New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-17
AT THE POLO GROUNDS.
BASEBALL AND THE PEOPLE WHO SEE IT.
STRAY SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF LAST WEEKS
GAMES-TUE UMPIRE

the Polo Grounds with Mr. Mutries rusty limitation
Tans. The dismal details Of these contests are fresh
in the mind OF every reader Of baseball reports ana u
is safe to say that popular dissatisfaction with tho
playing OF the Gants' has higher 1t IS
characteristic of New-York, however. that tho Polo
Ground grand stand Is Just well filed as ever In
another city losing club would find itself play
ing TO empty benches. Philadelphia enthusiasts, Tor
instance with their intense local pride, would take
such exhibitions the NcwYork club has been giving
a personal aront and would revenge themselves by
staying at home and saving their half dollars. But
| the NewYorker goes to tho game and gets even by
shouting for the visiting nine and jcernG at the bung
ling =" Giants" In Wednesdays game with Detroit the
| home players muned and fumbled nearly everything
that in their way and the crowd only laughed
dcrisivcly Finally Of tho young sporting men
who sit in the brokers box upstairs grew desperate.
| A small boy along hawking "Johnny Wards
new book. iIow to be Ball Player Tho broker
| saw his chance.
Iere' he said pulling ten-dollar bill out Of his
walscoat pocket "TaIe a dozen of those books down
to the players bench and distribute them with my
| compliments"
| A stranger at the Polo Grounds is always puzzled
| to know how the Giants got their present msft
title. Three years ago Mr. Mutro could put at least
six strappng big fellows in the field for every game
Last Wednesday O'Rourkc and Conner the only
hcavy-woights left. The other looked puny
as they turned be after the Detroit had had
| a few innings. Baseball experts unable to dis
cover Just what the matter with the modern Giants
| IS They will tel you that the New York team IS
| the best in tho country far individual playing
and individual records co. But the cevercst individual
rlaying-whaevcr that may be-s of little account
| when matched against team work The Chicago team,
It is sald wins by team work. This may be true
Iut tho Chicago men-any see. even from the
grand sandplay ball as Il they liked it. Williamson
the Chicago short stop, will stand out in the sun for
half an hour before the game begins practising with
aif Tho fhuCia ~ sol az
will throw or bat ball him. And so VIII nearly
all tho other Chicago players. But who ever saw an
orthodox giant play ball as If there was really
fun in It
Look at that man, said baseball enthusiast in
| the grand stand the other day, pointing TO a crack
| New-York player who at the bat. He's play
ing for q salary and he knows II. lie never says a
word the field and could strike out five times in sue
cession or could make a home without changing a
feature. don't believe he takes more interest In
his business than If he were dogcatcher"
1t IS Just tho reverse with the Chicago players
| People who SEQ Captain Anson's the field can
always Count spirited and amusing game. The
| Chicago nine is wellolled machine that runs
| without n crcak and with every appearance Of
| spontancty. The mind behind the machine, OF
course, is Captain Arson. Arson is the Napoleon of
the ball field. As an organizer, captain, manager
and player he has, apparently, rval-certainy no
equal. Every year he IS able TO sell of player or
| two at eXtravagant price and still come out at or
near the top Of the race, usual Arson is stout,
broad shouldepd man, fully six feet tall With buif,
rather forbiddng face on the field he is always the
! most conspicuous figure; active and alert, gruh IN
his commands, something of bully toward his men,
| q chronic objcctor and browbeatcr Of the umpire.
Crowds everywhere guy him numerically for his
tactics, which are. in fact, often harsh and offensive
But these things all part Of his peculiar general
ship He yields point himself, If he can help
It, and his drilled to try for everything they
can get and take the chances. They show in conse-
qucncc dash and vigor I'm their work alongside of
which the play Of the Giants seems feeble and shift
less.
One of the Polo Ground humorsts hit off tho differ
ence nearly last Tuesday. He was explaining the
sport to Englishman in broad check suit, whose
| grasp OF the subject rather uncertain.
$50 you call this your National gamc?' said the
Briton enquringly the Giants" came in from the
| field after a couple OF damaging errors.
! "Well, no." answered his Instructor. The game
the NewYorls have been playing IS a sort peculiarly
local. Chicago Is going to play the National game"
The worlds champions from Detroit nearly all
big enough men to march in the front rank at pa
radc Of tho police force. The famous Big Four Of
Buffalo, BrOuthcrs, Richardson, Rowe and White, Is
still kept intact by the Detroit management. Some
of these men arc noteworthy figures. Deacon"
White, wiry, muscular man, Of nearly fifty, It Is
| rumOfcd, has made enough money out OF
baseball TO buy and a good-slzed farm
| in Western New-York lie is baldhcaded and has
mustachc strcaked with grey, but plays ball still
with all the fire and enthusiasm OF youth of
| teen. In fact he sometimes throws the ball from
third base the first baseman's head and through
the right field fence in his exuberant spirit Brou-
TIERS the first baseman, hurt his hand I'm Boston and
could take part In the series here. lie, too Is
old Buffalonan, and rivals President Cleveland I'm
girh and in amplitude OF proportions. His good
nature has made him general favOrlto here and in
other cities.
"They'd ought to him for Mayor Of Buffalo,
whispered a baseball politician in the grand sand
as ne looked the scOe-cad and found the genial
heavyweight, missing. Still when you can pick
up Mayors aud Presidents about anywhere now,
don't know but It might be bad plan to spoil good
bal-player"
1t IS only fair to the NcwYork players TO say that
the team crippled nearly all last week by the
absence Of two OF the older players. The two diff
cult positions Of Short-shop and third-base had TO be
filed by with little experience there this season
James O'Rourke the bridgeport lawyer, was called on
to take the unuclder Of the two, third base He had
hurt his hand badly while catching the week before