Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15
Some Opinions About the
Eastern Baseball Teams
Series in the West.
LIKELY PENNANT WINNERS
That Very Small Trick of Manager
Powers and His Team Discussed.
THE FASTEST AMERICAN SCULLER
Plimmer's Very Easy Defeat of Kelly for
the Bantam Championship.
GOSSIP ABOUT LEADING PUGILISTS

The week lust ended has been a very un
fortunate one for baseball 1t is some tim,
since we had a week of SO much rain
Games have been stopped in almost every
city on account of the weather, and wher
the rain was not falling the weather was SC
cold that few people would venture out tc
SIT and watch ball game. But despite the
fact of the inclement weather baseball en-
thusiasm is still at a very high pitch and
the indications are that it will remain so.
The contest for the pennant is going on in
verv interesting manner. The Eastern
teams have finished their first series in the
West and are now home again. We have
had an opportunity TO see and judge of the
PLAYING of all the Eastern teams A great
deal might be said about them, but it is
somewhat early in the season to figure very
definitely on the matter. / think the
majority of cranks will concur with me
when l saw that the Boston team are
the best lot we have had here.
They are good in all respects and we
did not see them at their best, because
when thev were here Nash and Stovey, two
excellent PLAYERS, were absent. In fielding
they perform with dash and finish; they are
good base runners and good hitters. But
they are remarkably strong in pitchers and
tnat is where they are most formidable.
They have not weak pitcher in their four.
If the Brooklyn team or the Pittsburg
team were as we'll supplied with pitchers as
the Bostons 1 would be prepared to back
either team against the Bostons. But as
matters look now TO me it seems a certainty
Tor the Boston team getting the first pen
nant.
Assuming that both the local and the
Brooklyn teams were to maintain their best
form, it would be hard to say who are the
better l still maintain that have in
pittsburg a much stronger team than many
people believe, and if no mistortunes over
take them they will let the people know the
fact before the year is out.
Although the first series of the Eastern
teams in the West is ended it would be un-
wise to draw any conclusions as to the COM
parative merits of the two sections. Gener-
ally speaking, l think that the West are, on
an average, just as strong as the East, but
Of this we will know more after the West
ern teams have performed in the East To
be sure, Baltimore is weak spot, but 1
think, and so do we all, that Manager Han
lon Will succeed in improving that team.
The Washington team will likely be team
ot fits and starts. as their pitchers are the
only things they can rely on. The New
York team will certainly be better, and the
Phillies Will be lucky to get into the first
tour.
Some Local Baseball Matters.
There has not been much to complain
about, as far as baseball affairs at home are
concerned The bad weather has caused
the club to lose about SIS, 900, but 1 am not
referring to the finances / am dealing
with the team. The latter since they
opened the season at home have won ten
games and lost eight OF course, the vic
tories include the game forfeited bv New
York This is not a bad showing, and we
must bear in mind that the team are not as
strong at present as what they will be. We
cannot tell what Woodcock and Smith will
do. because they have not had sufficient
trial vet, but it is to be expected that
Fhret will soon be in form. In Baldwin 1
think the club has one of the best pitchers
in the country, but he is one of the most un-
fortunate At present he is in great form,
and the team generally are sure to hit the
ball better than they have been doing re-
Gently Had they been in their wonted
hitting form during the last week or two
they would easily have won three or four
more games. 1t is hardly to be expected
that sluggers like Beckley will continue to
knock the ball up in the air or miss it en-
tireIv.
Manager Buckenberger is working with
make changes when he thinks they will do
good. His great desire is to always have a
strong hitting team, and in this he is
perfectly right, because hits are always
needed
That Runaway Performance.
Pittsburg patrons of the national game
were treated to one of the most censurable
events Of the season on Tuesday last The
New NorkS under the generalship of Mana
ger Pat Powers, ran off the field and
wouldn't play. 1t is often said that discre-
tion Is the better part of valor, and, prob
ably, Mr.. Powers and his players thought
that their discretion was a very smart trick.
Be- that as it may, they evidently know the
old couplet:
lie who fights and runs away
May live to fight another day.
These alleged Giants from New York NAV
live to come here and fight another dav, but
it will be some time before the popular
feeling in this city is in any way kindly to
the team managed bv Mr.. Pat Powers
The case has already caused considerable
di,cusssiOn and will likely cause more,
Powers has tried to eIonerate his conduct
hv terming the manager of tine Pittsburp
team q IrickStcr and the umpire an ignorant
man. This is the old-fashioned method of
irving to bolster up very bad case. 1t
NAV be successful IN minor leagues, to
which Powers rightfuily belongs, but it is
too old and threadbare to have any effect in
the National League. The facts of the case
are very simple. On Tuesday after
noon Manager Powers went to Exposition
Park and inspected the grounds He
deemed them fit to play on and sent for his
team to proceed to the grounds at once
The grounds were muddy, of course, but
games have been played on them when they
have been worse AT 4 o'clock a rain
shower was falling. 1t was very slight, and
before 4l0 it was perfectly fair. But
Powers and his party had run awav then
and left the audience to make the best of
themselves they could. The umpire caught
Powers on the street and tried to persuade
him and his team to return and keep faith
with the public, but Powers would have
none OF ii.
And yet the same Manager Powers terms
Manager Buckenberger a trickster WHY,
the trckery, small and contemplate
trlckery at that, was entirely on the side of
Powers himself If there is not trickery in
skulklng away from a contest without cere-
mony or explanation l would like TO know
what trIckerv is. The New Yorks were
given every lnduccment to play ball and the
grounds were fit to play on. That I'll
swear to. They absolutely sneaked awav,
and what else could Umpire Macullar do |
but give the game to the Pittsburg team.
The rules state that unavoidable DELAYS in |
starting the game must be considered, and |
nobody knows this better than President |
Day, of the New York team. The objection |
0+ the New NOrEs on TnasJo,- ,,-o, ,bo. :, |