Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-06-16

have told you. That's right. Unclo Anse
told me positively that there is only one
team in tho race, and he had 1t.
There was such tone of sincerity in
the old man S words that haven't yet been
able to make up my mind whether his
head is turned so that he thinks the Wash
ingtons nre the only team between him
and the front or whether it has trolley
line of cars running from the cerebrum to
the cercbcllum.
On several occasions l have sat down
with the intention of figuring it out and
discovering the coming champions. Just
Us I would have the club ready to be
pinned down with my prediction some
second division team would give my Sc
lection such n whack in the neck that 1t
became necessary to figure 1t all over
again. The Pittsburgs looked dangerous
until the Washingtons took two ribs out
of them at ono sitting, and tho BoStons
and Brooklyns wore out dozens of bats on
their pitchers, Tho Phillics had cham
pionship earmarks until Arson and Won
der Abe wandered into their peaceful pre-
cincts and each took away two games.
Tho Clevelands have done just what /
prophesied they would do before they came
east-thcy have fallen out of the lead SO
rapidly that their friends at homo will
hardly recognize them on their return
from tho Atlantic seaboard.
If tho Bostons had two moro pitchers to
help Nichols out, they should win again.
But it looks as if they were already out of
tho race. Tho New York's pitchers arc
coming to the front as tho strongest col
lection in the league, next to tho Glove
lands, and If the team ever make up their
minds to do little batting they will climb
the ladder so fast it will cause a panic
among tho clubs in front of them.
At tho present believe the Pittsburgs
should DO accounted favorites, with the
Philadolphias close second, and either
the Clevelands or New Yorks third. Still,
with two, thirds the season in the future
and not moro than five or six games sepa-
rating tho teams of the first division,
prophcsying positions is like playing poll
cy Let us wait till the middle of July
and then take another look over the field.
In the west there seems to be n spirit Of
pugnaciousness abroad among tho players
of President Johnson's league. Wcrden as.
saultcd a scorer; another player, while on
the diamond, struck an opponent, and
some Of the umpires have been treated like
cOnvicts 1t Is n dangerous spirit and
should br promptly checked.
In the National league n danger of an
entirely G4ifcrcnt kind has been seen this
year and is growing steadily. l refer to
what is known rs dirty ball playing"
1t consists in players purposely colliding
with opponents, spiking thom occasional
ly, blocking runners on the line and try
ing to disable valuable mon. Tho most
general complaint of this kind against any
one League team is conferred against the
Pittsburgs. The Brooklyn club has gone
so far as ~ lodge complaint against Stem
zcll with t,&c board of directors. The New
Works and Clcvrlands, however, are little
behind the rittShur,rs in the particular
style of H., which Ward calls 'agsyrrss-
i've" The n,!tio.:.l game cannot stand
the hrutniitivs Ct tx ri H. ring + tho foot
ball fritt. .Ag;rrt>sivr' ball playing must
go. or rather it mast not lie allowed to
r...l,, O. T. CAYIOR