The morning call., 1891-04-18
HARPER'S CURVES.
So Deceptive That the COiOnels
We're Shut Out.
One Safe Hit Secured by the Oakland Team
in Nine Innings Mars Makes a
Good Showing.

When the last batter had been retired in
ninth inning of yesterdays game at Emery
ville Manager Finn, number of interested
cranks and few ball players gathered
about the box of the scorer to hear that gen.
tleman's decision on a play occurring
minute previous.
The Oakland team up to the ninth inning
had not made single safe hit off HaTper's
pitching, and not one Colonel had crossed
the plate. The first two batterS up in the
ninth were quickly retired, and McQuaid
stepped TO tie plate. He hit the ball
weakly down toward first base, and Fogarty,
Dooley and Harper sought to block it, but
the first baseman and pitcher altered their
ideas and tried TO cover the bag The result
was that McQuaid reached the initial cor
ner before the ball was fielded, and then
the query came, did the batter reach the
base on safe hit or ON an error?" The ball
should have been feldrd, yet it would have
been difficult to determine who was at fauit.
Ii Scorer StapetGn decided that an error
had been committed it would have been u
feather in HarperS cap, as he would have
shut out the Colonies without hit or run.
MIR. StapietOn, however. abiGed by the rule
in such cases, and gave McQuad the bene-
fit of the doubt. scoring the play as base
hit. Manager Finn objected 10 the ruling.
He was not satisfied with whitewashing the
Colonies, but wanted To rub 1t in.
Harper pitched the game OF his life, and
apparently he didn't use such pulling
curves either. 1t did not matter whether
the ball went straight over the plate or APP
preached the batter in tOItuouS way. The
Colonies could never get good square
crack at the trademark, and during the
whole game only four of them reached first
base. Harper had almost perfect control.
and pitched in cool, levei-headed manner
all through. The visiting team was thor
oughly ia ace ord with the pitcher and
backed up his efforts with right good will,
Ebright, Speer and Fogarty playing spirited
ball in their respective positions, and 1t
was surprise to see every San JoSean get
up on the lines and Justify coach the run
ners.
San Jose won the game, but the team was
forced to fight for it, and fight hard, too
Five and a half innings rolled by before a
run was scored on either side. The Oak
lands played magnificent game outside OF
one error by 1oungman, aud would have
made the game much hveer for their DO
nents if their hitting had been just bit
heavier.
Mars, the new pitcher, was in the box for
tie Colonies, although not in condition to
enter the box. He has had little or no prac-
tice, his muscles are yet soft and the cuticIe
of his hands is so tender that his fingers were
bleeding before the fifth inning had been
played. let he pitched a wonderful game,
under the circumstance, allowing five hits
and sending only a trio Of batsmen to first
base on called ball. He has neat style of
delivery with plenty Of speed ana good
curves, and when in trim will rank well
with the other pitchers in the league.
In the sixth inning singles by Ebnght,
Everett and Stallings allowed the first
named to cross the plate. In lie eighth
DOGley made first on Cantilliou's error. stole
second and scored on sacrifices by Ebrisht
and Everett The score: