Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-10
The BOSTON TEAM
RADBoURNR Is IN GREAT roRx.

New York May Brace % Het-Phl1adel-
phis, Boston saA chicago surprislng
Patrons Of ths National League 0smss.
rhs western Teams Hold Their Ow..
Tho Boston team Of the Players league
have struck gait that Is fast making tho
teams apprehehensive that they will get the
largest share of that e2O, 1000 in prize money
to which all in common must contribute
st the end Of the season. The way Capt.
Michael ]. Kelly and his assistants arc
pounding crack pitchers and rolling mp
runs and victories u well calculated to
worry their adversaries, particularly the
New York brothers, who do not appear TO
Be in It at all. II this thing keeps mp much
longer they will be calling some OF these
invincibles cracked pitchers.
There have already been many surprises
In the memorable campaign just opened,
and one Of them II the remarkable form
shown by that old war horse Radbourne.
OF course II II early in the game TO make
predictions, but II Radbourne holds his
speed and Stovey, Richardson, Nash, Brou-
theirs and Kelly keep up the lively can
nonaliing the lively Keefe ball is receiving,
the gentlemen from Boston will come pref
ty near winning the Brotherhood bunting.
At any rate Il looks now as II the guess /
ventured to make some time since-that
Boston, Brooklyn, New York and Chicago
would wrestle for first money--was well
founded, save as regards New York. And
there il no certainty that Now York will
not be in it before long. It won't do to
count Brother Ewing out Of it yet. II they
do not get too deep into the consomme,
Bucks team will strike winning gait
soon, and when they do they will make 1t
lively.
So far as Bucks team 60 they are not
the same old Giants Figure 1t as you will
the loss Of Ward, Tiernan and Welch has
made vacuum. Ward was frequently ir-
regular, but when the Giants got into
tight place he was nearly always ready to
pull them out. They used to say out In
indianapolis that Mike Tiernan was a
demon with the stick. Certainly those
bunts and hard drives of his were handy
adjuncts to victory. And Welch-well,
Mickey and his smile were Of some value
In spite OF the fact that since he refused to
sign a Players league contract his old COM
rales have voted him stiff. The reasons
for the rnnny defeats of Ewing's men in the
past two weeks are not mysteries. Bucks
pitchers have been hit hard and his out
heldcrs have been a bit slow. That's all
there is to it. Buck has read the riot act to
all hands, and unless there Is some bali
playing pretty soon there will be some sur
prises.
The Buffalos have surprised the country
by their success, and the Chicagos have
been somewhat of a disappointment Com
iskey has not got quite the work out of
them that they are capable of doing, but
at present they do not seem to have much
to fear except Boston and Brooklyn.
Wards team have certainly done splendid
work so far, and will do better as the sea-
son progresses. Their victories from Bos-
ton and New York are a pointer that they
arc likely to keep wei! up with the process
sion.
In the League race the surprise has been
the good ball played by the Philadelphia,
Boston and Chicago colts, who have kept
we'll to the front and seem to show no dis
position to let 20.
All three teams arc playing magnificent
ball, and have seemingly, for the time at
least, eclipscd the veteran teams of New
York, Brooklyn and Cincinnati. Mutrie's
agSreg ,tion have made no better showing,
SO far rs position is concerned, than Ew-
ing's men, for both teams are ornaments Of
the rear division, and well in the rear, too.
Still they have played good ball. The
main trouble seems to be lack Of effec-
tive team work and the aptitude the stars
of the team have shown in making costly
errors But with such pitching and base
running talent us the team undeniably have,
they will not long remain in the back
ground. They have the material to win
the pennant, and Manager Mutrie, like
Manager Ewing, is confident that before
the lst of June his men will be well to the
front.
Sizing mp both teams, ! think Mutrie
will be nearer the top than Buck will when
| the two teams go on their first western
| trip. The western teams, with the excep-
| tion of Cleveland, have been holding their
own against each other during the opening
| games; but it is plainly evident that Cleve-
| land and Pittsburg are not probable candi-
| dates for first place honors. The Bostons
| are doing the best batting. but seemed to
| lack intelligent direction in their games at
Brooklyn. They have q great lot Of base
runners, but unless their ambition in this
respect is curbed when they are hitting tho
| ball out Of the lot, it will lose many games
| for them before the season closes
The Brooklyn team seem to be suffering
| from the same trouble that has beset the
| New York brotherhood team. Their
| pitchers are not in proper form, but think
this will merely be temporary. Caruthers
| has pitched one good game and SO has
Hughes A few days Of good hot weather
will greatly help Byrne's pitching talent,
because physically all the pitchers are in
| good condition and have taken good care
| of themselves all winter. Summed up the
colt teams Of the league have the call at
present, but the indications, to me at least,
are that before the end of June New York
and Brooklyn will be we'll up, making a
| pretty race with Chicago, Boston and Phil
sdelphia. The weakness of Philadelphia's g
team is in the box, and it will be apparent
when the heavy stickers begin to get their
eye on the ball in earnest, and Chicago will
| suffer from the same cause before long.
So far the Players league teams have
done more batting than the National
league teams. Indeed, the Brotherhood
pitchers have been pounded all along the
line. 1t is too early yet to figure out, il il
can be figured, how much Of this is due to
the eighteen inches added to the pitchers
distance. Tim Keefe says that it Is due
mainly to too lively ball and the fact that
the pitchers are not in condition. Tim, in
my Judgment, has hit the nail on the head.
| W. l. HARRIS.