, 1891-08-01
OF BAT And BALL
Few of the Old Time Players
Are in the Game at Present.
VIEWS OF A NEW YORK WRITER.

~staekhouse Thinks the New York Team
Is Sure to Win the Pennant. While He
Believes Boston VIII Capture Second
Place.
1t is astonishing how many of the famous
old timers who a few years ago were mon.
zrchs of the green diamond field are this
year being pushed to the wall Two years
ago 1t would not have locke like the
Giants with Ewing, Keefe or WEIGH not
playing. This year these men are seldom
seen. and yet the team is playing a greater
game today than it ever did before. Some
close observers seem to think that Ewing,
Stovey, Sullivan, Hines, Keefe and WEIGH
have about seen their best days. 1t is a fact
that Keefe is not the Keefe of old He
pitches well for a few innings, and then
seems to lose all his speed. He denies en-
phatically that his arm is gone, but those
who have watched his work closely fear
that Keefe will never again be the strategic
pitcher he was in 1889 and prior to that
time.
Some of Ewing's closest friends believe
that Captain Buck" will not do much
playing this year, il he ever does again.
When a ball players shoulder goes back
on him, as Ewing's has gone back on him,
it generally settles him. Ewing has gone
to the limit of medical treatment, yet he is
in not much better condition today than
he was when the season opened.
WEIGH is erratic and does not appear as
strong physically rs in past years, and still
he is liable to pitch n good game OCCASION
ally, but will probably never do the work
he did in 1888 and 1889. O'Rourke and An
son are shining exceptions, and they are
playing just as good ball today as they ever
did in their lives.
In Brooklyn the followers OF the Bride
grooms are not quite as sanguine Of win
ming the pennant rs they were early in the
season.
The yarns about insubordination in the
Brooklyn team are all fudge. To tell the
truth, the team is playing about as well as
its general makeup would warrant. The
team is not a heavy batting one by any
means, and it is going to take great stick
work this year to win the championship.
Ward and his men get along all right and
there is no jar or hitch between the ex-
Brotherhood leader and his men; still those
who watch Ward's work this year are a
little bit disappointed. Johnny is undoubt-
eddy trying to work just as hard as he ever
did in his life, but there is something miss
ing. That old famous snap which was
characteristic OF Ward in past seasons
seems to be missing. He bats well and
fields his position well and runs his bases
well, but that something, called in base
Jan lfoA ~ bhAbS liz ottAAA hIhAhB
TIL recent efforts of the American asso-
citation to gauge the pulse of Brooklynites
cannot be called n success. That the Asso-
citation wants a club in Brooklyn is as
sured. 1t is Just as certain that if one is
located there under the present conditions
it will be an emphatic failure. l say this
without any partisan feeling whatever,
and certainly will be astonished II the As
ISOLATION puts "A club in Brooklyn, as it
undoubtedly contemplates doing.
The American associations position at
Cincinnati, Washington and Louisville
does not look encouraging. 1t is none
too bright at Boston. Won der Abe, Prince,
Vonderhorst, Kramer and the other brainy
men of the Association ought to bring a
settlement with the League to a focus.
The Association can gain nothing by its
present position, and baseball at large
would undoubtedly be benefited If the old
wound between the two organizations
could be healed. There is no time like the
present to do it.
OF course all New Workers, or rather n
great majority of them, feel confident that
the Giants will win the pennant in spite of
the vicissitudes of I'll luck which has fol-
lowed the players SC ~closely this season.
There are fen close observers of the game
in New York who believe tina Chicago
will be either first or second. 1t looks now
| us IL Iue real uBuJ NOulu ID DeJWeeH NEW
York and Boston, with Brooklyn, Cleve.
land, Chicago and Philadelphia fighting
it out for less pretentious positions.
Scientific batting is becoming more gen
orally understood and is playing a more
important part in baseball today than it
ever did before. A year or so ago bulky
players were the best batsmen, but such is
not the case today, as the records at the
end of the season will show. Old time
| 1,,rnr In,-n nLl,,N nan, tlnsr Inr Tl.1
batsmen who go up and swing furiously at
a ball, the sole object being to knock it ms
far as possible, without regard to the atti
tude to be taken by the ball, are out OF
date. / have noticed this year that play.
ers like Herman, Ward, Richardson and
Quinn are doing great work. They are al
what might be called snap hitters. They
do not swing their bat around their heads
and lunge furiously at the ball, but they
hold the bat in an easy position and nap
at it with a wrist movement, the shoulders
playing only a secondary part. Herman
hits a ball today just as hard as Anson,
Connor or Brouthers ever hit or ever will
hit it. He uses his wrists almost entirely,
and the bat does not seem to swing with
any great perceptible force, but when Sir
Michael lands fairly on the trade mark oil
that Spalding all you never kno when
it is going to stop.
pluSSCOCk anu COlllnS are also auOpJlug
thiss style of batting with great success. II
Long, of the Boston team, would do the
same thing, | will wager that his batting
average would increase % per cent.
A movement is on foot and is being agi
tated somewhat, but l do not think it will
ever amount to anything. Promoters o.
the new scheme are in favor of having
home players in home teams. For instance
they think that the New York team ought
to be made up principally of New York
players. They cite the old teams of twenty
years ago as an example. They think thai
teams made up in this way would have the
effect of encouraging more local rivalry
and patriotism. II the New York club at
tempted to only have New York players in
its nine, about the best stars It could Sc.
cure would be Sharrott, Dave Orr, Johnny
Troy, Jack Lynch and men of that order.
1t is not probable that New York will ever
let its Rusies, 'Ewings, Glasscocks, Tier
mans, Richardson's and O'Rourkes go fol
any such men as those have mentioned.
Pat Powers writes me that he has q
cinch on the Eastern association pennant
and it looks that way, for his Bisons are
playing great ball. This organization is
doing remarkably we'll, as there has no
been a break along the line.
The Western association remains true tc
the national agreement, and 1t is an emf
nently sensible thing for that young organ.
cation to do GEO. E. STAcKHousE.
Sea Bathing 1000 Miles From tn,