The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-02-01

The affairs of the National Baseball Club
reached a much better shape yesterday, when
the trustee of the old Schuetzen Park, Mr.,
Enoch Totten, and the agent of the ball club,
Mr.. T. B Kalbfus closed their negotiations
for lease, and placed the paper on record in
the City Hail. Many erroneous statements
have been made lately in regard to The affairs
of the club, especially the location of the park
and the names of the players signed or who are
under agreement to sign. Some Of the latter
were back numbers who would be no credit
to the city. The grand stand will not be up
against the Freedma's Hospital; it will be many
yards away Indeed, the grounds are to be the
prett1est in America and will rival the famous
old White Lot. A large circle OF shade trees
will border the entire field, so far removed as to
be entirely out of the way of the players, while
another cluster will bank up against the grand
stand. The field will be sodded and rolled as
smooth as a billiard table. The directors will
at once assume control of the grounds, and it
is expected by the end of the present week
some preliminary work will be put in operation.
To reach the grounds the system of trans
fering now in vogue on the street railways
makes it accessible from every section of the
city by the payment of only one fare. The site
is the best that could be found.
The first man that can be set down as
certainty for the National Club next season is
Mr.. James Mcguire, the catcher, who became
famous as Buffington's backstop on the Phila-
delphia League team. He accepted terms YES
terday by telegraph and is unquestionably
star engagement He is a grand catcher, a
good thrower and "sticker' of the best de-
scription
Washington people will not have the pleasure
of seeing Whistler back on the local team, nor
will they have the chance to see Brouthers,
but they will in all probability see one who
Is equally as good in every respect. His name
is Cartwright. He played with the ST. Louis
Rrntrv 1nc l. =
released to the Nationals is because the great
Comiskey returns to assume control of his old
team. He will be favorite here.
Among the others who will find places on
the Washington team during the year will be
Visner and Phillips, pitchers; Smalley, third
base, and Slatterly and Beecher, in the field.
Phillips will be remembered as the pitcher of
the Washingtons last year, the only pitcher who
played winning ball. Smalley comes from the
Clevelands and is the most prominent third
basemen in the West. Slattery was a great
player in the New Yorks. Beecher is well re-
membered here as a Washington Buffalo player
A second-baseman is wanted badly and Dun
lap is being talked OF considerably. Dummy
says he is still "King" and if so he would
make great addition to the Nationals.
MIR. Scanlon says he feels no worry at all
over the outlook, and predicts that the Nation
ais will be winners when the season is half
over
COLUMBUS, OHIO, Jan. 31.-President Thur
contracts approved: With Philadelphia,
American Association club William Hustled
Released: By Syracuse, j. F. Keefe, F. w. Ely,
William Mcquery. Contracts and releases
after this date must be sent to N. E. Young,
of the national board of professional base bali
association, Washington, ID. G.
The reserve list of each club must be in by
February o. After that the unclaimed players
will be in the hands of the national board,
which will distribute them among the new As
socation clubs to the best advantage and with
out price. The object of this is to prevent the
outlay Of large sums of money in securing ma
terial for teams when there is no necessity or
reason whatever for it. The rule, however,
does not prevent a club from signing additional
players after the date fixed.
Some one has seen fit to discuss the respective
merits of Tucker and Brothers, and has sug-
gested that the former be allowed to go back to
Baltimore, SO that big Dan can play firsJ-base
for the Bostons. Tucker is a winning ball
player, who worked hard for the best interests
OF his club last season, while Brothers has seen
his best days. The triumvirs will hold on to
Mr.. I. Tucker with vise-lke grip.
An innovation next season will be the power
OF the 'board of control'' to discipline umpires.
Formerly the only way to check the doings of
an erring official of that class was to release
him, but in future he can be fined or punished
loss would be seriously felt, has few bad
points which can be corrected by judicious
fines.
An admrer of the game writes that he read
with pleasure Mr.. Scanlan's announcement in
THE HERALD that the Nationals this year
would not be an experimental club, and that
nothing but good recorded players would be
engaged. "That's all right" says the admirer,
and then adds he hopes no back numbers will
be found among the "good recorded players"
Manager Trott of the Nationals, has re-
ceiyed despatch from Smaley, the
well-known third-baseman of the Cleve-
land League team, accepting the terms
offered by the the local team of this city.
He is one of the star players of America and
will make splendid record here.
Whistler may be given chance to play third
base for New York in case Denny does not
come to time The youngster has had some ex-
perience at that corner of the diamond, and is
better batter than either Denny or Whitney.
Ball players who have persistently gazed upon
the wine when it was red during past seasons
will have to stand aside in the future while the
sober, industrious, and willing players take
their places.
1t is now said that Whistler will be trans
ferred to the Brooklyn or Philadelphia League
Clubs. The New Yorks will commit suicide by
letting him 60.
Philadelphia is very anxious to exchange
Fogarty for Tebeau, they claiming that Foearty
is dissatisfied and eager to leave their club
Jack Farrell, the once great Washington ball
player, got worA-house sentence of thirty days
for drunkenness in Cincinnati the other day
Paul Hines, who is now giving the Columbia
Athletic boys their preliminary coaching, will
play on the Nationals next season.
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