Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-02
LATE SPORTING NEW S
SCHMELZ GUESSED BADLY.
Put Mercer in Against the Orioles
With Disnstrnus Results.

fuf Mercer Against the ORIOLES
With Disastrous Results.
It is difficult to understand just exactly
upon what theory Manager Schmelz de-
cided that Mercer should pitch in the game
yesterday between Washington and Balti-
more on the home grounds. 1t could not
have been because he is effective against
the Orioles, for only Saturday those agile
young birds had lots of fun with his de-
livery and won game by virtue Of hard,
successive batting. Nor could it have been
because the Washington public like Mercer
better than any other of the local twrlers,
for Maui is today by long odds the favor
lite. 1t must have been on account of that
time-honored reason among managers:
Mercer asked to so in"
1t Is popular superstition that managers
are paid salaries to manage teams and
not to be wheedlcd by players into doing
what their Judgment warns them is the
worst Kind Of policy. This may not have
been the reason, but it is now generally
understood thet whenever the manager is
roasted by the crowd for inserting any
particular pitcher into game the formal
plea is always promulgated later that the
| pitcher begged to be allowed to go in lust
once more, and n soul-harrowing picture
is drawn Of the young man On his knees
before the hard-hearted but relentinn man
ager, beSeeching him. with tears in his
eyes, to be permitted to demonstrate once
more his superiority as a dispenser of
curves and drops.
Whatever the reason for the move yes
terday, it was a disastrous one To he
sure. Mercer was not altogether respon-
sible for the loss Of the game for the
earned-run record is more in his favor than
the base-hit column might Indicate E,It
Mercer seems to have developed the weak
less of late of being unable to pitch win
nirg ball except when the team behind him
is putting up perfect fielding.
Such pitcher is a dangerous weak shot
-Ga :,
hest after errors have been made is worth
far more Tran the one who IS invincible
only when he has gilt-edged, rock-bot-
toned support Good pitching in The face
Of errors is worth a dozen times more than
GOOD pitching in conjunction with faultless
fielding.
But all the same the team yesterday
seemed to be afflicted with some new kind
of pares!s. Cartwright, especially had the
blind staggers, complicated with excessive
somnolence. He lost cor seriousness two or
three times ard forget that he was guard
ian of first base, and again when Jack
Crooks discovered a flaw IN Mr. McDon-
AIDS unp.ring. Crooks had to do all the
kicking, to the imminent danger Of his
salary, while Cartwright ignored Jacks
almost frantic appeals to him 10 get into
the game" with a protest Of some kind
Then Crooks himself took a short rap
while running bases, and was caught eff
second SO snlartly by a throw from Clark
that he sprained his wrist in the effort to
wake up. Giasscock PLAYED a spotted game
making some good plays ard some poor
ONES. Abbey was about the only man who
covered his territory well. ard. he put up
game that gave him new tcost in the
hearts of the rooters.
Pitcher Hoffer was effective, and the field
work of the Baltimore men was perfect so
that Washington had 10 pound out every
run by hard hitting. All OF the local runs
were cared.
The score tells the story without AIRY eX-
PLANTATION. beyond tie fact that in the sew
"a Fl Al q 10 M
hits after chances had been given to retire
the side. Glasscocl dropped a throw by
Boyd, who had taken Crooks place at
second, that gave Baltimore llfe.and then
the fun began. The game was filed with
hard kicking. which alone was worth the
price of adm ,ssion.l ~