Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-11
Local Base Ball Patrons Disappointed
in the Washington Club.
WERE PROMISED SOMETHING BETTER
Manager Schmelz's Predictions
Seem Likely to Fail.
OF THE PLAYERS

iHeIe Is d uetp, dark pTOWH lceiih6 VI
| dependency settling down over the en-
thusiasm of the Washington "rooters."
Some of them have suggested that Mercer
was playing off, in order to get his re-
lease. The fact that Mercer is at this mo-
| ment leading the league in batting nails
| that absurd report. 1t Is true that MERGERS
delivery has been hit hard, but other star
pitchers, including Rusie, Stein, weighing
and Gleason, have also been severely pun
ished. the difficulty does not appear to
| rest entirely with the pitching department
OF the Senators, for the official reports
| show that there is lack of team work
| and spryness on the base lines. Some
Of the critics suggest that ineffective coach
ing and confusing signals given from the
bench are, in a measure calculated to re-
tard the progress of the Senators when
stacked up against the great base ball
generals, like Nash of Boston, Arson of
Chicago, Tebeau of Cleveland, Ewing of
Cincinnati. Irwin Of Philadelphia and Mack
of Pittsburg.
There is also suspicion that the reia-
tons between Joyce and Manager ScnmelI
and some of the players are not as coroiai
as could be wished. Last season joyce
charged that the manager was trying 10
freeze him out of the team. He said
that Schmelz was jealous of the praise
given him (Joyce) for the clubs work, ana
helittle him before the Washington pupic.
Joyce claimed that the players We're with
him and against the manager. One case
Is well remembered where joyce ana
Schmelz disagreed. Schmelz ordered Nc
CURE not to come up to the plate. with
man on the bases and the local team Wen
ahead. Joyce protested and told Mac TO
go up. The Ia liter hesitated, looked toward
the bench, and, of course. obeyed the man
ager 1t is safe to say that three-fourths
of the base ball patrons disagreed with
the manager The management mas pu.
out denial that any unpleasant feelings
exist or that there are factions In the cup,
but this has not been enough to quiet the
suspicion that the club Is house divided
against itself.
MIR. Wagncr's Disappointment.
Earl Wagner and Gus Schmelz, 1t must
be said, are as downcast as the most hum
BILE 'rooter'' over the ill-success that has
attended the home club. The players are
equally disappointed at the poor showing
they are making. They are as anxious to
win as the home patrons are to have them
victorious and they are battling heroically
to stem the tide of defeat that has set in
so strongly against them The fact Is that
while the Washington team is somewhat
stronger than 1t was last season. the other
clubs are a great deal stronger. The Chi
cago and Cincinnati teams are striking
examples of the truth of this statement.
The Effect of Filming.
President Young was putting away In
his cash box a check, for $50-a penalty
from a double contract sgner in a minor
league-when your correspondent called at
headquarters yesterday. IN all my long
experience in base ball. said President
Young, Il never knew such long list of
double contract makers as we have had
this year in the smaller leagues. 1 sup
pose it is due to the anxiety of young play
ers to get the highest salary possible. There
is but one way in which we can discipline
them, and that is by infiicting fine for
the first offense, and, IL they persist in the
practice, we disqualify them for service
with any national agreement club for
year,