The morning call., 1891-04-17


Treasurer Rogers of the Phiilies'' Talks.
We expect either to win the pennant or
come very close TO it, because we will con-
tinue the policy that has always character
lied our club to get the best possible team
work, as a whole, out of our men, rather
than individual spurts of ''star" playing.
Some years ago we followed the plan OF
engaging ten or twelve extra young players
every spring, keeping them for one or two
months of the season in the hope OF getting
one tirst-clnss player out of the experiments.
1t was by that method that we discovered
men like the late Charles j. Ferguson, James
6. ogarty and others of equal or approXl-
mate excellence. Our team has, under the
guidance of Mr.. Wright, cur manager, been
a harmonious aggregation, and with rare eX-
ceptl0nS as gentlemanly set OF players as
appears on the diamond" In practice
they are taught to study each others man.
nerisms and peeuliaritles, and the proof OIL
the value of such instructions was mani
tested last season when left without man
ager by the great aff1iction that occurred to
Mr.. Wright in the month of May. They,
under the direction of Mr.. Allen, our short
stop, who became manager pro tenn, De-
haved and conducted themselves both as
players aud gentlemen, as well as II under
the personal direction OF Manager Wright.
have won the pennant (the lead Tor when
we held for four weeks in the month OF june
if Mr.. Myers, our second baSeman, had not
been stricken down with malarlal fever Tor
five weeks and MIR. Clements, our great
catcher and captain had not been laid up Tor
ten days with injuries at critical period,
As it was we finished good third. Our nine
last year gave as beautiful an eXhlDltloh OIL
the game as any in the country, and demon
strated that it possessed the best suort-
In hast hoe RIM NOR
(Hamilton) in the business. This year. III
addition to these gentlemen, we have
secured Mr. William Shindle as third base
man, as good as exists; he is also line bats
man and base-runner. Delehanty mas come
back to his old club and will appear on
| first base. adding greatly to the hating and
| Das6-runnIDg strength OF the team. MI
| MYERS will preserve the same stone wall at
second as heretofore. Thompson aud HamIi-
| ton viii guard right and lett FIELDS, ana
| MAYER n natural born outhelder. who last
| year was obliged to play at third base, and
| who did il well, will astonish our patrons by
some excellent fielding and throwing. He IS
| also timely batter. Clements will do the
most Of the catching. assisted by young
GRAY, who showed up so well last year as a
| substitute. We will very likely need another
catcher in case of accident, and have already
our lines out to secure one. In the pitching
department we think we are very strong.
| Gleason can hold his own anywhere and
Thornton (whom we secured from the Mil
waukee Club in exchange for Vickery and
Schriver) is pitcher whom We will
be surprised 10 find lower than in the
first SCI. Esper, left-handed twrler, bids
fair to do his share, and young Schultz
is as yet only an experiment, but most
promising one. With the addition of another
battery we would feel very confident of
winning the pennant AS we are very likely
to get them we put in our claims for that
| coveted symbol of victory. In batting and
| fielding we think we are very strong, our
| only doubt being in the pitchers box,
which doubt we think will be dissipated
before the champion season gets fairly i'll
| augurated. j. l. ROGERS.