Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-02

NN ing to become unpopu-
SS~ lar The Cincinnati En-
WNe NM q,ftrer says in regard
NJ n NJ to 1t:
~ ~ Patrons Of the game like
to see players swing hard
~Nr ct the ball. like they in
tended 10 hit It for keeps
This thing Of going to the
plate and attempting to
dump the ball in the diamond looks too much like
baby play The public is sick and tired Of the bunt
feature. Every time . player attempts It nowadays
there regular fusilsde from the stands Of Hit It
OUT" stop that monkey business." Give Us base
ball.
Then the writer says:
1.-THE masn.ses want to make the great game more
t6s bunt or dump hit. Let. it b made imPersavs
be 70 he Ss Lex az. Se done nee Lei
sSis semS, e every tune man
1t is quite true that there are times when the
blsachers do not like bunting. When there are
a couple Of players on bases and the score is
close they ike to have the player hit hard at the
ball. They do not stop to think that hard-hit
ball to short may result in double play. They
think only of the very unlikely home run or
two-bagger that win clear the bases. So when
in obedience to orders a batsman tries to help
his side along with q sacrifice oil the vials Of
wrath Of the bleachers are poured out upon the
head Of the batsman-
No, they don't like bunting. Neither do they
like the umpire's decisions. In the elegant
phrasing Of the multitude he lie rotten or a
"robber." OF course il the national game is to
be reconstructed so as to please ''the public"
rs the Enquirer calls them, umpires and their
decisions must be abolished, as well as every
thing else distasteful to the public" 1t might
do to have an umpire in every city to umpire
the home games so that the home club would
win every time. That would immensely please
''the public, and as it is the aim Of the mag
mates to make the great game popular" they
should establish this rule at once. 1t doesn't
make any difference that such a course would
make it less q game of skill; it would please the
public. Now, there is a line of argument for
the Enquirer and croakers Of its class.
As matter of fact, while there is a grain of
truth in what the Enquirer says. there is q
bushel Of inaccuracy What the public"
wants to see is the home club win. If the home
club can win BY making bunt hits no one is
more delighted than the bleacher. He is
thusiastic over the skillful placing Of the ball
and the lightning dish to first any one could
be. Hoy and Dowd bunt more than any of the
other players, and they are fully as popular as
the rest. There is no protest when they try to
sacrifice. But when Milligan or Larkin tries it
there Is. For every one knows that they
stand poor show of reaching first
hitters. II Is the belief that they can do better
by hitting hard at the ball than they can by
sacrificing that causes a howl to go up. 1t is
not because sacrificing Is considered "baby
play Sacrificing is not such easy work. either.
1t is an art that is hard to learn. That it wins
games any one could see by the way Anson's
team won when he was here. His short success
this year, as well as that of Wards team, was
due to skillful bunting. 1t is science against
brute force. and there is no question which will
win nine times out Of ten. Let 1.-The public" be
convinced that it is the best way to win games
and there viii be no protest, for what the public
wants Is to see games won.
The wsshingtons play at Cincinnati today
and tomorrow, two games with Cleveland on
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Pitts
burg, Thursday and Friday with Chicago Sat-
urdsy and Sunday with st. Louis and Tuesday
and Wednesday following with Louisville. OF
the twelve games the\Nationals should win six.
The prospects Of ending in sixth place are good
between Cincinnati and Chicago WIS a remark
able one. The most peculiar thing about the
game was that both pitchers were slugged I'M
mercIfully during the early innings, but after
the fifth neither side scored for fifteen con-
secutive innings.
The game was bristling with magnificent
playing. Several times runners Of both sides
were shut of at the plate. Comiskey at first
base accepted all Of twenty-nine chances, Arson
took in twenty-four, Dahlen fourteen out of If
tccu ~ Oast, sunLu uIttcn OUT OF sixteen,
Cooney all Of thirteen and Canavan the same.
Wlmot captured nine fly balls in left field.
Cincinnati went seventy-five times to bat and
Chicago seventy-two. 1t will be q long time be-
fore this remarkable game is equaled.
While the Orioles were in Philadelphia re-
Gently Bufhnton had some words with Hanlon
and il Is said the incident widened the breach
between player and manager. Vice President
Waltz did not know the release had been given
Until he arrived at Camden station, and Buffn-
ton told Mr.. Waltz, to whom he was personally
attached. that he was sorry he had not been
able to help the club more in the period Of his
connection with it. Bufhnton, it will be remem-
bered, was assigned with Gunson to Baltimore
at the Indianapolis meeting which resulted in
the formation Of the twelve-club league. He is
wanted by Manager Irwin. under whom he
pitched finely for the Boston Reds last season.
The Baltimore club has been sued by ex-
Second Baseman Pickett for $500 damages
Pickett claims that he had been engaged at a
salary OF $1,000 per annum, that he received
$500 advance money and that since then he had
been paid In monthly installments until June l.
when he was unceremonicusly released. Pickett
at the came time attached the Washington
clubs share Of the gate receipts in Baltimore
Tuesday 10 satisfy a claim Of $40. which
money, he says, is owed him by the wagners.
President Won der Horst Of baltimore SAYS
that Ewing's behavior in that city this season
has been very distasteful to his patrons and
that the next time 'Buck" squabbles with the
umpire or wrangles with the cranks he will be
removed from the field even If the police have
to be called in.
Already speculation has begun as to possible
changes in the league teams preceding the next
championship season, which begins July Is.
New York thinks il viii have strengthened it.
Nv al Of H..