Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-29
GOSSIP OF THE GAME.
Players Contracts to Run From Anril
Ii to October 10

President Young has Just taken a mail
vote on the amendment to the leagues
contract with players providing that next
season. and thereafter, the contract with
players shall begin April IL and terminal e
the following October L. The amendment
vas proposed by Colonel John l. Rogers of
the Philadelphia club and it was unani-
mousiy adopted. 1t is claimed in support
OF the new amendment that the present
system of dating players contracts from
April to October ] requires the players
to be in playing form at a period almost
too Fly for actual work. The change in
The ntract season is therefore based on
the idea that the weather is generally beg
ter in the first half of October for ball play
ing than it Is in the first af of April The
change is also step toward the abandon
nent of the preliminary practice in the
southern cities before the opening of the
league championship season.
1t is wonder the Philadelphia club did
not get Its hooks OF Harvey Smith when
Manager Billy Nash had out his dragnet
for new material. Patsey Tebeau, Buck
Ewing and Connie Mack, after seeing the
young collegian at work with the senatorial
team. declared young Smith to be one of
the cleverest colts on the turf this season.
When you get three veterans. who natural
ly hesitate to praise a beginner. to COM
mend FRESHMAN as they do Smith. the
lad will be excused il he losses himself a
bouquet or two when no one is looking.
Buck Ewing says he goes about his work
In the field something after the style Of
Johnny Ward. Connie Mack says he han
dies himself very much like Collins Of Bos-
ton.
natl club says there is no necessity for
further base ball legislation to protect the
league umpires and the public from d!sor-
derby conduct on the part of the players.
r,,lo
broad enough to give the umpire absolute
protection. If he will but exercise sufficient
nerve. Wien the players discover that an
umpire is timid about filming them. and per-
mits them to cluster around him and dis
pute every close decision. they are quick to
take advantage Of the situation and make
things very disagreeable for those who like
to see a game won or lost on its merits. He
says the present staff Is the best the league
has had for many years. He had one. and
only one, experience as an umpire 1t was
when he was managing one of the Canadian
teams In a minor league. The regular UNI
two opposing captains prevailed upon him
to serve. He Informed them that he would
do the very best he could. and they prom
ised that there should be no kicking against
his decisions, no matter how rank they
might be. In the second inning there was
a close play and he rendered decision
against his own team. Instantly his play
ers rushed at him and charged him with
selling them out, and the crowd was about
to mob him when he threw up the job. He
has never attempted to umpire since.
Connie Mack says he has registered a
VOW that he will heat Chicago and Boston
out III the race for fourth place By Mon
day he expects to have Smith and Stencil
off Of the sick list and then his team will
re in frst-class winning form. He says he
has the best string of pitchers now that
the Pittsburg club has had in many years,
and unless some unforeseen accident hap
pens. he will land in fourth place.
1t seems strange that Buck Ewing, who is
regarded as a great base ball general.
should fail to realize the Importance of hav-
ing several utility men at this stage of the
race. His club came east in the lead, and
took a tumble because there was NO ex-
perienced man to take Germany Smiths
place at shortstop. when the latter was
disabled. Ned Hanlon has the right idea
about running a championship team. He
has utility men to burn and he can plug
up any hole that may occur in his team
Buck says 1t is not an easy matter to pick
up good utility men. and he fears it is too
late in the season to experiment with
youngsters.