The Washington times., 1894-05-20
FRESH SPORTING COMMENT
No Change in the Situation of the
Senatorial Aggregation.
MANAGERIAL MISTAKES MADE
Already the Local Club Seems to Be Hope
lessly in Last Place, with Little Chance Of
Getting 0ut-Too Much Available Talent
Has Been Stumbling Block

Whether the Washington ball club will win
many more games this season or not is some
what Of vexed question with many OF the
local fans. One of the latter evidently does
not take much stock in the future OF the
club as he has wagered a goodly sum that
the Senators will not win more than ten
games during the balance OF the season. VI
course, the club will win many more than
ten games. but the patrons of the sport have
but little reason to be encouraged at the out
look. Manager Schmez has already COM
planned that through listening to the sugges,
tions of others several OF the players had
been placed to the disadvantage OF the team,
and he purposed having his own way from
this time on Since then the manager mas
had occasion TO switch the men around
again, but without ADVANTAGEOUS results.
Quite a deal of bad luck has aided In keep
ing the club down, and some of this is evil
dent in the crippled condition OF Joyce and
Selbach. while the loss of McMahon's services
has been most unfortunate. The latter is one
of the best batters in the profession, and is
besides clever backstop and an equally good
first baseman. Ill-health caused his return
home. and he has been unable to participate
in a championship game. The latest addi-
ton TO the hospital list was Pitcher Stocks
dale on whom the manager relied for valu
able work. With these drawbacks Mr..
Schmelz could not but be somewhat discour-
aged, but he apparently has not lost his grit
and belief in the expectation that the club will
come out all right in the long run. This may
be the case, but it does not look that way.
1t is very evident a mistake was made by
the management in collecting a large and
miscellaneous assortment of players before
the opening of the season with the view OF
sitting and sorting out winning team. In
the light OF results the scheme was a failure.
Despite fair weather and the opportunity to
get in much practice work the manager was
confronted with difficult task in making up
the best team at his command. This has
been proven by the continual changing since,
and he is hardly nearer n solution OF the
vexed question now than at the offstart
There are always people TO volunteer opin-
ions as to the playing ability Of respective
men, and the manager has already.confessed
to being somewhat Influenced by the judg-
ment OF others, although at variance with his
views.
In consequence of all this many games
have been lost which might have been won
provided the available talent had been placed
to better advantage. 1t is unfortunate for
the hungry baseball public that this city has
not a club able to hold its own in the race for
the pennant, and this years outlook is worse
than ever. as the club is almost hopeless
tailender so early in the game. There Will
doubtless be game Won now and then, but
there does not seem to be the material in the
club to give confidence to the public that the
...a=~
under such circumstances victory will come
more in the nature of a surprise than the ex-
pected.
Manager John Montgomery Ward is evi-
IDENTIFY 'twixt the devil and the deep sea, as
the directorial influence has caused him to
lay off Roger Connor and Mike Tiernan, two
of the public favorites. The New York pa
pers have as a rule taken up arms in defense
of Roger and Nike and John Montgomery
hardly knows whether he is going to or COM
ing home from school. The outcome of these
dissensions will be the loss of Inany games
which would be won provided the manager
had things his own way without being die
tated to. Some of the Gotham journals have
a daily lecture for Ward, no matter which way
the manager moves
From Philadelphia come reports Of very
unbecoming conduct on the ball field by
members of the champion Boston team. Tom
Tucker, Mccarthy, and Duffy are said to be
the prime offenders, and the goodly baseball
writers of the Brotherly City loudly complain
that some severe punishment be meted out
to the three mentioned. The Boston players
are noted for their aggressiveness, and they
are Il hard lot to manage by an umpire with
out sand. Tim Hurst was the unfortunate to
stack up against the Tucker, Mccarthy. and
Duffy contingent, and had his hands full
Captain Nash, of the champions. believes his
men are receiving considerable unmerited
criticism, and claims umpires should be told