Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-07-11
THE NATIONAL GAME,
THE TEAMS IN THELEAGUE PENNASr
RACE.
Boston Failing Down-Phiiadeiphiar Pitts
burg, and Washington Playing Poor hall
New York Playing a strong Game, and
ChIcagO aud IndianapolIs BI acing Up.

Chicago and indianapolis Bracing Up.
sPEcIAL coRRT sPoNDENcR.l
The pennant race between the teams
of the National League becomes more in
teresting as the half-mile post In the run
is neared. Boston has met with a sore
| setback upon the present Western trip,
while New York and Chicag have begun
to pick up ana play the ball OF which
they are capable. New York is in hard
luck with Kee'e absent. Crane and Ward
disabled, aud Welch sick; but it con-
tinues TO win just the same. The Cleve-
lands are still playing excellent ball. and
seem to be in as stsoAe fe-----s-s "a any
time.
Philadelphia for some reason is slow
| ing down in speed, aud unless il braces
up pretty quickly will be we'll down in
| the list OF competitors. The Phillies
started in this year confident of winning
the flag. and in looking back over their
record it will be seen that they had good
| grounds upon which to base strong hopes
| of success. In 1887 the Phillies landed
a good second, aud had the season lasted
two months longer they would undoubt-
| edly have finished ahead OF Detlot. Last
| year they ad calculated on winning. but
| the death of Ferguson, and the accidents
| 10 Fogaity, Mulvey and Bastian sgain in
| terfeed with their plans. Despite these
| drawbacks, however, they finished a
| good third. This year the management
| had + ght to look forthe pennant. They
| Strengthened center field by putting Fo-
| garty there in place of Andrews, and add
4 oil eat bait ng strength TO the team by
| placing Thompson in right field. They
| strengthened second base and added n
| good batter 10 the team when they got
Delehanty, who is not only better than
| Bastian but & good a base runner as
there is in the league. Thus il will be
seen that the field was rigged up for
| pennant- winning tolm.
Then came the batteries. Buffinton
Sanders and Casey were regarded as
three of the best pitchers in the league,
| and to this department was added Gleason
and Pete Wood. two fine youngsters. In
| Clements, Schriver, Hallman and Decker
| everybody thought the club had a quar-
tette of catchers that could not le equaled
by any other club in the league. The
advance of tho season. however, has seen
not few changes. Irwin was released
| on account of misunderstanding" with
| President Reach, Delehanty was injured
| and laid up for six weeks, and Buffinton
turns out to be about the only pitcher the
club has got. How or where the Quaker
ties may finish is a question.
Pittsburgh and Washington are play
ing poor ball, but indianapolis, during
the past fortnight, has braced up
wonderfully. taking four straight fIom
Washington, and three out of four from
Boston, all within ten days time.
The League staff of umpires is going to
get a shaking up at an early day, and two
of the present staff will walk the plank.
| II is not n dimcult matter 10 guess ~ho
they are, for Barnum and Fessenden have
hardly given satisfaction in any of the
League cities. They no doubt mean we'll
but they do not appear to be gifted with
the qualities that go to make up succesf-
full umpires. Barnum is gentlemanly al d
goes about his work with great care and
tries to do what is right, but he is of
nervous temperament, and lacks judgment
at critical points. Fessenden has weak
| nesses which are apparent to every one
who has watched his work; hence he will
have TO go. President Young would ha
been pleased to have kept his staff OF
umpires intact throughout the season,
but there was general complaint against
Barnum and Fessenden that could not be
ignored. Wesley Curry will be pro-
NOTED 10 be n regular, and Phil Powers,
of the International Association, for
merly an old league player and after
ward an umpire. will be appointed to fill
/
applications for the position of substi-
tute, but has not deciced whom he will
select.
New York lovers of the game are just
now in good spirits over the clubs ar
rangements for new grounds. The
grounds across the bay at Staten Island
where the team has been playing since it
was compelled to leave the polo grounds
have been given MP, and a piece of prop
Il n .l.AA Tel
it is hoped will be ready for the
York, July 8, for their next home
season. The new park will extend 4lO
feet on One Hundred and Fifty fifth
street and will have a front line of $40
feet on Eighth avenue. It's shape will be
q segment of circle with straight sides
not unlike horseshoe, but broader. The
average depth will be fifty feet on the
main floor and thirty-one feet on the bal
cony. 1t will seat $500 people, which,
with the bleacheries, will afford accom-
modations for $4,000 people. It will be
built in framed trusses, so that ii can be
taken apart and put up elsewhere il nee
essary. President Day thinks that when
finished the new polo grounds will bo the
best ball park in the country. 1t is easier
of access than the old grounds, the en-
trance being within few yards Of the
steps of the elevated railroad. Of course
1t is further up town, but the difference in
time was used up by the ten minute walk
necessary to reach the old polo grounds,
which is now avoided.
| SMALL TALK.
Pitcher George was released by New
York last week and will no doubt sign
with the Columbus. He is in good trim
and would make good man for them.
There is q general disposition on the
part OF all clubs TO insist that umpiies
shall not do their work behind Ito
pitchers. They miss sharp hits lear the
foul lines and batsmen declare that they
interfere with their sight of the ball.
The betting here against the Giants
taking the pennant has been 25 10 l.
Now the odds are TO !, and not many
takers at that.
George Shoch has accepted the ierma
of the Milwaukee Club and has gone West
to join the team at Omaha. He states
that he had several offers from Eastern
clubs. but he preferred 10 Join the West
ern League. He will probably be heard
from somewhere near the top of the West
ern League general players.
HARRY PALMER.