Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-28
BASE BALL MATTERS.
Notes and Comments About the Coming
Season.

Il
There is an air of waiting at President
Hewetts headquarters that forces the impress
sion that either some change is contemplated
or some change has been effected and the re-
suit is not yet exactly known. However, this
may be the result of Mr.. Hewett's Illness from
which he is expected to emerge and to make
himself visible once more in a day or so. He
has had a serious attack. and every one about
him feels that he is very lucky to get out at all
Secretary Burket was in the Office when a
STAR reporter called the other morning, and
Manager Sullivan came in later, but there was
no news of consequence divulged.
| The schedule of exhibition games
| Is about complete, with only few open dates
| left, and presents quite attractive program
| OF ball-tossing between the LIST of April and the
opening OF the regular season. The club Will
| not try any more ventures in the way of south
ern trips, or any other kind of trips, for that
matter. except run over to Baltimore, where
they will play April l and q Then Baltimore
plays here April 8, and from then on Capitol
| park will be the scene of a continuation of
games. On the 4th and 5th Jersey City plays;
| on the 9th and 9TH it is probable that Harvard's
team will come, though not certain; the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania club plays on the Sth;
Detroit on the 18th; Cuban Giants 18th and
18th; Columbus (American association) 10th;
Syracuse Stars 18th and 18th; Toronto 18th and
| goth, and Yale 22d and 23d.
THE REGULAR SEASON
will begin very close to the oath, if not on that
day, which is the date selected by Mr.. Hewett
in his scheme. He is member of the schedule
committee, which will meet between now and
the 9th of March to agree upon dates. WASH
1ngton cannot have any better schedule this
year than it had last unless President Hewett
Is able to secure one or two ''plums" in the
Wa of hplf1 1ofaa in, IL
Chicago, where the crowds are enormous on
such day. Some little anxiety is felt by the
local managers in regard to
THE ARRIVAL OF WARD
with the Australians, who are not expected to
reach New York before the LIST or the 18th of
April. The anxiety is not as to his final con-
tract with the club, for that seems settled
but for the probable short length of time there
will be for getting the team in shape under his
management. Ted Sullivan takes a melancholy
view of the continental trip of the Australians
and expresses a fear that there may be trouble
when they strike Arabia. There's no knowing
what the Arabs may do when they see such a
gang OF men coming into their country" he
says. They'll be almost sure to take them for
invaders, especially if they see them with their
bats, and they may mob EN-"
THE CALIFoRNA WANDERERS,
however, have encountered no such savage
race, and have returned east, conquered only
by the great boom they found in the state.
The real estate agitation has been so great in
some of the cities that it was found impossible
to secure suitable grounds, and when it was
learned that the nearest grounds at Los Angeles
was miles from the city they gave up and
came home. Whitney is the only one of the
Washington men of the California team in the
city. He is looking WE'LL feeling strong, and
says that he has gained flesh. He has made
protest to both Mr.. Young and Mr. Hewitt
a q Ia fipa of fba
new rules. Both are of the opinion. however,
that the sum fixed is sufficient in view of his
record last year, and the figure will not be
changed unless the private contract scheme
can be worked.
The men who have now signed contracts for
'99 are Haddock and Pearson, pitchers; Eb-
right, Clark and Banning, catchers; Carney.
first baseman, and Sweeny. The last man will
probably do some out-field work at the start,
but he may be given a trial at third.
Daily and Widner WILL undoubtedly, depart
for other diamonds before the season opens.
O'Brien may go, and it is just possible that
Wilmot and Donnelly will be Sold but any
changes of this kind that contemplated are
kept very secret. Ward is. undoubtedly. going to
have good deal to say in this matter. The
men who will undoubtedly remain are Whit
ney. Mack, ODay, Myers, Shock, Hoy and
Keefe.
BASE BALL IN AUSTRALIA.
The Melbourne Telegraph, after describing
the game of base ball as played by the Ameri-
can teams in Australia, and praising the skill
and agility of the players, says:
THE question arises Is the game likely to
become in Australia what it has become in
America? 1t is perhaps premature to express
any opinion as yet upon the subject 1t is a
quick. manly game, Astounding in opportunities
for the display of activity. strength and nerve;
but if the opinion freely expressed on all sides
on Saturday afternoon counts for anything,
rhar faar nfa bat h<,, 40,
from its high place amongst our manly sports
in favor of its supplanter on the American con-
tinent. The popular verdict Seems to
be this-and We think time will prove it the
correct one--that those who want daredevil,
rough-and-tumble game will stick to football,
and those who want a less rough game with
bat and ball will adhere to cricket"