The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-12

on tnrfn. lJhlias peat tHe COltS, VINO beat
Houston three times. but II all accounts
as TO how the game was won are true
they did nothing extraordinary, as all
any team needs is n good umpire to beat
any other team. Houston has made II
better showing than any OF them excepi
Dallas and when the two changes a,
short and right are made the positions
will all be filled acceptably.
Roach has proven himself a. good man
throwing hard ball and fielding w.u
without any grand stand plays. I,ceson
and McHenry Aave done well enough 70,
exhibition games. but need TO imnroya
somewhat to pitch winning bail In ,hs
regular season.
There isn't a better ball player I'm the
league than Cote who thoroughly unaer.
stances what he Is doing and who doesp,.
DO any rag chewing" There's no use
mentioning the rest of the team for either
their "irtues or their faults: they can nil
I'LL thrir positions acceptebly and s we'll
as any one could possibly expect. md
there isn't any rea-son so far as they are
concerned. why Houston shouldn't, have
good ball.
Henry Chadwick in last weeks Snort,,u
News says some very good things: he's
uhinlstakably right. He says:
All Kicking Is both senseess and inde.
cent 1t Is "senseless" because no deci-
sion can be reversed by kicking, II IL
Indecent because 1t tells the umpire In so
many words that he lacks sense to Judge
n point of play correctly or he is dshor-
estly partial. Every time a PLAYER dis.
pu'ss decision rendered by the umr,re
In which only simple error OF Judgment
is involved--sIch, for instance. AS ia
whether, a ball passed over,the home plate
or not ne tells the umpire In SO many
words you are either a knave or q fool"
and II this is not only "senseless, hut
indecent licking. 1 do not know the
meaning of those terms. Hanlon further
more says: Players are only humas. and
when they are compelled, If sucn n thing
Is possible. 10 suppress all noise and ex-
citement their hearts viii go down In their
boots. they will become indifferent the
game VIII go g,immerng and the public
Will leave In disylst."
Who wants players to suppress excite
Inent OF even noise In their game | don't
love to see an; exciting and closely con-
tested game With all fits legitimate fea-
lures, such as those arising from telling
hits, splendid fielding, scientific batting.
strategic pitching and marked hoadwork
pay IN base running, all these characteris-
ties OF well contested game yield al the
excitement e a really enjoyable nature
come to useless "kickng," and to the
combative spirit and the iE-wiil it creates.
ard add to 1t that other essential of what
iianlon calls the "agercssve spirit bel
lowing coaching and IL tendency TO dirty
bail PLAYING, you can count me out. and
with me. too, l think, large majority of
the better class of the patrons Of the game.
Western writer says that "a great
many base ball reporters seem TO think
that every hard hit bounding ball which
goes TO an infielder within possible reach
should be feded to the base in time or
else an error should be charged. Not the
slightest allowance Is made for tho
to the infielder from "a rough piece OF
ground. or DIVORCES from the line OF tho
expected rebound owing to the twist i'm
parted to the ball by the bat
last season l saw errors charged 20 In
feeders time and again, which should have
been instly credited as base hits. The fact
J. there are TWO classes Of base hts. w:
out of the fair clch of the fielaors, and
doubtful hits, which, while heing within
difficult reach of fielder, are neverfhc- |
less base hits. a palpable mutt of h md
lit ground ball is ono thing; the failure
TO handle n hot eroundcr on time, which !
comes twisting from the bat or rebounds
al a target from a rough field. is quite
very sensihy says:
In regard to errors charged for failure
20 catch long high balls sent to the ont |
field, too, there Is altogether too much |
severe criticism INDUCED In by the ma
loriiy of scribes, especially by the young
er class. who arc very free. with charges
Youths get i in their young heads that
y they don't pitch into the players in /
heir failure 70 do almost Impossible things
N their field work. that their reports will
npt receive the attention they should .
nave. When a fielder is known to he
CONSCIENTIOUS player and an earnest
WORKER, for every doubtful play. he makes
he should be credited with the benefit
o. the doubt. AS 1t is. however. If the
fielder fails to do Phenomenal work in
MS position. either in the field or outfield,
iown goes an error for his alleged rcttcn
ic!ding.'"
Buck Ewing does not believe that the
resent style of scoring sacrifice hits is
ust the proper thing Under the system
vogue now, If n player Is to be given
redi for sacrifice hit, he must attempt
o bunt the ball. In no other way will he
10 exempt from a time at bat Ewing
aims with considerable logic. too. that
/, batter can deliberately sacrifice base
uuhcr on his way home by placing the
all In right field And If he attempts
, a play, succeeds and causes a base
inner TO advance n base, he should be
,,editcd with a sacrifice and be relieved
! iiine AT bat and the base runner not
'EEulted with a stolen base.
living believes better bnll would he
iuyed II the error column could be drop
ei out of reports of games altogether
M SUCH course will hardly obtain, at
saSl moi fst some years yet to come. Buck
ulil mos that there are some players viii
itad tho thought of making AN error
iore man any part of the game and do
~ take the chances they would ii the
TOT record was not always in front of
neIn' iherc are players who care no
tot ahout having an error charged up
sa'nst Them than they do of striking
w. nut they are in tho minority and II
: 20 favor the majority that Buck wonld
,inier 10 see the error column abolished
n 90 aoes NOT expect to be playing bail
men mat time comes, however.
~ might be interesting research 10
Interview each of the great In or outileld-
rs OF the National league, and ask him
men he first conceived the idea OF being
shertstop or center fielder. and what
Il had been playing up to the time when
{ oiossomed forth in the position where
10 now regarded as shining star