Evening star., 1896-07-17
Pitchers Maui and Mercer Reported
Out of Form.
EFFECT OF T0M1 BROWNS LAY-OFF
Description Of Won der Ahe's Pic
turesque Ball Park.
NOTES OF THE PLAYERS


tunes, though matters looked bright enough
| for a winning streak after last Sunday s
| terrific hitting. Mondays twelve-inning
| game might have been won in any one of
| six innings had the necessary hit been
forthcoming: even sacrifice would have
| turned the tables in favor of the Washing
| tons at three different points of the strug-
GLE But as neither trick was turned all
| credit is due Pitcher Hart for his great
pitching. The third game was repetition
| CT former failures to connect safely with
| left-handers. The Senators have won but
| one game from a left-hander this season,
and that was at Louisville, where Hill Of
tcated in the box. Breitenstein, although
| he may have seen better pitching days,
was an enigma, and but for O OBrien's
double the Senators would have suffered a
Shut-out. Mercer pitched we'll enough, with
the exception of one inning. 'Jhen three
successive bunt hits went safe and four
| hard singles followed putting the Washing
| tons out of the game then and there. Mer-
Ger relied chiefly on his slow drop ball
The prospects for the remainder of the
western trip, it can be frankly admitted
are not of the brightest. Mercer is COM
planning of weak arm, and may not be
able to pitch for some days. He told the
writer today that his arm has not been
right since pitching the two Pittsburg
games in the rain. 1t is not sore nor pain
ful, but weak, and prevents him from using
speed.
The possibility of Mercer being out of the
game a couple of weeks it is hardly nee
eSsary to state, will prove a big handicap
With a weakened pitching department TO
go up against the western clubs, which are
now playing better ball than ever before
winning rally seems almost out of the
question. Tom Browns enforced lay-off
too has proved big drawb ack. Since his
absence the entire outtiel1 has taken a
drop In batting. 1t is not at all unreaSon-
able to suppose that his return 20 the mead
of the batting order will inspire more con-
fdence all around and result in brace all
along the list and winning of a fair share
of the close games which have been going
to opponents The presence of one good
hitter and fast runner on the team would
have made whole lot of difference in three
Of the last six games played.
With such competent twirlerS as Maui
and Mercer out of form. AMI the frequent
injuries to Tom Brown, the Senators are
surely not escaping their annual allotment
of i'll fortune.
Won der Ahes Sportman's Park of which
so much has been written-Inostly dispar-
aging-can at least claim the title OF being
the most picturesque playing ground in the
National League. With Its race track
shoot the chutes'' and beer garden its
iluttering flags and a hundred and one
other distracting oontrivances a strangers 8
EaSe
ball is lost in the shuttle However after
two or three games. one becomes accus-
toned to the odd surroundings. The park
must be seen to be appreciated. A super
fetal description would not tell one-half
the wonders of THE Coney Island Of the
West as Won der Abe calls it. With the
exception of the grand stand (pai1ted in a
murky saimon-pipk COLOR, the big incos-
ure, with it's white fences, buildings and
chute has a decidedly spick-and- span look
about it. The greater part of the field is
given up to base ball. The home plate, un-
der which are buried numerous mascots.
etc, is fully $50 feet from the stand so
that no matter how vociferoIs The "ooters
scarcely sound reaches the players on
the diamond. Back of the right field ar
and not much farther out than the sma.
fence at National Park, is a big S5Ox1;aD-
foot artificial lake, at one end of which is
the big $1,000 iron chute" A pavilion
several row boats and a small launch, to-
gether with two elevators tor carrying up
Shooters are attributes of this Watering
place. a good long hit will land in the lake
and set Chris sailors a-hustlng to save
the sl.2o sphere. Encircling the ball
grounds and lake is the threa-eiSh rs mile
track, with the finish in front OF the stand.
On the right of the stand, surrounded by
flower gardens is the big beer pavilion.
with brilliant red chairs and tables: and on
the left of the stand are the bleachers.
The betting ring is in front of the stand,
and the catcher ard umpire, when not be-
hind the bat, plow around in the middle of
the soft race track. The bell used to start
lot of mediocre horses is also used in call
ing time for the beginning of National
League championship game. On each side.
and al equal distances of fifteen feet all
around the track. are hundreds of iron,
fiag-surmounted electric light poles. from
which are SUSPENDED clusters of incandes-
cents, furnishing illumination for night rae
ing. Admission is free after pm, and
p<n!cs are held at the park when the club
is way. To complete this strange combi-
nation. band of young lady musicians
furnish music afternoon and evening, and
a crew of real sailors run the chutes. The
short walk from the entrance gate to the
stand IS lined with geranium beds, and the
aesthetic owner has not forgotten a foun-
tain and a stuffed bear or two A small
army of bowling sccre-card boys, sandwich
and soft drink peddlers infest the stand
and detract from the pleasures of the
game. Sportsman's Park is certainly an in
stitution without an equal.
Considering the fact that st. Louis won
three out of four from Boston, the attend
ance at the Washington games was dis
couraging. About 1900 spectators were on
hand Sunday. 900 Monday and 600 Tues
day. AS Is customary when the Washing
ton club plays here, Won der Abe appro-
priated all the gate receipts. in order to
satisfy the old Cincinnati Pendleton Park
claim. This case has been sop for law
yers for nearly five years past, and the ST.
Louisan has seemingly not the worst end
Of 1t.
In the opening ST. Louis game, with
Joyce on second, Cartwright cracked an
unusually long fly to center field. The
length OF the drive may be imagined when
two long, accurate throws by Parrot and
cross failed to catch Joyce at the plate.
Old players remember but one other play
of this kind being made in the big leagues.
1t also occurred in this city, and Duffy of
the Boston association club was the man
to score on Farrell's long drive to Dunn
ny'' Hey.
Won der Abe is a great advertiser Of the
sign-board variety, ST. Louis being flooded
with views Of Sportsman's Park. Here are
few of Chris paint-brush effusions that
greet the eye on entering the park: Take
slide on the silver plank" The new
woman shoots the chute" "A good place
to pop the queston-on the chutes." "
"Chauncey Depew patronizes this chute -
There is no reference to der Browns "
Slide ~
A contemplate trick. on the part of Nor
gan Murphy lost the Senators the second
game here In the tenth inning, with Sell
bach on third and one out, Abbey hit fly
to right field. AS the ball was sailing out
Murphy deliberately placed his mask on
the base path six feet from the plate. The
obstruction baked Selbach on the run in,
and In jumping over the mask he made a
l 4