Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04
JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE.
How the National B.n Club 10 Prepared %,
the Seasons WORK.

no" '"e national BAN Club 10 Prepared Tor
'he seasons Work.
The base ball season of 1891 will open next
wednesday, As lar a. the American Association
and the National Club are concerned. The
washington contingent play their first game in
fhiSoetpnia win the Athletics. and after three
more IKE the nrst one they WIN return 30 this
city week from tonight and get ready for the
opening game on the home ground. .-,th Ro.-
ton on the following NoDl.x a.. ,e,. :, -,
IN % - - e. - 800 'N' io'n oi AprA-
Al VI the men pu' olarAe are here, and II 10
1ouotiul whether he viii be able 30 report for
duty for some time. He 10 not az ali well this
snr-inr and a nader the c.ra ~ ,,h,.,...-. -.
.. = s....Sa u. a.
ne " NO. NE nome IN
brooklyn anu may oe connned There Tor some
weeks AS u was intended. however. 10 utilize
hlm as az all-sronnd man. for which position
ne Is well ntted. ms absence viii not be severely
felt The catching work can all be well done
oy Mcclure ana hart WITH Nisner ne change
II necessary
CONFIDENT OF THEIR STRENGTH.
There is a spirit of strong confidence among
.ba maj, q, ,h. x.lr. 80 a. a., IT,. A.
-. - -
"0' ooas' "oou' NnA' going 70 DC zone, ou'
merely remark that the team that has thus
been put together viii stand more than fair
chance among any OF the association clubs
outside OF the club itself there 10 growing
lal,aF a.. -.
Than wasb;,c,o,- psI,;,,,s.... a,,.i..sa. Co.
bus and Louisville.
TINT uo,rr o,o,x,.
Tho men have been her. ro.-l, III ., an.
- - - - ~
.e'uiis iuesua! morning. aiter nav
ing defeated the Athletics Monday. There was
so much dampness that they could not get in
any practice work TO speak Of although thew
went out to the grounds yesterday morning for
n connie Of hnura anl - ~.
get their hands in shape. The ground has
been SO soft that there has been no opportunity
to do any work grading the park and 90 ID re-
mains IN about the same condition. with the
grand stand and bleachers and other structures
all completed and the field a mass OF hillocks
and humps and hollows and mire. The build
ings were looked over IN a semi-inspecting sort
OF way during the week by Director scanlon
ana Secretary halbfus 70 see n they we're all
rlgnt: preparatory to their hnai and oftciAl in
specuon on benalf OF the club by an expert
lhe stands are very strongly built and In that
respect perfectly satisfactory.
through the courtesy OF the Columbia Ath-
letic Club the grounds on Analostan Island were
rendered to the club during the week, and Il is
expected that the men may be able 20 get in q
little practice Monday and Tuesday Of next
week If they do not get exhibition games ar
ranged elsewhere IN the meantime. They 20
over to baltimore today and play the Orioles
tins afternoon. returning here tonight.
A. bATTEhs
There 10 NO doub, as % tho hsra h,,,;,s
reputation of a number os the man co,nroxing
the team. and the idea has gone abroad Al, ..ay
that Washington will this wear he a terror 40
pitchers. There is great deal in having such
a reputation at the start as il rattles some
pitcners 10 certain extent The team has a
total average, counting IN all OF the fourteen
members, OF -24l, taking last years perform
ances as the basis OF hguration- This 10
ia N N .h..N1l
compute the loss 70 the general aver
age by including the average of Dunlap last
year Il12), which was one OF the worst In
the business he did not play ball last season.
he loafed, confessedly, because he was forced
TO play IN city that he dlsliked. and hls work
was consequently very poor compared with
what he can do and what he proposes 70 do this
season. The star batter Of the team. counting
on last years figures. 10 Beecher. who made
mark OF .S51, which Is away up among the top
hitters. Next TO HIM comes Mcclure with sol,
while giant McQuery Is close behind with -2s5.
These three men can do great deal toward
puLllng games out OF the IRE with their stick
Work, and with the AID OF Nisner, Hart, Hat
held, dunlap ana smalley they will probably
give washington al the reputation she 10 sup
posed TO have
The hitting averages OF last season were
follows: Beecher, 1851; Mcclure, .30l; Mo
query, -zS3 Hatfield. ~; Clarke. los; Hart and
Nlsner, -265 Hines, -z3I; Smalley, -2lS; bakely,
2O6; heefe, 2O5: Dunlap, liz; Miller, LEG; Oar
sey, los.
THE PITCHERS
Tho dorb, No 20 ,h. ah,l;,;os q, a.. ,;,.h.-.
-. s.0',,S W -, sa ', '-e
as peins uhspeheo' accoroihg 10 tne Opinions OF
the men. Carsey has shown himself 70 be a
irst-class man. with great speed and good
curves. and what is infrequent in Young
pitchers a clear head in tight places His work
at baltimore last week and at Philsdelphia
Monday shows him to be one Of the coming
men OF the association. Miller 10 also very
promising in his work so far, and IL Keefe and
Bakely should do what they can do and what
everybody knows they can do il thew want TO-