The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-17
BASEBALL SMALL TALK
Rem Mulfcrd's Cosby Letter
OF tile National Game.
SOME FAMOUS OLD HAS BEENA

Don't Always Go Togethcr-Brsdiey's
Expansive smirk and Radkesrns'a
Scowl.
There are q good many famous old hae
bcens among those on the retired list tniA
season. Dickey Johnston. Mike Slatterys
Charley Radbourne, Bob Clark, Louis
Rogers Browning and Long John Reilly
are a few of the ball playing corps who are
not ON the pay rolls of the major league,
and a majority of them have failed TO az
fiiate with the powers that controi the
destinies of the little fellows in the game.
As the campaign wears on this list VIII %
increased rather than decreased. WASH
ington has given one veteran OF the OLD line
a passport into the ranks OF the talent az
Iberty-George Wood. Ia this array are
men who have marched TO pennapt music
in more than one championship race.
Father Time has chalked the hats of some
OF them, and they have bowed TO the inev-
liable and given way to more active play
ers. II the opening games OF the CLUBS IN
the Western league can he taken as any
criterion, the cities in that circuit are
bound to see some very eyeabie ball ere the
leaves begin TO turn. When the Western
adopted the deadlinc in the game and es-
tablshei a salary limit. there were doubt
ing Thomases who predicted that there
would not be enough players in the busi-
ness to fill the quota of ninety-six at tbs
shrunken figures-compared of course TO
those that obtained when good business
sense was small ingredient in the make
up Of amfror magnate. The false prophets
have gone out of the profession.
Bob Clark, who helped win Gag for
Atlanta in the Southern league and later
on aided Brooklyn in its bunting win
nngs in 1889 and 1890, dropped into tho
press quarters at Cincinnati during the
recent series with the westerners from the
Buckeye State capital He could have
found a refuge in that class had he been
OH the lookout for berth.
II was fooled" said he, "for / didn't
think the clubs would all fill with the cut
rate in salaries. When you come to think
about it Columbus cannot afford to pay
any more than that team costs" Column
bus with its $1,000 team under Captain
Campau made Captain Comiskey's S,0OV
beauties stir their stumps to beat them IN
both contests that took place in Porkop0-
lis 1t would be absurd to claim that Gin
cinnati played five times better ball than
their opponents. If the article OF ball
could be measured by the size OF the roll
disbursed at the captains Office on the LIST
and 18th of each month such difference
might confidently be expected Salaries.
however, cut no figure in the case. The
cheapest salaried team Cincinnati ever had
won the only championship bunting that
H.. law
breezes and split even with Chicago in
series before the birth OF the worlds cham
pionship idea
Last year the highest saiaried group OF
players who had worn the red managed TO
boost poor old Pittsburg into last place,
after they had occupied it all season. There
will have to be some very clever bail play
ing done to keep Columbus from success
full Irritation with Miss Victory when the
tune comes for her to smile upon tho
favored one ia the west In Clausen and
Stevens the buckeyes have a pair OF pitch
ers il will do to watch. There are some
who sincerely mourn over one phase OF the
recent lottery, and in the little cotcrie OF
the sorrowful is Charles II. Cushman, the
chief of the Brewers. He had his mana
gerial hooks well fastened upon both Clau-
sen and Hughey, and neither of them was
in his net after he had pulled it out OF the
Chicago fish pond.
1T was tough luck TO lose both Of
them" said he to me. columbus gos
Clausen and Kansas City has Hughey.
They will both make their mark in the
Western"
Gossping about the situation in that
circuit he said II think Milwaukee has
got the baldest man in the business The
first time met the boys saw one in the
group with a conk that would have wor-
RED a nearsighted billiardist. Come t.
find out he was one of my young blood
pitchers, Henry Jones. Pop Corkhill aud
little Jack Munyan could act as under
studies for Paderewski compared To my
iindp
Another one of the ''outs" this year IL
Ferd Schmitt, the pitcher with Father
land accent. Schmitt WAS as queer gem
ms az ever twirled a ball. He used to
keep books between innings While his
team was at bat he spent his time entering
the weaknesses Of the opposing batsmen
ON a little memorandum slip. Schmitt Is
in Pittsburg doing some long distance
n
II got the bookkeeper' berth once"
declared Manager CGshman. He wrote
to me for a place with the Milwaukees,
but had no room. ! turned his letter
over 10 Manager Watkins, however, with
the recommendation, 'Watty, here is .
man who ought TO do you some good
Well sir, the next afternoon Schmitt APP
peared in the box for 1T. Paul, and he beat
us4to2. He was tickled to death. and az
he ran OF the field he shouted over to me:
"'Mr. Gushman, dot vos gradidudeP"
One of Cushman's old twirlers-Thorn-
TOMS with the Phillies, where he has
earned the new title Of the THE Mysterious
Boxman." One day he Is "inyincib!e,"
and the next afternoon ne is as easy 10 hit
as a settler lemonade with the mercury at
80 degs. Fair. Both Thornton and Elton
Chamberlain are pitchers" declared Mr..
Cushman, likely TO impress crowd with
the idea that they are Indifferent. They
chat the batters and smile all through the
game. I've seen Thornton's smile On tho
field change to stormy scowl after a de-
feat as soon as the clubhouse was reached.
In that mood be grows mad enough to
fight. That is behind the scenes. The
crowd that has gone out sore gains the idea
that he doesn't care a rap. This example
proves that there are cases OF '0hwhat-ar
ce-in-the-clubhouseP
The reference to the smilers Of tho boz
stirs up memories Of the old days whsa
George Washington Bradley had grin
that needed no protection by copyright.
4. l. IL. -. 30.