Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-02
THE FIRST MONTH.
W. i. Harris Reviews the Young
Baseball Season.
IRREGULARITIES OF THE TEAMS.

A Thorough Knowledge of the Game and
Players Applied to Analysis of the
Situation-The Pennant Lies Between
Anson's Chicago Men and the New
York Giants.
All the League teams are now in running
order, and one may dare to venture some
remarks as to their efficiency of training
and chances in the race: Some of them
will prove a disappointment to their adj
mirers, who are satisfied with nothing
short of a pennant.
The Boston team, which started out so
boldly by defeating the dreaded Giants
four straight games on their own grounds,
is now slipping about between third and
fifth place. Now there is a great team
that should be struggling with the lead
ers all the time, but instead it is on the
outskirts. There is something wrong It
strikes me that the manager is at fault,
and that the team needs an aggressive
captain-one who can play just as we'll
after making an unsuccessful kick as he
would if the kick had been successful
The Cincinnati team, strong i'll every de-
partment is a tail ender. There must be
good reasons for its poor play. Of course
a team cannot win all its games. No one
expects that, but the Cincinnati fans have
a right to get good ball playing for their
money, even if the team loses. But the
Reds perform their duty on the field per-
functorily. They play, or have been play
ing 'sdead ball" They do not put any life
into their work. Their trouble is an un-
popular captain. Latham is sort Of base
ball jester. But he gets tiresome after a
g, l.
ably, of these facts, but he insists upon re-
tanning Latham as captain The man is
entirely untitled for the place because he
cannot inspire any respect from the other
players. Once in while, as was instanced
few days ago in New York, the team
wakes up and puts a little life into it's
work
The Clevelands, with their new players
land the veterans to steady them, gave fine
exhibitions on the home grounds and man
aged to win large ma ority of the games.
The team may be depended upon to always
play all interesting game, but it is not evil
IDENTIFY made of that heavy material which
wins in the end 1t should secure a good
place, as it is liable to win a game at any
time. 1t has some promising young pitch
ers and some veterans. They are likely to
fool the big men when it is least expected.
However. on their merits Manager Lead
leys men should, if they continue at their
present gait, occupy a fair position at the
end of the season. The team has been
greatly handicapped by the accident to
Captain 1'ebeau, but even that lively player
could not bring the Clevelands within hail
ing distance of the flag.
The Phillies have tried hard for several
years to take championship to their quiet
town, but have never done better than
third, and that has been about their size
every year. They have better team this
season than last, and are now in or about
third place, and seem to be playing very
steady ball and winning certainly more
games than they lose. They helped the
east little by winning couple of games
from Arson. The Phillies, while not cham
pions, have had the reputation of being
champion killers. One year they knocked
Detroit out of the championship, and came
. near knocking the Giants out in 1889. The
Philadelphia Brotherhood team prevented
Ewing's men from winning last year. 1t
looks, upon present indications, us if the
Philadelphia League team would not fin
ish worse than fourth, and is liable to slip
in third-that is, if it's pitchers hold out.
The PittsDurg team is an expensive one,
and on paper certainly should make q
SiCdG SuON iu5, It's plCCuCAo al nave JILL
liant regulations, and nearly every man on
the team is star It was third once, but
of late it has been wandering around sixth
place. An examination of the scores indi
# Gates tendency toward record playing 1t
would appear as if the team did batting
enough to win two or three games, and yet
its record away from home has not been
particularly pleasing to it's friends at
home. There are some stories about a lack
of harmony in the team, and Captain Han
Ion finds it difficult to get any effective
team work out of his men. Take them all
together the Pttsburgs do not appear to
have much chance for the pennant. My
FRIEND j. Palmer O'Neil, will not agree
with me upon this, but it stands just the
same.
The Brooklyns, a wonderfully we'll bal
anced team, on paper, have had great
deal of hard luck, and their start has been
a poor one. Their hard luck still continues
and seems endless However, only month
OF the season has gone by, and there is am
pie time for recuperation. | cannot helE
believing that the team will get into shape
before long, and crafty the wishes of its
admirers by making squirt to the front
This seems to be the opinion of nearly every
baseball man meet. If this brace occurs
soon, | am sure Wards men will have
something to say about the pennant, al
though their start has been SO very bad.
do not see how they can win the champion
ship
The championship appears to me to liz
between New York and Chicago. Ansor
this year, has got about the same team
Nthat he had last. But he has it unusually
well trained and in fine condition. His
pitchers, too, are doing remarkably gooc
work. The ''old man" is systematic in his
work, and his good base runners and goot
Judgment can get in runs on very few
hits. His team is Al in every respect
Anson is very courageous and very con
fident, and never beaten until the last mar
is put out in the last inning. He has go1
most OF his players in this same way o.
thinking, and hence the team always goes
upon the field with III air OF confidence
that is noticeable even to the spectators.
have left my favorites for the champion
ship for the last. They got very bad
start tbrolyf hard luck and the sore arm