Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-25

interest In base ball here during the pres-
ent week. due. principally. to the fact tnat
the good-natured Chicago team came to
town Thursday and helped the Senators out
or the tail-end position. In political circles,
the success Of the Washingtons is probably
attributed to the passage of the tariff bill,
for. just now. everything that savors of
business activity is charged to the partial
adjustment of the tariff question
Three victories from Louisville and one
from Chicago in succession is sufficient to
arouse considerable enthusiasm among the
local fans at this late period In the season
AS an indication. of the fickleness of the
average base ball ''rooter,'' the casual Wis
ator at National Park has only to note the
sudden popularity of Capt Bill Joyce. A
Few weeks age he was seldom mentioned
except in disparag1ng manner. Now he
Is received with applause whenever ne ap-
pears at the bat. The change is due to his
remarkable improvement in batting. He al
ways was a hard hitter, but until recently
he could not be depended upon for a timely
safe drive In addition to his Improvement
IN stick work, he has been putting up a
neiding game, of late, that has astonished
some OF those who have. heretofore. con-
sidered Third base the weak spot on the
local infield
Mr.. James fart, the president ~ the Chi
cago club, Is travelling with the White
Stocking team. while Captain Manager An
son Is cut In Iowa at the sick bed of his
venerable and much-loved father While Sit
ting in the lobby of the Arlington Hotel
last night Mr.. Hart discoursed entertain
insiy and also instructively on the subject
OF the national game. He would like to see
the league championship go to either Chi
cdso or New York He does not believe
Boston would appreciate the honor as much
as one OF the other cities named lie at
tributes Chicage's poor standing in the race
10 the badly arranged schedule In the early
part of the season. He declares that the
Boston club would not be much better on
tnan Chicago II the Hubites had encounter
GO 50 many obstacles in the start They had
70 play more games away from home at the
beginning Of the season than any other club
In the league.
In sizing up the three leaders Boston
Baiumore and New York, Mr.. Hart is i'm.
CiiDeu 10 pick New York as the winner
ne contends that New York has the best
array OF pitching talent that was ever COL
lected together In a single club He regards
Sleehlh as the greatest pitcher the league
mas seen Tor many years. and to that
y tha IN ne attrieaees the high standing of
tne New forks at present. Outside of the
batteries, he says the New York team does
rot compare with some of the other teams
cot so hishsup on the list. Boston is-just
tne reverse Her pitchers are comparative
~ weak, while the rest of the team Is
strong in batting and fielding So long as
the bostons are In the lead they play good
pan: put when they are headed they are
-quitters- The Baltimcres are the best
nsnters in the league. They do not clalke
20 nave star team, but they fight fG3
every point Tn sight. and they never give
up the game to their opponents untfl the
last man has been put out.
Mr.. Hart says there is nothing in the
league constitution which permits one club
70 sell its franchise to a city rot now rep
resented in the league. Any club that feels
unable to hold its end up may resign and
tnen the league steps in and fills the va
Cancy, out the suggestion that either Cleve-
land or Louisville may at their own sweet
will throw their franchise into the market
and sell out to the highest bidder Is pre-
posterous No change In the league men,
bership can be made except by a Unanimous
vote Of all of the clubs.
Referring to the attendance in the west
ern cities. Mr.. Hart says this years aver
age, so far as Chicago is concerned, is bet
ter than II has been for many years. The
stringency in the money market has af-
Iscted the attendance to this extent Many
OF the people who formerly bought nifty
cent tickets now sun themselves on the
bleachers at twenty-five cents per skull"
The number has been greater. so that the
average has really increased, rather than
diminished This, in spite of the fact that
Chicago has lost four of its biggest days on
account of rain. Altogether Chicago has
mad q prosperous season so far. all things
considered The team was not In good
playing form when the season commenced.
but by hard and steady playing 1t has
worked up.
Tn fnrn 1xx-ff1 81 l@v,
fridge. one of Chicago's most valuable
catchers, Mr.. Hart relates O bit of inside
history. One day during the preliminary
practice Hutchinson was warming up and
kfttridge was receiving. Hutch said he had
enough. but Kit insisted that he must have
just one more. The last ball pitched dislo-
GATED one of Kits fingers. Tom Burns Of
the Brooklyn team suggested a liniment,
which he predicted would work an almost
instantaneous cure. Kittridge procured a.
bottle OF the linimept and applied 1t to the
Injured finger and properly bandaged it.
That night he attempted to light the gas
in his room and the bandage touched the
light Instantly there was an explosion
and two fingers of the same hand were
badly burned. Kittridge is now nursing the
sore fingers which Tom Burns explosive
IMMINENT SO badly burned. Burns declares
that he did not play a joke upon Kittridge,
for he never operated with the lniment so
close to ire. This accounts for kittridge's
long lay-or-
Walter Wilmot aspires to be the manager
of a league team. He says Mr.. Hewett
once offered him the management of the
Washington club, but at that time he did
not feel that he had had sufficient expert
ence to conduct the business affairs of a
league club. Under the direction of Arson
he has learned many of the fine points of
the managerial end Of the business. and he
would like 20 have an opportunity to try
his luck as a playing manager.
Philadelphia n still a stumbling block in
the way of thcse clubs way up at the top
of the pole In the pennant race. Year after
year the Philles have made a Garrison fin
ish. and in the closing games Of the season
pushed aside some of the clubs holding COM
manding positions end settled down In sec
{ nd or third place. Now that Clements Is
back in harness and TWINS pitchers are
getting back into form there is no telling
what may happen.
President Young says Gaffney is out of
the league staff forever. Nothing has been
heard of him at league headquarters since
he Jumped his assignment at Baltimore.
Umpire Belts is now a regular member of
The staff and he promises to size up with
Rob Emslie, who is now regarded as the
king of league umpires.