, 1888-05-23
DIAMOND DUST.

Cleveland was the only club in the Asso-
citation that had n skin diamond last season.
Now 1t is In limo with all the rest, having had
the in field sodded last winter.
John Walsh still umpires exhibition games
Mt Louisville. One would think that his va
ried and eventful experience at umpiring
would have sickened him of his position.
New Orleans will sign another pitcher and
one or two hard batters during the season.
when good ones can be found. In the mean
time Powell will help out in the box and the
catchers in the field.
Hecker doesn't propose to let Deacon White
have 1t all his own way. He now announces
that this is his last season upon the diamond,
and that he has accepted a position of travel
ing saleman for next year. That's the BUSH
ness Andrews pursued last winter. Base
ball, however, he finds pays better.
The Southern league championship pen
nant, which New Orleans has thrown TO the
breeze, is forty feet long and ten feet wide at
the base of the flag. 1t is red and white,
with New Orleans in blue letters across 1t.
A Pittsburg correspondent says that Dun
lap has some new ideas as to backing I'D
plays and will put them in operation during
the season. BE will compel the men to obey
them under penalty of IS for each ofPense.
Gaffney, the umpire, and Bushong, the
catcher, are probably the only men In the
country who wear chest protectors under
their shirts. They are small affairs, but an
effective and great Improvement over the
cumbersome big wind bag that most catch
ers use, and weary the spectators by putting
them on and off during the game.
Pitcher Atkisson, while in Indianapolis
with the Toronto club last week, gave u
utt.n,,srn 11A,,aN - 81. l.. I'LL -
got his arm in shape to pitch again. Hesays
that when he left the Athletics last summer
his pitching arm was out of place, and he
could find nc physician who was able to reset
it. He remained in that condition until last
winter. One day he was in n gymnasium
practicing striking at a sandbag, and hap
pening to miss it once, when he had hit at it
with great force, he threw his arm back into
Its place.
In the 80 St Louis-Cincinnati game,
which the former won, Mccarthy gave the
greatest exhibition of base running ever seen
on a ball ground. After reaching first on a
safe hit in the second inning he stole all the
way home. The steal from third TO home
was made while Keenan, was standing with
the ball in his hand within ten feet of the
plate. His attention was called to the act by
Mullane's warning cry, but it was too late.
and the form Of the little fielder came sliding
over the plate before Keenan, could put the
ball ON him.
The big captain was interviewed by q St
Louis reporter, with the following result:
"Anson, as usual, was In u communicative
mood when l called on him at the hotel, and
in answer to my question, WHO will win the
League p%ennantr he replied: Chicago, of
course. We have a mortgage on it this sea-
eon-' Don't you think hat Boston, with
Clarkson and Kelly, will nave something to
say about itP No, Boston will be in the race
for n little while, but she won't have much to
say What about New York; Well, to
tell you the truth, dom kno what to think
Of New York. They have some great play
ers In that team, and ought to give us n
harder fight than either Boston or De
troitP / chimed in. 'DetroitP said he, with
an air of disgust, why they won't be in the
race. Do you know that it was bull luck
alone that won them the League champion
shipi And nothing but bull luck enabled
them to beat your club last fall At this
juncture Ed Williamson and Tom Dolan
came and led the great captain Off to the
Missouri gymnasium ."-Exchnnge.