The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-06-21

GEOltGE kOGItENEI:, CINCINNATIS,
jor league managers in their choice among
the young bloods, but tho batting record is
moro likely to be deceptive. Dntsmcn in
minor leagues face n class of pitchers so
much inferior to National league "twirl-
ers' that there Is no means by which II
correct estimate can DO made Of their bat
ting abilities But tho folding Is done in
all leagues under pretty much the same
circumstances. Tho minor league fielder
has just as much ground to cover, just as
dl1ilcult flies to catch and Just MS hard
groundcrs to stop and field as his brothers
In the major leagues. When he compares
tho two classes Of pitching, however, an
other story results. So it Is that Hogricv-
er's fielding has disappointed no one. 1t
Is quite up to his Western league record,
but ho fell back when he changed from
the Western league pitchers to those Of the
National league.
Hogricver's experience rs batsman il
the higher grade has boon tho experience
of two-thirdS of oil tho young players
brought into tho National league this
year. have only to mention the cases of
Collins Hines, Carey and Gray to illus
tratc the point.
This leads me up to the subject of Ma
tlonal league pitching, and it may be said
that there is promise that tho pitching of
1898 will be weaker than 1t was in 1894
as whole. There Is scarcely club In tho
National league that Is not complaining
of it's weakness in tho box Cincinnati,
New York and Pittsburg alone are hold
Ing their own in that respect or arc i'm
proving. Cincinnati's four pitchers seem
to hold out we'll How long it will last
remains to be seen. In Hawley PIttsburg
has star. The other men on its list
arc doubtful. For New York, Rusie In all
his successful professional life never pitch
ed such strong ball as he Is pitching now,
and he has already shown that he is peer
less beyond any question. Meekin had
been doing fine work, but caught cold in
his arm and got badly out of gear. The
punishment which he received in tho game
against tho st. Louis Browns on Juno
was the worst Of the season. That score
OF 30 hits, with q total of ~ bases, and 8
earned runs will hardly be beaten this
year. 1t was case of n good pitcher try
ing to work with sore arm
In Boston neither Nichols nor Stiyctts
Is doing the work he did in other years.
Brooklyn is dcplorably weak Mt the rubber,
and with Stein entirely out of harness the
Bridegroo1ns are In q bnd way. Arson be-
gins to realize that he may fall behind for
lack of staying pitchers, and Cleveland has
no standby to put in the box. Both Young
alU Ouppy nstNc Dccn nit huru. Baltimore
misses McMahon, and the Phillics arc in
the samo old rut. Taylor has not como ND
to expectations since he recovered the use
Of his arm, and it looks rs if McGill were
already weakening.
AT this point the question may be asked,
Where are the 30 young pitchers about
whose brilliant prospects in the National
league we heard last spring? Thcy haven't
developed. Wallace of Cleveland, McDcr-
mott of Louisville and Phillips of Cincin-
natl are about all who have any prospects
of staying in fast company, and they arc
not yet sure.
Thc Now YcrI,s recently offarct, So. 500
for the release of Brcitcnstcin and $40, 900
in cash for the transfer of Burkctt and Nc
kcan from Cleveland to the eastern me-
tropCls. Both offers were declined, rot
because the amount of money invoiycd was
not appreciated, but because neither club
could replace the men. 1t shows how rare
gem good bali player is i'll these days.
1t also proves what u firmly established
business professional baseball has come to
be. When $40, 600 is offered by one club
and declined by another merely for tho
transfer of two players, the world knows
that there is more money at the gates than
there is in selling releases, even at those
excessive figures
Some years ago 100000 would have
bought whole team, and the man who
expended that. sum in such way under