Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-07
VERY MUDDY BALL.
BUT THE ADOBE SEEMS TO AFFECT
ONLY ONE SIDE.
the Home Nine Proceed to Tramp
All Over Them.


fore I'll let Borchers pitch !"
This was the remark made in the re-
porters' box at the ball game yesterday by
Manager Shelly of the Stockton club. when
the crowd in the grand stand began shout
ing for Borchers to pitch at the commence
ment of the second inning. They had seen
enough of Swans pitching in the first in
ming, and could see no reason why the
Stockton's favorite pitcher should not do
the box-work and make matters little
more interesting during the remainder of
the game. The manager of the Stocktons
was decidedly disguised when he arrived
at the grounds and found them to be in a
condition not very inviting for a ball
game, owing to the effects of the rain of
the preceding night. He made himsel:
conspicuous by declaring at different times
to those who approached him that If it
were not for the fact that he was liable to
fine of $500 he would refuse to play his
nine.
'If had known" said he, "that we had
to play on such diamond, I'd have
brought over the Mystics, Stockton's anna
teur nine, and saved my club the trouble
of tumbling around on that diamond
Mr.. Shelley, in making the remark, had
evidently forgotten that the people who
were in attendance, some fifteen hundred
In number, had paid to witness game of
ball between clubs of the California
League, and didn't care to see a game be-
tween professional and an amateur club.
They were also impressed with the idea
that the odds on account of the condition
OF the diamond were not any more on the
side OF the Sacramentos than of the visit
ors, and, in fact, before the game COM
menced, scores of persons were heard to
remark that 1t was as fair for one as for the
other. Seven innings were played, and
the score stood Sc TO in favor of the Sac
ramentos.
The defeat of the Stocktons was all the
more disgraceful from the fact that. after
the first couple of innings they saw they
were beaten, and then resolved to make
the remainder of the contest farce. With
but one or two exceptions the team made
such show of itself that it is safe to saw
its members lowered the reputation of the
club materially in the estimation of Sacra
mentans, who heretofore had manifested
pride in the Stockton nine, as being their
second choice for pennant winners should
the home club be unable to gain it.
True, IN the first few innings the au-
dience enjoyed watching the slipping of
runners and fielders as they were endeayor-
ing to play ball on the muddy ground
Cahill, in left field, was trying to make a
graceful running catch of fly ball in the
second inning, and had his hands in an at
titude to receive the sphere, when his feet
shot out from under him and he dropped
on his back IL the middle of a puddle.
while the ball stuck in the loan on the
other side. After couple of fruitless eff
forts he at last regained his pins and
picked up the ball in way to indicate his
supreme disgust
Borchers, in right field, then went through
similar performance, and landed on the
edge OF miniature lake, while the ball
went to the bottom of it. These scenes
were repeated several times, but toward the
latter part OF the garle the slipping on the
part OF the Stocktons became altogether too
monotonous, especially as it was palpable
that it was pUrposely done by the PLAYERS
who appeared to be exceedingly anxious to
show the people that they were not plav-
ing ball, but simply fooling, and making a
present OF the game to the Sacramentos.
Inc visiting team exchanged pitchers
and catchers several times-in fact, the
players appeared to trade places with one
another whenever they chose to do So
Even Selma was put in the box. and if an.
peared to delight him immensely whenever
he would make a wild pitch and let in a
couple OF runs. Fudger, when he found
his curves were being lined out with vim
tossed "teasers" over the plate, and had lots
OF fun. Fairhurst practiced jerking the
ball down to first base to see if. by acci-
dent, he couldn't catch runner mapping.
In fact, most of the nine were playing slip
shod ball, and as far as delightiDg or
amusing the audience was concerned, thew
proved to be miserable failures in that line.
Throwing dirt was another pastime.
1t is only just, however, to say that
fogarfy and one or two other members of
the club played as though they meant it,
and the audience did not fail to notice the
fact, either.
But to refer to the playing of the Sacra-
mentos. How was it that they made only
two errors, while their opponents
made sixteen? and why didn't thew
slide around, and fall over and laugh and
throw dirt? The reason is very easily ex-
planned. They didn't have to fall down. 1t
wasn't necessary, and they worked as if
they were playing the closest kind of a
game. Stockton succeeded in getting one
run IN on them, but they did not deserve
II. had umpire Donahue seen Kelly, who
was running to second base in the fourth
inning, deliberately interfere with Reitz
while the latter was in the act of fielding a
grounder, he would have been called cut,
| and the result would have been a white.
wash for the Banner Island club. 1t was
hard to give Reitz an error, but it had to be
done.
Young Baltz, who has signed with the
Sacramentos, and who pitched yesterday s
game, held the visitors down to three base.
hits. The home club knocked out nine
runs in the first inning, and this caused the
collapse of Mr.: Shelley's aggregation.
Following is the score of the seven in.
nings played:
SACRAMENTO. T.B. R.B.H.s.B P.oA A. E
Stanlefnn lSf b 4 O o D