Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-22
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The Eag1e
THE NATIONAL GAME.
ANSON AND HIS COLTS.

Every body herel" "You bet"
"Wheres Pfefferl" Fred isn't here"
"That's all right, Pfeffer's an editor" The
interlocutor was Captain Adrian &. Arson.
1t was exactly ten o'clock, and the big
blonde king of the diamond stood on the
green sward in front of the club house at
the east extremity Of the Chicago ball
park. The hero of a thousand battles was IN
undress uniform. His men wore mlscel-
laneous collection of apparel, variegated In
color. shape and fit Their loose toggery
had been thrown on informally. Hats,
shoes, stockings, shirts and pants were
worn and stained. Appearance was sacri-
feed to comfort for the boys of the Chicago
ball club were out for their morning practice
all save Pfeffer, the editor. Arson looked
as if he would weigh three hundred and
fifty pounds. Next his body he wore his
heavy wooden sweater" He had on
drawers, stockings, pants, and over all his
blue tobeggan suit, manufactured from the
thickest of wooden material.
The mercury marked SO degrees above,
and the air was like a furnace blast. The
old man - had piled on more clothes than he
wears in winter, because only by hard work
is he able TO keep himself in condition. Two
hours of continuous exercise every morning
in suit which stimulates perspiratlon-
this it is which equipS Arson for his work
every afternoon during the baseball sea
son.
Jim" he says to Ryan, "pitch me ten
balls over the plate and Ell make five base
hits
The "plate" is bright tin pie plate, and
for practice is fully equal to a s25 white rub
Der home plate. Ryan is the utility mar of
the aggregation, and when Arson wants
exercise with a wagon tongue he stations
Jimmy az pitchers distance and asks HIM
to fire 'em in James is gOod-natured and
diplomatic Crooking that left elbow of hlS
he gets two strikes and four balls on his
general. and then puts one three feet above
the plate which Adrian lifts over the Con-
gress street wall.
.'This,' explains the shrewd young man,
''helps me in two ways. By getting two
strikes on him he thinks I'm great pitch
err Then by smashing my last ball he
thinks he's a great hitter. See! That's
the way keep the old man good-natured,
and have all the fin | want myself"
When Ryan pitches at these morning mat
inees Bob Petit relieves Arson al the bat.
The umpiring is the clever work of Burt
King, who spends a few hours on the
grounds every morning holding the scales
impartially between pitcher and hitter. In
imagination the conditions Of a game IN
progress are ever present. Man on first
and man on third, jim; look out" jim,
eyes the astral bodies Of the base runners
while the street gamn who IS bachstop
squirms in anticipation Of hot uns expected
from Chicago's center fielder. Anson's
hobby is his ability to place ball. With
a man on third it would never do to send
the sphere TO the short-stop; it would like
wise be suicidal to put fly where the intield-
ers could kill it, What Is needed is Il line
DIVE over second, a vicious one beyond the
fielders, a daisy which viii drop midway be-
tween the opposing forces or home run.
The fielders as well as the base runners
are creatures Of the imagination, but Il the
ball Is hit where the feldcrs naturally
would be were a game in progress, tits
called an out, and the batter rctires with
simulated expression of disgust, very like
the genuine article. Three batteries are
worked every pleasant morning. Duffy
and Van Hatrcn picnic on Brynan's pitch
ing. Williamson and Burns pound Bald
win, who laughs the meantime ana wonders
why they never can hit like that in the
afternoon Old Hoss Flint takes a club
and ball and puts up flies to order. Farrell
is as frolicsome as a colt When Mike
Kelly went to Boston he left his red, white
and blue clown uniform behind. The outfit
swung on nail IN u forgotten corner until
Farrell came and claimed it. With Pete
Gallagher as prompter Farrell would be a
bumoriSt.
1t is an unwritten law at the morning di-
versions that no one shall ask another play
er to do any thing that he doesn't duplicate
by similar service After Ryan has pitched
for Arson the captain goes into the mag
mary box and twirls for Jimmy eddication.
With the club in his hands Ryan is concilia-
tory and diplomatic II would never do to
knock his revered chief out of the box, nor
would it be good policy to strike out contin-
uously. Ryan therefore varies his work,
striking vainly twice and then smuggling An
sons delivery. Nearly all of the big cap
tain 5 mor6ng practice is confined to excr-
rise with his colts. " hen he secures Il new
man he works hir. for months without ces-
sation. Baldwin lost twenty-five pounds of
flesh during two months of training under
his captain. During all that time Arson
did not speak ten words of encouragement.
At ten o'clock every morning Arson placed
the tin pie plate near the clubhouse, and
sent Badly" into the points. Every ball
was called, and system of umpiring was
vigorously observed. Scores of visitors
who witnessed the drill thought Arson
must have some grudge against the pitcher,
and gave him generous sympathy. Week
In and week out Baldwin raincd the balls at
Arson, and tho batsman dcluged his pitcher
with base hits and home runs Twenty
times Baldwin got mad; twice twenty he
became discouraged Meanwhile Arson
held his peace. Last year when the ball
season was about two months old Arson
reached final conclusion regarding Bald
win and said publicly: "if Baldwin takes
care of himself physically and don't get the
big head he VIII be one of the best pitchers
IN this country"
krock, the colt from Oshkosh, was the
chief marker" for Arson deadly bat
when the practicing began for the season of
1855. In the Northwestern giant Arson
recognized good and bad points He had
speed, but was slow in his preliminary mo-
lions. He was too deliberate in crooking
the hinges of his elbow. Ryan and Pfeffer
will steal a base every time on that deliv-
cry" the captain said TO Krock The latter
doubted il, the trial was made. and the old
mans Judgment was indicated. You've
got to shorten that arm work before the
ball leaves it," he explained TO the colt
Take jim Calvin, of the Plttsburghs. as a
model He ducks his head and the bali is
off You describe circle with your hand
before you let the ball so. The base-ruu-
ner will take advantage OF that. and your
sreed won't count if you don't hold men on
The bags" BY hard work krock succeeded
in divesting himself Of the ornamental
gesticulat.on, snd was then sent against
the giant eaters of the league with telling
effect