Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-07-09
A PUZZLING Fight
Hard Times, These, for the
Baseball Prophets.
EVERY ONE is IN THE RACE
No Club Has Very Decided Advanta..
Over Its Rivals. and the Penpap,.
Place Can Only Be Guessed At-A Rad
Year for Pitchers.

Over Its Rivals. and the Pennants.
Place Can Only BE Guessed At-A R.a
Year for Pitchers.
The glorious uncertainties of the no
tional game were never better illustrated
than during the last few weeks of nav
by the National League clubs. A COMMA
of weeks ago it seemed as if everybody wa
Tin it," by which mean the pennant raea
of course. Now it seems as If but three
clubs had any show.
These three clubs are New York. Boston
and Chicago. There is remote cbapoa
that Cleveland and Brooklyn may get int
line. but it is doubtful if they can do 81
as the three first clubs have good strong
lead, while Cleveland and Brooklyn have
lost more games by two or three than
they have won.
The New Yorks on June "a had percent.
age Of 6l2. and had won one more game
than Boston and Chicago, these clubs be.
ing tied in games won, each having can
tnred twenty-nine games. The Giants.
however, had the additional advantage AZ
having lost two games less than Chicago
and four games less than Boston. These
deductions, after three months play. show
what a remarkably close race-indeed
closer than was ever before known-tbe
League clubs are having, and how difficult
il is for any one TO predict winner; and
yet stick by my friends the Giants.
Your L ncle Arson" visited the east with
feathers inflated, waving plumes and that
confidence in himself and his team which
never fails him at any stage of the game
He had beaten everything in the west, and
announced that he was ready to eat up the
entire eastern baseball world. He returned
home. bereft of plumes and feathers, with
the worst record made by any OF the west
ern teams, having won but six games out
of sixteen. He carried back with him
however, salye for his wounds In the
shape of a tremendous bag filled with coins
OF the realm. His coming was heralded
far and near, and the result was a ire
mendous attendance at every place the
team visited. In New York alone over 35-
600 people saw the four games which An
son lost in Gotham.
The Brooklyn club deserves better than
II has received, but its team could not hold
It's own. nor could it be expected TO hold it
with the steady run of i'll luck that has
pursued it from the very start. 1t seems
as though the Brooklyn and Philadelphia
teams had one mission left, and that is 10
help kill off pennant winners. That they
will do this or try to do it is a surety The
Phillies have already commenced their
fiendish work by winning a couple Of
games from the New York team.
The Bostons have slowly crept up near
enough to toe the line. They will have a
very hard time to keep in the ring, but
Captain Nash and Manager Seely think,
and indeed quietly state, that they will not
only stay there, but will also win the cham
pionship. But Captain Nash and Manager
Seely have been known TO make predictions
before that shot very wide Of the mark, 1t
Is business, however, for all these various
managers and captains to prophesy good
things for their team, and if they did not
DO so the patrons Of the club would not
think that they were doing their work
The Bostons have really not
done the work expected of them this sea
son, nor indeed have their pitchers been IN
the trim they are paid to be- Clarkson has
certainly been disappointment. He has
pitched some fine games, but on the whole
he has been more or less a failure. Il may
be that he has been saving himself to come
cut strong in the closing games Of the
season.
1t seems though to me that Clarkson
and Keefe, and other pitchers Of their cali
Der, are having more or less of bad year
keefe has pitched one and Garrison i've or
,ix, but in some one inning, although using
III their nerve and skill, they have been
nit very hard, aud the result has been dis
lstrous for their team. Keefe says that he
kinks some change in the rule Is neees-
,ary if the pitchers are to have any protee-
ion whatever He AYERS that the batsmen
nave got an advantage over the pitchers IN
lsmuch rs they seem to have discovered
good many of their best points, and as
'esult can pound the ball safely mueh
,ftener than they did heretofore Whether
his is result OF returning to the Ola
.eague rules Keefe is unable to determine
i use the same skill,n said he, "and worA
he same strategic points, and yet they
eem to know just when they are going 70
Jet ball to their liking, and they wait lot
I and lace it out. | cannot explain the
natter any better" Keefe does not ex.
aain, however, the success Of Lovetts haA
low balls nor the success of Rusie's SPECIFY
,traights. w. l. HARRIS.