The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-09
EWING AGAIN ON DECK
0. P. Caylor Writes Interest
ingly of the Great Catcher.
A SHATTERED IDOL RESTORED.

Tho Most Promising Surprise of tho Sea-
son-Pitcher Mullanes Prospective Suit
May DO OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Bar-
nie an Umpire-Other Chat.
The recent universal interest in the
planet Mars Is just now somewhat dullcd
by counter attraction. A new star, or
| rather an old one which was believed to
have set forever, is in the ascendant l re-
fer to Buck Ewipg's star, which so sud
| denly and SO brilliantly reappeared in the
| baseball armament.
1t is true that asa baseball player Ewing
has not mt any time dropped out of sight,
but 1t required less than one year to demon
| strate the fact that as II first buseman he
| was not n small fraction of interest to the
| general public compared to his work as a
catcher. 1t Is also true that Ewing ranked
| among the first batters and base runners in
the country at all times. Those two quail
| ifications alone would not have sent Ewing
to that height in the public estimation
which he reached few years ago But
his superior and unrivaled abilities as II
catcher put him In the very front rank of
all the stars.
l have seen every prominent catcher
since professional baseball was first played
and am prepared to say, without hesita-
ton, that Ewing in his prime never had an
| equal rs a catcher. Morgan Murphy,
Charles thinner and Charles Bennett of
today and Snyder, Clapp, Flint and
Deasly Of the past are and were almost
pygmies in comparison. That is why
Ewing's popularity was national. 1t
could not be confined to the city where he
gave his services
When in 1890 Ewing's arm failed him the
wise men of the press wagged their heads
| ard limited their fears that he would never
again thrill n multitude by his displayed
skill as n tactician and those wonderful un-
paralleled snap throws. Months passed
and his few appearances during 1901. and
partial failures when he did appear,
seemed to confirm those fears. When last
spring he started out rs Il first baseman for
the New York club the patrons of the
game everywhere united in II belief that
they had seen the last of Ewing as u
c:iicher Then it TRANSFERRED that Ewing
the first buseman was almost as unpop-
ular as Ewing the catcher had been pop
uiar.
Without any previous positive announce
ment he sheathed himself in the armor of
the modern catcher in the first game of the
late Brooklyn-New York series and faced
the swiftcst of all the pitchers in the coun-
try. Twenty minutes after Umpire Barnie
hnd called play ballr' the public baseball
remembered snap shot throws he had
nailed his rival and that great base run
ner, John NJ. Ward, in an attempt to steal
second.
The good work in that play was repeated
many times during this game and the next
by which time the patrons of the game all
over the country were informed that the
king of catchers had come back to earth
Ewings own joy at HIS recovery must have
been nearly as great as that which the fa-
ther of the prodigal felt long ago. "For this
my arm which was dead Is alive" And /
have no doubt Buck would willingly have
killed fatted calf to commemorate the
event had he owned such thing.
The result can hardly be estimated in its
general effect upon the game. 1t is the
most promising surprise of the season.
His work behind the bat III support of
Rusie, Crane and King will greatly
strengthen the New York team
Pitcher Mullane's second msunderstaDd-
ing with his club is probably beyond all.
justment, and the end promises to be an.
| other baseball suit, which in Importance
will outsha!ow that brought by Burns
against the Pittsburg club. Mullane will
probably not only sue the Cincinnati club
under his first contract for salary, but he
may sue tho National league and Amcri-
can association, through President Young.
| 10 recover damages. IL he does the case
| will be sensational.
Mullanc admits that under the ten DAYS
| option clause in his contract his club had
| a right to release him without cause. But
he will make his fight on the grounds that
before he was released his club entered
| into conspiracy with the other eleven
League clubs whereby it was intended to
compel him to return to the Cincinnati
ri, ot
the alleged conspiracy he may testify that
though he is recognized as one of the most
| desirable pitchers in the country, and
! though numerous clubs were openly ex-
! pressing anxiety to secure good pitchers Mt
| almost any price, he could not, after his
release. even get reply from any one of
the other eleven clubs, to all of whom he
rendered his services.
If the suit is brought the court might
summons President Young under n tccilm
duces, and thus bring into evidence the
| signed agreement made in June mt the
| Fifth Avenue hotel, which pledged every
club to refrain from negotiating with GER
tain stipulated players who might be re-
leased for the purpose of reducing sala-
ries. Mullane's lawyers claim that such
u conspiracy nullified the option clause of
Muilanes contract. They further assert
that the act of conspiracy is criminal and
could be punished us such.
Therefore it may be seen how univer-
sally important Mullane's suit or suits
will become if they are brought and
| pushed to trial.
! Very lately there was n conference in
| Chicago of few magnates, the outcome
OF which is significant. They agreed that
the season this year began too early; that
April championship games are dangerous
and Improbable. They proposed that
next year the League should curtail the
| season, reduce the number of chnmninn