National Republican., 1888-05-06

Been RANK when chicago Admits
It-Bostons Keep Up Their winning
Gait.
There is hut little in the record Of the past
six days to bring encouragement to the
friends Of the Washington team. The Phil
adclphia series told the same story as those
which had preceded II Of good fielding and
poor batting, which rendered nugAtory the
excellent work of O'D0y, who is now the
only reliance on which 20 rest u chance of
victory. Walter lIcwctt went on TO see the
boys in the Quaker City, and proved good
enough mascot to bring them IN ahead for
the first time in eight games. Timely bat.
ting by Shoch, WimOt, and O'Bricn did
the work ON this occasion, for Gil
more's arm was 50 sore that in the last two
innings he could hardly get the ball across
the plate. Gilmore is essentially hot
weather pitcher, and his arm win not ret
over the chill which It caught in one of the
exhibition games until the thermometer
climbs into the nnetics. with this cXccp-
ton the men who are with the club are all
in good condition physically, and in good
spirits considering their many defeats.
Van llatren appears to have been nut
O'Day was batted harder than usual. Still
there is yet one little bit Of sunshine In that
the llOOsiCrs are one game more to the tail
than the lucklcss Senators, and New York
may he depended on to keep them down
three days longer
Irwin has been placed at short and Don.
nelly at third, and the change seems to have
improved the fielding of both.
Irwin showed excellent Judgment In man
aging the men on the field In the last Phla-
,lclphia game and has been given full con
troi Of the team on the western trip with atl-
thority to place the men ON the Held aud
captain the team without Interference while
Mr.. Burkett will attend to business matters.
This is unquestiOnably AN improvement on
the divided responsibility which common re.
port has held blamablc for much of the poor
work hitherto.
In answer to criticism for the substitution
of ShOch for Daily at right field, Walter
Hewctt states that since Daily will, until the
recovery Of Whitney, he obliged to do a full
share of the pitching, II was thought best to
relieve him of the field work rather than run
the risk Of having his arm disabled by hard
throwing or other accident. Under ordi-
nary circumstances there would not he
much force in this argument since the ex-
ample of Foutz and Caruthers for twoyears
past has shown that pitchers may he played
regularly In the field without In the least
IL
the club is now practically reduced to two
pitchers, 1t may he us well to handle them
carefully, for fear of breakaSe.
As a further precaution Greenng, young
Philadelphia pitcher, was taken along on
the western tour. Deasley practiced with
him in the early spring, and was badly
"stuckr on his abilities Just before the
club went south Tom kept the wires hot fol-
aweek with appeals to llewett to 'sign him
at once" He will not be used except in an
emergency.
Whitney returned to the city on Wednes
di and has been In bed most of the time
since. All the stories of his "sulkinG' and
the like have been denied over and over
again in the most emphatic terms, but they
come up smiling in the next round Any
one who knows anything of the matter
knows that Whitney has been very sick
man, and his contract was officially pro
mulgatcd In the very papers that asserted
that he had not signed. When he will b,
able to play is uncertain; perhaps this week
hut he is still very weak. He was at head
quarters yesterday and is as anxious to he al
work as are any of the friends of the club to
have him, and this very anxiety is in some
degree retarding his recovery.
The Childs deal Is declared of. lie was
not considered an acquisition for the home
club, except as young player and good
hitter. His nervousness on the field com
PEELED Philadelphia to drop him from second
base, and as they were in need of a man for
that position they We're ready to offer al
advantageous trade for Gardner, who would
strengthen that weak spot in their team
Mr.. Ilewett thought he would do as well fol
an extra man as Gardner, and when hi
nervousness Wore off his batting powers
might be available, But Childs refused to
play here for the pay he received in Phila
delphia and Gardner has been ordered to
report here.
All the street rumors and ''demands" fol
unconditional releases" of this or tha
man are enough to make any one who
knows the condition of the base ball mar
ket exceedingly weary. In the first place
there is not a team in the country that coult
not be broken up in thirty days by accedne
to these so-called ''demandsn when playei
has a few bad days. In the second place
where are the men TO come from to suppl,
the places Of those who are to be summar
lily fired out? Arthur Whitney, according
10 latest reports, is still on the market, anC
/ REPUBLICAN has insisted in and out OF
!son that he should be secured. Iii
lease would not cost larg
amount, and IN addition to his batting anl
fielding he would make an excellent cap
tain. He is inferior to Irwin as base run
ner but in other respects equal or superior
But with him the list of available men be
gins and ends. New York and Cbicag
have each one or two good youngsters, q
whom they are making little use, but the
are holding them with aught grip. As t
pitchers, there Is not one on the market an
better than Gilmore, or half so good as tn
long twirier when he is In shape. Philadel
phia wants pitcher as badly as Washing
tUn and is no more likely to find one; ant
with Madden disabled, Radboum will no
be released by Boston. Show us sOmebOd
who can be found to fill the places of thes
temporary objects of public displeasurC
and then the howl for releases will be NOR
rational
There has been no material change in th
positions ol lle League clubs during th
past week. Chicago, by four straight vic
iorics has tied Boston for first place, AM
will probably show in front before the pres
,nt series IN the west is finished. New Horl
Is stllthird, but closely pursued by Detroit
whose;hard hitters have apparently got int
their old gait, and have made Pittsburg YER
weary by taking four consecutive game
from the Smoky City lads. This streak q
hard fortune has taken the Pittsburgs dow
two points, and they now are Il tie wit
Philadelphia, which has pulled out of III
last place by three victories over Washing
ton. The Senators are, for day at leas
one game ahead Of the lloosiers, who hay
strong grip on the tail.
THE LEAGUE,
Won. Lost. Per cen
BOStOn.,,.,,, =. .,..,,.,., II 81