, 1891-07-11
A PUZZLING FIGHT
Hard Times, These, for the
Baseball Prophets.
EVERY ONE Is IN THE RACE.

No Club Has a Very Decided Advantage
over 1t. Rivals. and the Pennant's
Place Can Only BE Guessed At-A Bad
Year for Pitchers.
The glorious uncertainties of the ma
tioual game were never better illustrated
than during the last few weeks OF play
by the National League clubs A couple
OF weeks ago IL seemed as If everybody was
'in it, by which 7 mean the pennRnt race
Of course. Now il seems is II 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 a 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 a percent
age Of 6l2, 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 thar 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 a winner; aud
yet l stick by my friends the Giants.
Your Uncle Arson" visited the east with
feathers inflated. waving plumes and that
confidence in himself and his team which
never fails him at any stage OF the game.
lie had beaten everything in the west, and
that he was ready to eat up the
entire eastern baseball world He returned
home berett 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, Il salve for his wounds in the
shape Of a tremendous. bag filled with coins
of the realm. His coming was heralded
far and near, and the result was a ire
at every place the
team visited. In New York alone over s.
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 il
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 of pennant winners. That they
viii do this or try to do it is a surety. The
Phtllies have already commenced their
feudish 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, tina 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 II business, however, for all these various
managers and captains to prophesy good
things for their team, aud if they did not
do 50 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. Clnrkson has
certainly been a disappointment. He has
pitched some fine games, but on the whole
he has been more or less a 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
and keefe, and other pitchers OF their cali
Der, are having more or less of a bad year.
NCrrr7T pitched one and C1arkson live or
six, but in some one inning, although using
all their nerve and skill, they have been
hit very hard, aud the result has been dis
astrous for their team. Keefe says that he
thinks some change in the rule is neces.
If the pitchers are to have any protec-
ton whatever. He AYERS that the batsmen
got an advantage over the pitchers, in.
asmuch rs they seem to have discovered a
good many Of their best points, and as a
result can pound the ball safely much
oftener than they did heretofore. Whether
this is IA result of returning to the old
rules keefe is unable to determine.
use the same skill" said he, and work
the same strategic points, and yet they
seem to know just when they are going to
a ball to their liking, and they wait for
it and lace IL out. | cannot explain the
any better" Keefe does not ex-
plain, however, the success of Lovett's half
slow balls nor the success of Rusie's speedy
straights. w. l. HARRIS.