Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-13
Notes Of the Western Trip Of the
Club.
LOUISVILLE ATTACK ON 0'BRIEN
Attempt to Satisfy the DisgruntIed
Patrons.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CINCINNATI, Ohio. July IL. lS9

man, is catching 1t right and left from the
Louisville press, which pretty generally in
Inmates that ne was a disorganizer. not on
speaking terms with anywhere from two
to eight players and on terms Of enmisy
with George Miller. He was also charged
| with having been taken out of a game at
Chicago because McGunnigle could not
trust him." No doubt the greater part of
these stories is meant to square the Louis
Vile management with the local public.
The Pittsburg papers republshed all of
these stories with a great deal of gusto.
Now, nearly every one of the Pittsburg
players was anxious to have OBrien on
that team, and Mack went so far as to Of
fer Beckley and Consideration for him.
The Washington clubs success in signing
him has disappointed good many smoky
city base ball men. and therefore their
alacrty to stir up the whyfores of the deal
1t will be difficult to make any one VINO
knows O'Brien believe that he was in any
sense disorganiZer in the Colonies camp.
He said yesterday there was not a word of
truth in the stories. Il have no better
friend than George Miller in the profess
sion." he remarked, land as for players not
speaking to me, that is all nonsense. "
When Miller was signed by the Louisville
club. O'Brien was the first man to write.
| congratulating the management and asking
that Miller be given the captaincy. The
change was not made Until McGunnigle
took hold. and O'Brien was thoroughly
glad to get rid Of the trying position. The
Chica go story is a yarn pure and simple,
as O'Brien was hit on the elbow by pitch
ed ball and retired from the game at his
own request. There was no reduction in
his larry when the captaincy was trans
ferred. O'Brien laughs at all these stories,
and has good cause. for 1t is most rea-
sonable superstition that no sane man
would banker after the responsibility of
pulling the Colonies out of last place with
the material then On hand. O'Brien Is one
Of the most gentlemanly, quiet and pleas
ant men In the profession. He Is Cana
dian by birth. though he has lived In Maine
the greater part of his life. He is immense
ly pleased to play with the Washington
club. and as soon as he becomes familiar
with the style Of his comrades he will put
in Pittsburg were in a great measure due
to slipping in the mud while fielding the
ball.
from Pittsburg Journals for the little affair
at Washington last Monday. He was call
ed everything. from "blackguard" down.
and threatened with all sorts of dire dis
aster II he ever came to Pittsburg When
he walked out on the field yesterday the
crowd looked twice to make sure their
eyes did not deceive them; one man went
so far as to applaud him. and the rest in
their surprise forgot to make even a sign
OF disapprobation.
The Washington clubs second and last
western trip opened In Pittsburg inauspi-
ciously indeed. While the one-sided score
of 10 to tells its own forceful tale. there
is very little doubt that the score could
have been kept within reasonable limit
had Capt. Joyce's men not made the mis-
take Of playing for a called game on ac-
count of rain after the second inning. The
weather conditions. with the addition of a
cold. raw wind, were almost exactly those
prevailing in Washington last Monday.
and the home club as then, had a lead of
to 0. Perhaps Hurst is the only umpire
in the league who will say play" in bad
weather but the game once started. as re-
cent experience in Washington should have
taught, he will not tolerate dilatory tactics
nor stop the sport for anything short of a
deluge. AS the final result proved, the
first inning was enough to defeat the Sem
ators. and the play-for-rain policy only
helped to make the score of Mack's Pirates
larger. Still, the manner in which Joyce
and his colleagues fingered for rain was the
smoothest thing seen on a Pittsburg dia-
mond. First Lush was "hurt'' iE stopping
a grounder, and Connie Mack made sew
eral frantic round trips from right field to
the umpire before he recovered. In the
fourth De Montreville disappeared in search
| of another belt" Hurst went after him
on trot. Then Genes glove was lost
and finally, when the game was ready TO
go on Mercer had some trouble in finding
bis glove. With slight stretch of imagi-
nation, the reasons for delay were legiti-
mate enough. though the Pirates fused
I>and fumed. After the deciding fifth was
ever the rooters duplicated last Monday
howl Of joy at National Park. After the
fifth Mercer simply lobbed the ball over
the plate. and the only feature of Abbey 8
closing work in the box can be summed up
in the delivery Of one deceptive curve ball
that crashed into Sugden's Uranium while
he was hitting at 1t. Washington landed
on the ball hard and often, but Pittsburg
fielded phenomenally, one-handed catch
by Donovan off Abbey being another one of
1.-The finest catches ever seen on the
grounds" The Senators may be rated as
good mud horses, but Pittsburg mud has a
depressing influence on those not used to it.
To be shut out for the first time this sea-
son, and by Pittsburg, Is rather humiliat-
ing. A more determined. confident and
well-conditioned set of ball players than
| were the Senators when they stepped on
the field at Pittsburg yesterday it would
be hard to imagine. and they received the
| worst defeat of the season. But such are
the fortunes of base ball.
1t is easy to see why the Pittsburg ball
| park is not to the liking of most play
| ers. With hills rising to the height of sew
| eral hundred feet at the north and south Of
| 1t, and PittSburg smoke hanging almost
| constantly over it. it is, especially during
| threatening weather. a rather gloomy place.
| 1t Is situated on the old exposition grounds
| in Allegheny. but ten minutes ride from the
| business center of Pittsburg. Its neighbors
on the west are the fine new exposition
| buildings. On the east is big. open field
| where formerly exposition buildings stood
| Back of the grand stand are several blocks
| of mediocre buildings, and beyond these is
Monument Hill, with its big soldiers monu-
ment: and, though this eminence is half a
mile distant, on days of games it is lined
with spectators. who are satisfied to see
| only the in and out-fielders. Out beyond
center field the Monongahela, Allegheny and
Ohio rivers join forces, and the latter
stream finds its source. Two large bridges,
more mountains, dotted with suburban
villas. complete a bird's-eye view from the
stand. The park boasts of a big grand
stand a little the worse for age and smoke
Three towers and a row of boxes-some-
thing like the temporary affairs we had at
Misunderstanding from the tar and gravel
covered roof. lend little establishment
Pittsburg is a great grand stand town.
probably because there are few other places
| to sit. The fffty-cent seats are uncovered
bleachers on the right and left of the big
| stand. and hold about 1000 each. But to
| look at the game from the twenty-fiye-cent
bleachers is simply dream-for a short
| sighted man. 1 doubt if the few boards
| crowded into an angle Of the PARKWAY CEN
| ter field fence hold 300 spectators They
are so far distant from the backstop that
yesterday, with their few occupants they
| locked for all the world like one of thos.
| knock-down- three dolls and-get-a-half-
dollar" arrangements at our pleasure re-
| sorts. A splendid score board forms part of
| the right field fence. On this are posted
| not only the results by innings in big paint
nd Rovr1~ lint o1, h.