The morning call., 1893-09-17
THE FIRST GAME.
New Central League Plays
Baseball.
AN APPREcIATIVE CROWD.
The OakIands and San Franciscos
Play Good Game-Sweeney's
Great Home Run.

The crowd that went to the Haight-street
Recreation Grounds yesterday afternoon,
TO see the Oaklands and San FranciscOs
play the opening game of the Central Cali
fornia Baseball League series, testified to
their appreciation of the new order of
things by applauding early and late, and
otherwise making it known that the pOpu-
larity of the new league was already
assured.
The players furnished plenty of oppor-
tunities for applause, for the matter of
that, for they put up hurricane game and
contested every point until the umpire
called time at the end of the ninth inning.
The intimation on the backs of the printed
score cards that Every game will be
hummer" was made good in this instance.
and the directors of the league may now
congratulate themselves that the series of
games was happily inaugurated. The at
tendance was good, the weather ali that
could be desired, and the sport whole
hearted and full OF those exciting plays
that warm the hearts and quicken the
pu ses of all lovers of the national game.
The bright, particular aud obtrusive
feature of the game was Sweeney's al
legged home run in the first half of the
center-felder is somewhat abbreviated in
stature, and therefore when he starts out
tn make home run ne labOrs under dis
advantage in the matter of stride that
would be the death of man not endowed
with remarkn Bile amount of pluck. But
pluck is Sweeuey's strong suit. He fairly
bristles with il. As was remarked by an
outsider yesterday: IF that little bow
legged fellow were as tall as he Is gritty
he'd be holy wonder.
The crowd had installed Sweeney as a
favOTite from the beginning, but as the
game progressed he failed to give the spec
uatOrs an opportunity to applaud his Prov
esS. His opportunity came, however, when
he faced the pitcher after time had been
called for the ninth inning. He carefully
hefted his bat and tapped the home plate
couple of times to make sure that II was
10 place and that he could count on its
being there when he had completed the
circuit of the bases. The very first ball
that came up was caught on the end of
Sweeney's bat and away it flew out where
Donovan was guarding center field and
away flew Sweeney on what proved to be
a trlumDhial tour OF the bases. Donovan
fumbled and as the crowd In the grand
stand stood up and shouted, Come home,
Sweeney" the little center fielder gritted
his teeth, shut his eyes and prepared for
the effort of his life. Somewhere between
the second and third bases the strain
proved too much for Sweeney's uniform.
and 10 the terror of every one, except the
runner, the blouse and knee-bTeeches
parted CONT any at the waist. Here was a
predi icament before which many man
would have Quailed. Not so Sweeney.
Spurred on by the roar of Come home"
from the grand stand Sweeney grabbed his
dropping uniform with one hand and
sprinted over the remaining distance TO
home plate like true racer. During his
lid run the ball had been returned to the
infield where the entire aggregation OF
Oak kand talent we're falling over each
other in a vain attempt 10 cut off the run
ner. When they regained the ball and
their scattered senses Sweeney was bow
ing-cap In one hand and trousers in the
o.her-in response to an ovation from the
grand stand.
But SweeDev's star run was not, by any
means. the only feature of the game. Ii
the teams were out for blood"
The Oaklands were handicapped to
some extent by the ragged work OF Rorner
in the box. and the four runs secured by
the San Franchises in the first can be
charged to his account. When Horuer
stepped into the box be wore pleased and
confident expression and a waxed mus
tache that combined TO send a shade of
apprehension over the brave heart of
Sweeney, who was the first to face him.
But the pleased expression vanished and
the sharp ends OF the mustache slowly
dropped as the umpire called four balls.