The Portland daily press., 1893-04-08
BASE BALL.
The Present Indications Are That Port
land Will Have the Team of the League.

Judging from present indications the Fort
land base ball club will have team at the ad-
vent of the season well equipped TO Dattle sue
cessfully for the championship OF 1888. owing
to the base ball market being surfeited with
good players there has been guC OF appIca-
tions from men who are glad to work for reason
able salaries instead of the princely incomes OF
other days. In Aud Lang Syne the mountain
had TO go Mahomet now Mahomet is mighty
glad to come humby to the mountain. AS ma
tural result the race belongs to the strohg ana
the whole league will have better players Than
ever. The above is one of the reasons why
Portland today has the lead over all It's rivals,
Manager Clarity was energetic in gong TO
work early and naturally found it an easy mat
ter to secure all the players he desired. The
fact is the ball players know well that in Port
land they get their salaries while in many OF
the other New England league cities they get 1t
where the chicken got the hatcnet-in the neck.
This week Portland signed one of the most If
not the most valuable man on the team and
that is saying a great deal. 1t is now COM
paratjvely easy matter to get good pitchers but
it is no easy matter to get simon pure, first
class catcher. Men who can hold every de-
livery swift or slow, men who are terrors to
base runners and are great hitters Nine out
of ten catcherS are weak in one OF these depart
ments but Hayes is not. Last season there
were but two gilt edged catchers in this league.
, Burrill of the Woonsockets and Lechance OF
Portland, though the latter was tri1e I'M
wieldy. Burrill threw more men out on the
bases last year than any other man. The
catchers this year must be good throwers for in
asmuch as the pitcher will be five feet further
away base runner has more advantage.
Hayes though being a heavy man is a fast rum
ner and one of the hardest hitters in the team.
The Portland team gives promises of being
the "slugging'' team of the league. The men
already signed are wicked hitters. just think
how such men as Rogers, Mains, Klobedanz,
Deadly and Hayes will make pitcher feel when
he goes up against them. He will curse the day
they placed him back five feet.
Portland should have a number one-third
baseman and one that will not shirk the hard
est liner. The placing of the pitcher five feet
more away will increase the number OF hits to-
wards third and they will be billed all the way
through Third basemen will do well to pra c.
tice pounding and hardening their shins every
day until the game opens.
The securing of Mains was master move in
the king row. In the first place he has the
speed of Stivetts and can hit like a Brouthers,
while he is capital outielder. His experience
with the clubs of the big leagues will be a mat
ter of considerable moment for the Portlands
and he should be played in every game.
OF course the members of last years team al
ready signed need no comment here. The fact
that they were again signed is a sufficient proof
of the kind favor they enjoy in Portland. They
have had long ana hard trial and have not
been found wanting.
Though this advice, well meant, may seem
superflous and uncalled for still one cardinal
rule should be followed: No sulking and no
sentiment. In base ball as in other walks OF
life there never was player but whose shoes
could be filled and the team would continue
right along to do business at the old stand.
1t lis well that Portland is represented on the
schedule committee. Last year the railroads
got most of the leagues money on account of
badly arranged schedule, causing unreason-
able Jumps and uneven distribution of dates.
This committee has the most important work
connected with the game to do and the public
are satisfied with the capabilities of Messrs.
Leonard. McGunnigle, Bacon, McDermott and
Clarity.
If the weather is not inclement on Fast Day
and the grounds are in good condition the
Portlands may open the season here.
Klobedanz goes to Bowdoin to coach the
team next week. Bowdoin has plenty of good
| material this year.
1t is not surprising that the Woonsockets
dropped out They had hard work to pull
through last season. Saturdays and holidays
are the only paying days there and last season
thew had fancy priced men.
Tom O'Brien will play first for the Nashyilles
of the Southern League.
| A letter received from Jas. DAILY formerly the
heavy hitting outfelder OF the Portlands, states
that he will probably play in Buffalo this sea-
son. He had an offer from the Baltimores OF
$3.50 per month. He accepted the terms but
since the decision of the National Board he
hasn't received any reply. Buffalo wants $1,000
for his release and Baltimore would make no
mistake in paying it. Daily is worth any two of
some of the old leaguers who are playing on
their past reputation.
The North is well represented in the South
by ex-New England 1eaguers. Wheelock and
Hatfield formerly of the Portlands are playing
second and short respectively for the Charles
tons. Carney of the Manchesters is manager
| and captain of the same team. Ladd of the
Woonsockets is playing left and Kileen of the
Salems is pitching. John O'Brien of the Port
lands is playing second for the Augustus and
John Stafford of the Woonsockets is pitching
| In recent game against the Charlestons John
O'Brien got three hits and accepted 10 out Of
| IL chances Killeen was batted all over the
| field. McQuick of the Lowells is in Macon, Ca
One Day.