The daily critic., 1890-07-11
BEHIND THE BAT
MISERABLE PLAYING LOSES AN
OTHER GAME FOR US.
UMPIRE gELLYS WONDERFUL DECISION
In Contradiction Of the Rules---The
American Association is Anxious to
Locate a Team Here.

There have been worse games played
than that of yesterday between the
Washington and Wilmington clubs,
but tho oldest iuhabitant cannot tell
when 10 was Nearly every man took
q hand in It, and errors were piled up
With alarming frequency, and VII
mingtou won by taking advantage Of
the bad PLAYING Of the local team
Until the fifth inning the Washing
tons ha a commanding lead, but In
that inning The men grew careless and
before they got over the case Of rattles,
the Delaware team was on even terms,
and in the following inning passed the
Senatorial combination. aud won as It
pleased. Anderson, with an even
chance. pitched great ball aud the local
men couldn't touch him, while Under
wood disgusted with the miserable
support he was receiving, simply tossed
the ball over the plate.
1t was the sort of game 10 send away
spectators vowing they would never 60
TO another, For professional ball
team nothing that amateurs could do
could be likened to It. for more dis.
gushing exhibition one could hardly
well imagine.
To add to the bad playing a mon
slrosity named Kelly umpired Per
haps that is all that is necessary to say,
but in justice to Kelly Il must be said
that his decisions did not lose the game
lie had Anderson dancing around and
giving an uncalled for exhibition Of
anger by the manner in which he
called balls and strikes, and although
Underwood did not say much. he was
equally as badly roasted. Mr.. Kelly is
a marvel. What he does not know
about the rules would make several II.
braries, while a postal card would con.
tain all The information he possesses.
provided It was written thereon In ex.
ira large handwriting.
As an example Of his monumental
ignorance the following play shows Il:
In the eighth inning Whistler was on
first base, when Bird knocked up a ily
ball 10 Carl. which the latter failed TO
catch II might have been intentional
and 1t might not At all events, as soon
as the ball touched the ground Whistler
became a base runner and started for
second. Tho bali reached there before
him, and Kelly called him out on the
force. A moment later he called Bird
out, on the ground that the bal had
been Intentionally mufIed and the bat.
ter was out Both men were declared
out--a most tlagrant violation OF the
rules
First, the rules explicitly say that
batter Is out on fly hit to the indcld
which Is purposely muiTcd, the object
being 10 prevent such plays being made
in order to prevent a double play. Yet
Kelly permitted the double play 20 be
made His decision was greeted with
derisive yells, and so astonished the
players they could not recover sulli
Ciently TO protest It's a shame that
game should DC spoiled by the rulings
Of a man who so plainly shows his Is
uorancc, and IL Is time the Association
took a hand In deposing such ign0r.
amuses.
WHAT THE PROSPECTS ARE
The wrelched playing INDUCED Ia by
The team during the past week has been
nearly sufficient 10 kin all interest ia the
future of the team, and destroy the
prospects for its purchase by other
parties. An offer was made 10 the
assignee yesterday for the club, but Il
seems that prior offer bad been made
by other parties that was higher. II Is
not known which Of the two will get
The club
The assignee feels Ia duty bound 20
get all he can out of the sale for the
benefit Of the creditors aud Is disposed
20 hang on 10 the club for few days
yet In the hope Of obtaining a higher
offer than he has as yet received What
the ultimate fate of the club will be is
purely conjeClural, although there Is
| but little doubt but what il will survive
| the season.
a new element has been injected into
/ the deal for ID was learned last night
/ with some degree of deGniuveuess that
/ lhe American Association would like 10
/ obtain control Of the team In this city.
| Brooklyn is not paving and the assOcia-
| iiOn would ike 10 make the transfer, If
/ il could be accomplished. Association
/ ball would pay here, and put Washing
ton in a higher rank than it has enjoyed
| this season.
| Instead of being connected with a
minor league il would be one Of a major
| league with an Increased standing In
| baseball circles. The situation is bY
no means as clear as il was a few days
| ago and there may be some startling
| Developments looked foT
Drink the Robert Portner Vienna Cabiuet
| Beer. ID is pure aud wholesome.
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