The Washington times., 1894-04-23
FRESH SPORTING COMMENT
Washington Baseball Club Will Have a
Hard Weeks Campaign.
PLAY TO-DAY IN PHILADELPHIA
On Tuesday the Team Will Resume Opera
tions at the Local Park with Wards
New Yorkers-Probabilitie are Radford
and Sullivan Will Be Fixtures.

| Up to the present time the local ball club
has come up to expectations and the attend
ance last week was sufficiently large to give
the owners all the encouragement necessary
while serving to urge the players to keep up
their good work. 1t is true the Phillies have
won two out of the three games played, but
the Quakers are counted as one Of the strong
| est teams in the League, and they have all
the advantages of continued experience
among the individual players with one
anothers play. On the other hand, the Sena-
tors are not yet acquainted to any extent. and
it will require some time before they can ac-
| quire such knowledge and experience.
1t is unfortunate that such is the condition
of things, but the repeated changes of the
| past few years in the personnel OF the club
have been serious handicap in the matter
| of finished playing and winning games. Here
| tofore the owners OF the club have expert
/ mented with few stars and the balance
| men of mediocre ability. This year change
| of policy has been made the stars have been
| sold and lively youngsters engaged who can
be depended on to hustle to win games even
| ii they cannot play as well individually as the
| stars 1t is well recognized that it takes time
| to develop the inherent strength of either
| player or club, and as for the local team
| occupying prominent position at the end OF
the season in the pennant race such cannot
| be expected or even hoped.
The slogan for this season is to keep out OF
| last place. and if such can be done the man
| agement, if not the public, will be satisfied.
| 1t is naturally agGravating 20 the many pa
irons of the game to have year after year no
chance to enthuse. but to go out to game after
| game and see the home club lose with almost
| unfailng regularity. No club ever started
out with better prospects than Washington
| last season, and its a certainty II the manage
ment had made terms with Joyce and ex-
pended a few hundred dollars after the first
of the season in securing pitching talent this
| city would have had its ball club finish con-
siderably better than last.
| But these mistakes were made and the ex-
| perience should be valuable. and no doubt
| will bear fruit. The policy of bringing
| horde of players here this Spring and sitting
| out the best of the talent has been questioned
| by many. but the concensus of opinion is that
| Manager Schmelz is a clever judge of a ball
tossers merits and may be depended on to
| do his part toward picking out team able TO
hold its own in fast company. The sale
of AIeakin and Farrell has been discussed
| from every conceivable point. and the owners
| of the club have been criticised for selling
these men and putting the money in their
| pockets. thereby depriving the club of SO
| much strength. The statement has been made
| that the bonus received would be used in
| strengthening the team. but. of course, play
ers of marked merit are not for sale Just at the
present time. But there is one point in favor
| of the club owners which is generally over
| looked, and that is the fact that Mcakin and
| Farrell naturally had the idea that they were
superior in ability TO the balance OF the team,
and therefore should be catered to by the
management.
These two players had every reason 10 en-
tertain such a high opinion of themselves, but
still this feeling could not fail to show itself.
and naturally would have its effect on the
other players and dissensions, or at least ill
feeling. would be sure to follow. When
George Wagner, the owner of the club, was
| here last week he freely expressed himself on
the sale of these two men, and gave as his
reason the belief that no team could be sue
cessful where one or more players felt they
were doing more than their share OF the work
and showed this feeling in various WAYS He
!
all on the same equality. who would play
their best, and in harmony. than to continue
| the old practice OF running a club composed
of few stars and the balance of inferior
worth. The result of the change of policy
cannot be worse than the experience of the
past.
1t looks very much as if Sullivan will be re-
turned to the short field. as Hassamaer is too
| nf
appears to place him at n disadvantage for
the playing of an infleld position. He is
willing enough and hard worker, but Sulli-
van is a more experienced man for the place.
Radford has been given an early opportunity
| to jump in and help out, owing TO Selbach's
unfortunate collision with the right field
bleachers on last Friday. Paul can always
be relied on to fill the bill With respect to
Tebeau. the latter will have to improve con-
siderably before he will be able to meet with
popular approval. He has been unfortunate
in being handicapped by lame leg, but the
championship season is now on and it is no
time for cripples or experiments.
This afternoon the Senators will conclude
their pres ent series in Philadelphia. and 1t will
hardly be possible the manager will put in
Esper again as he was reported to have orig
inally contemplated. Maui should have been
utilized in last Fridays game. as he has
shown good form and besides is veteran
pitcher and acquainted with every one of the
Quaker batsmen. If he goes in to-day he
will have great chance to get away with
the game. geou
Commencing tomorrow afternoon, Johnny
Wards New York all-star combination will
begin series of three games at the local
park, and these contests promise TO be of the
hot and heavy order. No doubt Meakin and
Farrell will officiate in at least one game.
and the patrons will have chance to see