Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-22

viii be PLAYED and local ''cranks conf
IDENTIFY expect to take two if not all three, of the
games. II is generally felt that :he local league
team il stronger than last wears team. which
was universally acknowledged to be the best that
Washington has had since TIE days of the old
Nationals. The team will have the advantage
this wear OF havi1c- HARMONY between the man
eseInens and the PLAYERS. Then. too. diher-
anI policy viii he followed than pursued
last wear. MO-r games .ost last season
through experimenting with lnnelders than
from any other reason As soon as the nine
got PLAYING fairy vel together a new arrange
men. made.
All this Will be changed this year. Mr.
O'KoGrke Is rot IN favor OF making expert
meuts. lie has lbJ-t him a seam whose capa-
biiitv ne knows. Every u'aye- has been
eessfI.i IN nh OWE particular PORTION Ill that
il 20 &c dOr~ : - see taat every player PLAYS
his game. 5lr. UEOurke is ayerse 20 introduce
ing new elem Uts. he believes III every player
having fair chance tie knows that even the
bes: man makes errors. and that because a man
plays one game badly Is reason why he
should PLAY the next ore badly also.
The chances. on the contrary. that he
Will play n bril;isE: game. Mr.. " BourGe has
la! the esteem OF hall players for years. he
has ever been earnest PLAYER. but gentle
manly one. Mr.. ORo1rke relates az incident
connected With his first professional game of
base ball winch beS undoubtedly influenced
him in MS treatment Of mis- associates. 1t was
in 1878. 81 was r~eInbsr OF tine BOstons.
Harry Wright was manager and center fielder.
Our opponents were the famous Nutlals of
BROOKLYN. y \ Game called, L took
the position to which 1 had been assigned.
right Fed. Eys-ythiag Wen merrilv for two
three innings before the HOglce) was dis
covered by our opponents. Standing in the field
as II entranced When had been fully sized
up by them was startled by ba.ted ~ ball
in nv field. which to me seemed to Oe accom-
hail.
me. / was utterly undecided a. TO which to
follow. As usual unds- sucn circumstances. it
was the wrong enc which. in nv ratified effort, /
tried hard to grab. The effort was ridiculous.
but wholly In keeping with the feeling was
experiencing. Immediately following this ny
ball camt another and another (tOtal three),
and on i.ccolnt OF nv eXcitab.e condition /
cosld ndi score fielding percentage 1t a
time in ones life when darkness would have
been hailed with delight. 1 am sure If eaca of
the fly BALI had the circGmscribed limits of a
barrel i could not have done better than have
SKINNED the surface. harry Wrights noble
ness of nature. sterling qualities of character.
Eentleness and kindness o. heart $50 well known
to all lovers of the game were fully bestowed
upon me. He came over to my field and in the
most encouraging kind words said: jim, don't
mind that: it won't lose YOU your position
These were his exact words. 1 nave never for
gotten them They were full o; sympathy
timely and heartily appreciated. It was decisive
OF his judgment and OF my career q profess
sioual player The next day was playing the
same field against the same club, without the
slightest influences of fright Harry Wright's
kind words we're the turning point in nv life
as . player, and commend him TO all rising
players"
Mr.. O'Rourke's base pall career is familiar to
patrons Of the game. He has been on more
championship mines than any professional
player on the diamond today. He will play,
In left field, the position he filed so long with
New York and Boston. This is not his first ex-
Perience as Q base ball manager, for years ago
long been one Of the heavy bstsmen in the
country. and his agility a fielder is surpris-
ing, considering his weight and age.
THE ISzIKLD.
The Washington infsld this year viii be
made up Of Lsrkin, first base; Wise. second
bose; Mulvey, third base, Sullivan, short, and
Stricker, substitute. Henry Larkin, or Ted" a.
al the bleschers call him, played season after
season with the Athletics and 10 an '.old re-
liable. Larkin led the Washingtons at the bat
lnst season. his average being .2s2 Wise. who
win cover sssond, covered that base for Boston
for years. He came to Washington and played
On the4ocal team in 1889, going from here to
Buffalo to jo.a the brotherhood team there. In
1891 he played with Baltimore and last year
he played with Rochester and Binghamton. He
made . terrific batting record, .327, taking part
IN ia games and standing third among Eastern
League batsnen. Mulysy, who covers IL
vas the third baseman OF the Phillies and o
Athletics for years and even in Jerry Dennv's
bsst days vas alvsys proudly pointed to by
Quaker City cracks IS the great south-paws
Ps@ IN svssy way. rs is not heavy sticksr,
preliminary games and shows that he has re-
Eainsd his eyssight Owing to . financial
toobls with the Philadelphia management
hs pa.yed only twenty-five games last
yer. His bstsinG fell down TO .142 from .2l7
IN 1891 But this year it looks a. II Joe had
rsgnned his batting eye. sullivan, who will
Be Danny Richardson's successor. viii have .
big hole 70 gu. but he il young and energetic
player and comes here with good record He
played with Providence. Rochester and Syracuse
hss year and bad . batting average Of .226. He
played in 1o2 games and his fielding average
vss $50. Stricken was engaged as Q substitute
innelder. such . player was greatly needed
last year and the wagners deter
mined net to be caught mapping
again They surprised Manager o. Rourks BY
suggesting the engagement Of Stricken, but he
ct oaes recognized the wisdom OF the step and
cordially approved Strieker made his great
reputation with the Cleveland Spiders. Last
year hs went to St. Louis. where he was made
captain and subsequently, traded to Baltimore.
He Ind. good batting average-.257- taking
part IN 100 games, and his fielding average
was .925.
hoy, who viii cover center field. is well
known here and very popular. He is regarded
- one Of the sviftest runners in the outfeld Of
any IN the country. He occupied the same
position in the Washington nine when II was in
the Nat,onsi League four years ago and won
the hearts Ct all base ball cranks by the nimbls
way IN which he would dart after 9 fly ball
He came with Wilmot from the North
western Association when the league made
such extensive raids on that body.
de took part in l49 games with the Washing
ton team last year and his average was $50
he stood next to Lsrkin among the clubs hit
tiers, his average being -279. Radford, who
coyers the right garden no one else has ever
covered it for Washington, is another member
Of last years local team. lie made his rep
u:ation with the Bossons, and his acquisition
BY the Washington management has always
been regarded rs . lucky stroke. Paul Is pop
ular with the crowd and is always in the game.
His batting average last year was .2s4 and held
ing 1888.
TIE BAr1RGEs.
Duryea, Aeekin, Maui and Esper comprise
The clubs pitching talent They have all done
rsmar kabls work in the past Duryea pitched
fog Cincinnati and Washington last year, taking
part In only nineteen games. Meekin pitch