The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-20
BRSE BILL.


Afany a Scranton crank swallowed his
oalsAe when he read that the ciuo on
Thursday lost It's seventh straight game
and dropped into the seven hole. peiow
ROCHESTER. The palate-swallowing pro-
cess vas xreased by the announcement
thot Meaney was in the box and Luby
was In right field thus securing t"e oeS.
hitting, the best pitching ana tine pest
fielding strength Of thu team. This oe-
feat following 50 closely upon the wal
lopinvs at home. administered by
snrinpf,eld and Providence makes all
the more mysterious the winning streak
during the latter part of June when
eleven games were won out OF fourteen
nlaved. Such a reversal Of form sets
the knockers thinking and wondering
why the club cannot get on the roller
coaster.
C,ub Lacks Good Captain.
Possibly there are may reasons Tor
IN, moor showing. but one reason s'anus
ont with the prominence OF ears on e"e
head of a mule. 1t is plain that u cap.
,,in 10 needed and that Stearns Is not
the man for the position. Whatever
h,s individual worth may be as player
n "a no reflection upon him to say he mas
NOT the requisites OF a successful leader
His habits are good and he understands
the game thoroughly. but he mas not
the faculty Of arranging possible pays
or Of forcing the men to put the neces-
eary steam into their work. But whiie
Stearns Is Incapable. 1t Is a deplora bic
fact that with one possible exception
tbs, team does not contain player VINO
could successfully fill a captains shoes
The exception Is Huston. and ne IS NOT
all that could be desired. Several OF
the players, while having some OF the
requisites foc the position. are sadly
lacking In other qualifications. Rad
ford for instance. proba bly, understands
the game as well as any player IN the
league and commands the respect OF
the entire team, burt lacks the neces-
eary Armness. leadership and lighting
uualssies This last observation Is pos
sIbly weakened by Radford's twenty
five argumen: with Umpire poescher,
Thursday, but that little episode was
an exception in Radford's usually mild
hammered career. Still. with all their
draw backs. Huston or Radford, in the
order named. are preferable to Stearns.
1t is possible, but doubtful, that Presi-
dent Belts will suggest that Manager
Barnte make the change.
Batting system Disresarded.
Throughout the four home games
with Springfield and Providence was
shown the lack of management on cap
tanning which any half graduated
knocker can understand. 1t is an un-
written base ball law that the necessity
sacrificing or heavy hitting depends
more upon the score than upon the sit
uation in any particular inning. For
instance the best managers and cap
tains do not suggest sacrificing when
more than two or three runs separate
the clubs in an ordinarily close game
say when the score is Al: nor do they
advocate 'lininy 1t OUT when the score
Is a tie or nearly SO. yet just the oppo-
site policy was followed during the re-
cent home series with Providence and
Springfield. with which strong clubs no
risks should have been run. 1t was
noticed in these games that the hard
hitting Eagan, Bannon and Stearns
were making ludicrous attempts to sac
rifice when the score was one-sded;
-en.the weaker hitters would be trying
to knock the ball to Moosic when the
runs were nearly even. 1t Is not the
purpose here to state who was at
fault nor to unjustly criticise either
Manager Barnie or Captain Stearns,
but the fact remains that the Scran-
tons were following a hitting policy
exactly opposite to the system Of other
winning clubs, and this one bad fea-
ture Of the playing invited much COM
ment from the veteran spectators.
Future Prospect Is Poor.
But bygones are bygones, and the
only thing left to anticipate Is the pos
sibility Of the future, and this doesn't
offer any great excuse for chuckling
until ones ribs rattle. Assuming that
the club wins two-thirds Of the forty
seven games scheduled for the remalnd-
er Of the season the final percentage
will be less than. 525 PEI cent. Such
percentage means that the clubs future
work must be about on the same ratio
as OF Springfield UP to the present
time; 1t means that tie game must be
played on .667 per cent basis Accord
Ing to the present outlook there doesn't
appear to be any such prospect.
This morning President Belts will
leave for State league city where two
clubs are playing and may return with
right fielder and a. shortstop. The
two players have considerable back pay
que them and II fs probable that they
will be released to Scranton In consid-
eratiop OF the amount Of salary due.
For several weeks the Scranton man
a8ement has watched the work OF the
ne9der referred to; he has averaged two
nits game and LEI fast in the field. The
shortstop Is one Of the most promising
IN the State league. but owing to an In
Jury has not been playing this week
FOR obvious reasons The Tribune Ia
ooiigated not TO mention the identity
Of the two players.
DIAMOND DUST; " "
Bonner, the new wilkes.Barr shortstop.
IL not a startling success.
Belts. like Meaney. Is another good thing
that is not always invincible.
Anyhow. Scranton cranks are deriving
consolation from the fact that Wilkes
Barre Is getting trun down harder than we
are.
Commercial travellers Of the Scranton
branch are requested to be at the Base
Bali park at o'clock this afternoon to
witness practice game Of ball. A team
OF scranton drummers has arranged n
game with Binghamton drummers on a
date to be announced later.
There Is a howl going up every few
Gays IN the National league for the re-
appointment OF Lynch or Gaffney and
Hurst or other Eastern league umpires
30 far az Mr.. Lynch is concerned. he was
recently requested by "Uncle Nick" to
withdraw his resignation and resume his
position In the league stan. In a very
caiirfanaaa laA4a= -.