Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-14
Cuwro.lriEs or BASEBALL.
Remarkabie Features or the Last
Playing season.

Playing season.
tC,ncinpsti numerical Gazette.
There were some curious things in
the baseball season just closed. 1t
was q singular accident that occurred to
James Pripgle, the pitcherof the Utica
Club, while playing with the lthics
Club at Utica on October Sch. Pringie
is q heavy weight, and strives to pitch
the swiftest possible ball. While
doing this, and endeavoring to curve
the ball, he not only broke his arm
near the elbow, but dislocated bis
shoulder. The first instance on record
Of q baseball player committing sui
eide oc ,urred az Grand Rapids, Mich,
on March 10Th. when John Z. Sullivan,
he old third-baseman Of the Grand
Rapids Club of 1888, who was native
Of Rochester. n. Y, in a fit OF de-
.pondency destroyed himself at his
residence in that city. The one prom'-
nent pitcher who played himself out in
1886 was one. armed Hugh Daily. The
good effect Of a plucky rally in the
closing part Of an uphill contest was
illustrated on April oath at Andover,
Mass. in match between the Phil
lips Academy and the Boston College.
when the Boston players went to the
bat the score stood 3 to 0 against them.
They then spurted at the bat to the
tune Of five safe hits, which yielded
them four runs and the game.
The largest assemblage OF spectators
ever seen at hall match was that
gathered at the Polo Grounds on the
afternoon of Decoration Day, when
20,7O9 people paid admission, and
some hundreds gained entrance over
the fence. In the morning 5000 were
present, SO that during the day over
3O,O0O witnessed the contests. The
largest number ever gathered on the
Brooklyn Club grounds at Washington
Park on two consecutive days were
present on last Good Friday and the
day following, the turnstile count ex-
ceedipg 1900 for the two days. Ii IS
rule at most Of the professional ball
games that when ball is knocked over
the fence the boy who returns it to the
ground is given free admission. On
April ID, in a game at Washington,
foul ball was hit over the fence, and at
once the betting crowd in the grand stand
began laying wagcrs as to whether
white boy or a negro would bring it
back. On inquiry it was found that lit
tie girl had captured the ball, and the re-
suit was that all bets were off. Du-
ring tho progress of game at Thur
low, Pa, last April, a tornado carried
the grand stand over the fence with
several people in it. Strange to say,
no one was seriously hurt, but hun
dreds were badly scared. The finest
grand stand yet built on ball ground
is that constructed last spring on the
St. George grounds at Staten Island.
1t is three.story building, LOO feet in
leugth by 60 in breadth, aud will seat
over 5000. There is also a dining
room on the ground floor 200 by 80
feet. which will seat 1000 persons.
A remarkable game was played At
Savannah on March 29lh between the
Pittsburgh Club, Of the American As
ISOLATION. and the Savannah Club, Of
the Southern League. Not a run was
scored on either side up to the close Of
the fourteenth inning. In the fifteenth
the Pittsburgh team got in single run
ard won. This vas the finest contest
Of the season among the southern clubs.
A novel struggle took place at Wash
ington Park, Brooklyn, on April S,
between the Brooklyn team aud tho
Long Island Athletics, the four Brook
lyn batteries playing the match, Terry
and Schneider being the first battery
for Brooklyn, and Harkins and Clarke
tho second, the two Brooklyn bate
ries, Toole and Oldfel1, Porter and
NcCauley playing on the other side.
he former won. The worst defeat in
licted on an Intercollegiate Association
nine by a League Club this season was
that given by the Philadelphia Club on
April 81, when they whipped the
Brown University niue 81 to o.
One Of tho noteworthy victories Of
the Yale College nine vas that scored
at New Haven or April 7th, when the
collegians defeated the Eastern League
professional team Of Jersey City by 3
too. The leading teams in the League
and American Association for lsSG are
those whose players were nearly the
same the last month Of the season as
the first, while tie tsil-endors in both
organizations are tire teams who were
changed so often during the season that
scarcely an original player remained t.
finish. The monthly record of the
League season shows that Detroit has
the best record for one months play,
they having won 90 out Of 90 in May,
ard 90 out Of 2G in Jlly. Chicago's
best record was in May-lS out Of -
New YoIk's best was Ii out Of u, in
June, and Philadelphia l. out of = in
july. Boston's best was l} out Of %
in July; St. Louis's best, - out Of %
in August; Kansas City's best, 5 out
Of 81 in August, aud Washiugtcn's best
8 oat Of 81 in September. The Ba'ti-
more Club played eight tie games in
lSeG, they leadiag tbs Association
clubs in this respect.
i singular feature of the contei' be.
tween the Dines Of the Pennsylvania
University ard Columbia College a.
| Philsdelphi4 o. April l7,a vas me I.t
that the Pennsy lvaril nine ua1a no less
than eleven runs off Of ten safe hits,
while The Columbias scored but six
runs, though they made thirteen base
hits. The Metropolitan team went 10
Newark April Sth to play the Newark
team. In the fourth inning a dispute
arose over decision made by Umpire
Dave Pierson, during which Burns, of
The Newark Club, assaulted Foster, Of
the Metropolitans, and he would have in-
lured him had not Roseman, Of the
Nets, collsred him and brought him
to terms. The Nets then left the
field, and the two clubs did not meet
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