The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-01
THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
How the Clubs Stand with 0He-Half the
Seasons Games Already on Record.
Belief that the Race for the Pennant Lies Be-
tween Detroit. Chicago and New York-Re-
suits Of the Games Played Yesterday.

Chicago, June 29.--The first half of the
League championship season of 1886 is now al
most finished, and something like fairly cor
idea of the probable standing of the clubs at
she finish Of tbs race may now be formed. The
season thus far has been prolific Of surprises,
and shows conclusively how little former sea
sons performance of competing team may be
depended upon in estimating its strength and in
calculating upon its work for second season.
No club now in the race is more marked ex
ample Of this kind than that of New York. Last
eeason The giants played game from start to
finish in the race that was at once brilliant, de-
termined and gratifying to look upon. The team
proved itself well worthy of the name that had
been given it, for it was indeed marvel Of
strength and power in nearly every point in play.
Keefe and Welch were almost invincible in the
pitchers box, and Ewing and Deasley were ad-
mirable supports behind the bat. O'Rourke.
Corners, Richardson, Dorgan, Gerhagdt
and Ward were not only fine felders and
excellent general ball players, but were strong
In their work with the willow. as many an op-
posing League pitcher learned to his sorrow.
How is it with this crack team this season9
Keefe ana Welch both seem to have lost their
Effectiveness to a marked degree. Ewing and
Ward. owing either to illhealth or accident,
bave been really unfit for efficient service, and
The changes in position that these misfortunes
have necessitated among the other players have
tended to disorganize and interrupt the machine
like effectiveness that characterized the work Of
the club last year. There have come from the
East stories of personal differences and il-feel-
ing among the players of the club, but these
should not be credited until better proof of their
truth has been given than has yet been offered
che public Jim Mutrie is by far too shrewd and
eareful manager, and his interest in the sue
cess of the club is too great TO permit such a
thing as lack of harmony among his men ito en-
danger his chances for success He would find
some means of surmounting such difficulty as
this either by weedingout process or by the
offer of such inducements as would smother per-
eonal differences in self-intecested desire upon
the part of his men to win.
Turning from New York to other prominent
candidates and seemingly probable winners of
the pennant this year, we find club which, in
makeup, strength and style of play. and brill
&ancy Of execution upon the diamond is very sim
lar to the New York Giants. as they played last
year. Detroit unquestionably has grand team
this season. and if it does not win the pennant
depended upon that the finish between these
Ewo teams will be neck and neck race. as it was
last year between Chicago and New York. No
more memorable series of games has ever been
played than those at Detroit June 49, 81 and %
The enthusiasm created over their approach and
The excitement attendant upon their occurrence
reads more like the vision of baseball enthu-
giast than events that have really TRANSFERRED
Never before in the history of the beautiful city
Of Detroit has such demonstration
mazda in nF fhQ nal
game, and never before have the people of
MICHIGAN turned out in such magnificent force
TO witness a series of ball games as upon those
memorable days in sunny june Going further,
At may be said honestly Of at least two of the
games, that it does not often fall to the share of
lovers Of base ball to witness such magnificent
struggles upon the diamond / have no doubt
but that your readers have already carefully
gone over the scores of the games in question.
and are therefore familiar with the work of the
sontesting teams as it was witnessed on those
dates in Detroit, but merely call attention TO
the general character of the playing in order
shat some estimate may be formed of the kind
Of all-playing that will doubtless be witnessed
whenever these two teams come together, pro-
Viied, of course, that each maintains its present
playing strength. That both teams are thor
Oughly gilt edged, no one who has seen
them cross bats doubt That
sricks and receptions which go to
add to the interest and success of ball game is
apparent. Detroit has an array of batting
strength that was probably never before assem-
bled under one management In Getzeln and
Baldwin it has brace of pitchers equal-so far
rs their effective delivery is conference.-the any in
ehe country, and in Bennett and CAMEL they
have pair of back stops the efficiency of which
there is no gainsaying. ST. Louis may talk of
It's marvellous infeld and point to last years rec
Ords to bear out their claim of 1.-The best in the
League" but Detroit asks no one to go TO the
records. 1t simply asks that its infeld may be
seen at work before its strength is compared
with that of any other infeld in the country.
Keep Rowe at short, and with Dan Brouthers at
first, Richardson at second and Deacon Whiteat
third, you have an infield which, in the minds Of
vast number of people, and that too, outside
of Detroit, can play pretter ball to look at and
Just as effective ball as st. Louis ever played
Then take Crane, big" Thompson and Hanlon
in the outfeld and-well, look anywhere out
side of Chicago for better outfeld. and fiud
1t If you can. The beauty of Detroits team is
that its beat fel6ers are its best batsmen, and
even its crack batteries hold one or more of it's
most effective willow wieders. Bennett, for in
nance, is as sturdy a thumper with the bat as
bome of the other League clubs have in their
eGtire teams. Baldwin is fairly safe hitter,
and Getzein and CAMEL have both done good
work with the willow at critical points. The
only point wherein the Detroit team is notice
ably weaker than are the White Stockings, is in
Its base running. and in this Captain Anson's
men are unquestionablv the superiors not only
pr the Detroit team, but of every professional
ball team IN the country to-day. Chicago will
get to bases and score runs whether she hits the
ball not and it is just this reckless, audacous
and daring style Of play that raises crowd of
ten thousand off its feet through force of their
excitement. popularizes the game in the eyes of
the who have seen baseball played ever
since they wore knee breeches and never took
any interest in it, and which wins games with
our teams lower down in the tabulated battery
and fielding records than are perhaps other
teams which did not win the pennant.
Base stealing and base sliding are peculiar
features of ball playing which, could they have
been introduced with all of their present skill
End effectiveness ten years ago, would have
made some Of the old time PLAYERS open wide
their eyes in establishment. To the average
spectator who sees a man in blue uniform sud
denly drop TO the ground and slide sheer six
feet to base, make the dust fly from the hard
run IN his progress. the sight is very pretty