer, pitcher ond catcher, the rest being
made up from amateur clubs: The names are as
follows: Abadie, MCKINLEY, Trenwith, Sommer-
Vile, Mason, Warner, Huston, Quinlan and Tim
mons. The managers are in favor Of the 25-cent
admission fee.
THE cHICAGos.
The former mines Of this club have scored the
most brilliant games and sustained the most
crushing defeats Of any professional club in the
country. The club now stands: ZettleiD, pitcher;
a1,n
lin, first base; Peters and Keerl, second base;
Force, short stop; W. White, third base and cap
tain; Bielaskie, centre field; Hines, LEFT 6eld.
Higham or Hastings will play right field.
THE ST. LOUIS CLUB.
This club claims to possess q nine inferior to
none and superior to many that have been an
nounced for the approaching season. There ap-
pears to be hitch whether McMullin and Miller
will play in the nine and counting them in the
team will be: Bradley, pitcher; Miller, catcher;
Dehlman, first base; Battin, second base; Fleet,
bert, left field; Watt, centre field; Pike, right
field. If McMullin plays he will be the centre
fielder and Watt substitute. The pitcher and
catcher of the Easten club have hne reputation,
and the remainder are fair.
THE WESTERNS
is a new nine, located at Keokuk, Iowa. 1t is 2O5
miles above st. Louis, and the rivalry between
the Gate City and the Bridge City win be aieree
one. One of their players announced last week,
Snyder, has now signihed his intention OF playing
with the Philadelphias. The club is as follows:
Pratt PiteheE; snSaer S1ouptInl estcne[ S.
Goldsmith, third base; Brannock, short stop;
Riley, right field; Golden, centre field; Turner,
left field. Al Pratt, Of the Cleveland Forest
Citys has not been in the field for few years,
and, If his arm has not forgotten its cunning, he
can bother the best batters.
The above list furnishes pretty nearly the full
mines up to date, although there will be some
changes before the LIST Of May. The ten clubs
now forming ought to be enough to make the sea-
son an interesting one Let their motto be: "a
clear field, fair umpire, and may the best club
win"