New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-27
SELECTING THEIR TEAMS.
SOME GOOD PLAYERS NEGLECTED.
THE AMATEUR BASEBALL CLUBS GIVE PROMISE
OF EXCELLENT SPORT.

Little II any ned work can be done Dclofo Ihae oip
and the players probably better of at their TO
spective homes than they would be In the city. The
Brooklyn players will be called upon to report for
duty about the same time, unless tho weather should
be severe when the players may not be sent Tor until
ten days later The Jersey City players may possibly
get 10 work few days earlier than either OF the other
| teams. Just what kind Of baseball the natives on
the other side of the North River win have next
season can only DO conjectured. Ii is unfortunate
that the team missed securing franchise in the In
ernatlona League. Still the managers are now hard
| at work. and the Central League may be made more
formidable baseball organization than II last year.
Another procession like that in the Central League
race last year will not do baseball in NewJersey any
| good.
IL has often been remarked how hard player works
against the club that formerly released him.
player who does only ordinary work most Of the time
viii do phenomenal playing when his team meets
| his old companions. Henry Porter. who
leased by the Brooklyn club, pitched with the idea
NJ dwelling 10 tho dust the pride Of twlrers who
q nreferred before hm.S And the Kansas City cast
ofss kept Brooklyn out Of the championship. Louis
| vile released Mays TO the Nets, and he straghtaway
| became terror to the Kentuchians. and with him in
tho box tho Indians found trouble in laying low tho
former comrades Of their wirler How often has St.
Louis erieved the release OF Hugh Nicoli Time
and again has tho little rghthelder hunted in the run
tbst gave Cncnnti the victory his former com
| panIons Five times did Bob Caruthors mako the
| Browns bite the dust last year, while FoutE and
| Bushong helped Partisan Bobby to many OF the Brook
lyns' victories over the Browns last season WEIGH
| and GleaSon helped the Athletics to many hard
| earned Victory last year. Boston now fears Whit
ney and tho Grasshopper" was once considered too
| ageds for the Bean Eaters Bunlnton was dropped
| because he was too weaks for Boston. How often
no has enjoyed the discontinue Of tho Hubites while
| he led the Philadelphia club on to victory therel
Knouf used 10 mako Baltimore winco when he faced
them and Charley Snyder really throw Cincinnati out
of second OF third place last During the COM
ing season tho Browns Will have 10 face three teams
perhops four-embraoing old St Louis players. Gin
cnnau has Hugh Nicol, tho Athletics WEIGH and Gea-
son; Brooklyn, cArIthors, Fcutz and Bushong, and
Columbus, probably, Lyons, Herr and White
Managers are exercising great deal moro care
In selecting their teams this year than ever before
! Fractions players, unless unusually brilliant
specialists IN their respective positions, get wide
| berth. stll the managers In making up their teams
seem TO have ovnlooked some excellent material
| Burdock who has few superiors as second base
man. IS At present dsengagod at his homo in Brooklyn
HoIbert tho old Metropolitan catcher, Just Ms good
| A player to-day rs he has been at any time IN MS
dozen years experience the green diamond Holber
Is steady player and has few bad habits, and yet he
| has not signed for next season. For steadying and
teaching young pitcher Holbert has not a superior
Mcclellan the old brooklyn second baseman, is not
only good inhelder batter and base runner, but can
also play the outfeld we'll most OF tho regular
| nedes Even the Louisville, Columbia or Kansas
| City clubs apparently do not want this player al
though he Is Of the most conscientious players IN
the profession Speaking OF Mcclellan the other DAY,
| c. II. Byrne Of tho Brooklyn club, said ut Is
surprising that club does not take Mcclellan for
| no IS ono OF the stesdiest men I'm the profession.
prnr hs several years playing hor US he mover gave
US the sIIehtest trouble. He draws his money
ahead and never borrows. When going on trip ne
always took enough money along 10 sec him through
II II had not been rule with the club compelling inc
| men TO collect their salaries every two weeks NC
| cleIlan would probably have allowed his salary TO
sccun,Iate and drawn the entire amount at tho close
OF the season Mcclellan IS probably well on to-day
got never heard anybody say that no was stinsy''
Charles Ebbets the secretary Of the Brooklyn CLUB
a, ,Iso staneh sdmIrer OF Mcclellan. He says that
two years ago, whom the nlne were away from home
| a woman eamo 10 Washington Park and presented a
hul of about 90 cents against Mcclellan for Washing
Ebbets Of course, paid the bill, and when tho team
| returned told Mcclellan about II. The player ooAeo
| annoyed and blushed nko o school girl He saa
that he had forgotten tho washing BILL ana mat u
hal worried him the whole trip. He seemed 10 thla
that he had committed e gr1evous offence, and said
| that nothing like that should ever occur again II
all players were as honest and sincere as Mac' SAD
| Fbbets. managers would not have much trouble In
handling their mines think howeveT that me so-
cdent TO that player at Staten Island two years ago
affected hts playing aferwnrd, especially HIS work at
| second base II occurred in a game between tho
| BROOKLYN and Metropolitan clubs in this way. Hol
| bert was on first and started for second. Peoples,
the catcher threw the bail down 10 head OH HolOcrt
Mcclellan was stopping over 20 catch the ball ana
touch the basorunner. when HolberVs knee STRUCK
Mac in tho centre OF the forehead. Mcclellan was
aaA dfflA
several days. I don't think no over really
,eeoyerod from that shock I noticed afterward that
he was careful 10 avoid q player when no was
canning down 20 second base az full speed 1 think
mat II Mcclellan had been played at third for a
tlmo he might have got over this fright II IS
A singular thing how accident of this kind VIII
Affect a players work Few batters who have been
badly injured by pitched bali ever afterwan face
a pitcher with their old confidence. Weloh' the
Giants pitcher seems half frightened out Of HIS wits
and nearly always steps back when tho ball Is pitched
nj him Little Hughes, OF the Brooklyn club, has never
handled the bat with the same confidence since
pitcher Crane struck him in tho head and all but
killed him.
Critics write a great deal about the requirements
OF ball player, but omit the most important thlnl
of all. II baseball players eyes ever become In
jured In the slightest his days OF usefulness as hero
OF the diamond arc There arc only two players
who have had their optics injured within the recol
lection of the writer Fred Corey who played great
third base for the Athletics in 1884, had his oyesgh
impaired by tho premature explosion OF gun while
| hunting He tried 10 play the next season. but wa.
a failure and had to rotre. Charlie Jones, OF the
Cincinnati team, the other victim Charlie had
his eyes filed with cayenne pepper by his rato wife
while walking in tho streets Of Cincinnati In the
winter of 1886. He never played good game o
ball after that and the following season was released
BY the Cncnnatls and soon dropped out of tho bust
ness Players fond Of burning the midnight OIL and
OF that seductive game called poker VIII IN time hnt
that their eyes have lost power
The financial strait- into which the indianapolis
! club has fallen has moral 1t only again illustrates
that old maxim about tho unnecessary largo number
Of cooks aud the broth That the Indianapolis cul
unl be I'm the League this season assured, and
| hetber the old stoehholders are In charge or not