The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-16

Over Its Rivals, and the Pennant's
Place Can Only Be Guessed At-A Bad
Year for Pitchers.
The glorious uncertainties of the ma
| tional game were never better illustrated
than during the last few weeks of play
/ by the National League clubs. A couple
| of weeks ago it seemed as If everybody WAS
''in it," by which mean the pennant race
of course. Now it seems as if but three
clubs had any show.
These three clubs are New York, Boston
and Chicago There is a remote chance
| that Cleveland and Brooklyn may get into
| line, but it is doubtful if they can do so,
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 612, and had won one more game
/ than Boston and Chicago, these clubs be-
| ing tied in games won, each having cap
| tured twenty-nine games, The Giants,
| however, had the additional advantage of
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-the
| League clubs are having, and how difficult
it is for any one to predict winner; and
/ yet l stick by my friends the Giants.
! Your "Uncle Arson" visited the east with
| feathers inflated, waving piumes 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, a salve for his wounds in the
shape of tremendous bag filed with coins
of the realm. His coming was heralded
far and near, and the result was tire
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
1t has received, but its team could not hold
its 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 TO
help kill off pennant winners. That they
will do this or try to do 1t is surety. The
Phillie5 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 It
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
properly. 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 failure. IL may
be that he has been saving himself to come
out strong in the closing games of the
season.
1t seems though to me that Clarkson
ana AeeIe, ana oCner pitchers or their call
Der, are having more or less of bad year.
Keefe has pitched one and Clarkson five or
six, but in some one inning, although using
all their nerve and skill, they have been
hit very hard, and the result has been dis
astrous for their team. Keefe says that he
thinks some change in the rule is neces-
sary if the pitchers are TO have any protec-
ton whatever. He AYERS that the batsmen
have got an advantage over the pitchers, in !
asmuch as they seem TO have discovered a |
good many of their best points, and as |
result can pound the ball safely much |
oftener than they did heretofore. Whether |
this is result of returning to the old |
League rules Keefe is unable to determine. |
81 use the same skill" said he, "and work |
the same strategic points, and yet they |
seem to know just when they are going to |
get ball TO their liking, and they wait for |
it and lace it out. l cannot explain the /
matter any better" Keefe does not ex- +
plain, however, the success OF IIovett's half /
slow balls nor the success Of Rusie's speedy /
straights. w. l. HARRIS.