Evening star., 1896-07-27
END OF THE WESTERN TRIP.

LOUISVILLE at ST. LOUIS.
END OF THE WESTERN TRIP.
Views of q Star Correspondent With
the Senators.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LOUISVILLE KY, July 25. 1895.
After being up against the Chicago and
Cleveland game for a week. the club met
the tail-enders on something like equal
terms. and got the first scalp. There is con-
siderable rivalry between the two teams on
account of the recent deal, and both sides
have been talking for a fortnight past what
they intended to do in this SERIES And Jack
Crooks-poor Crooks, who has been telling
everybody in Louisville about taking four
straight-was responsible for the defeat.
He muffed a thrown ball. fumbled Joyce's
easy grounder, and made bad throw, each
misplay causing run. Jack reit SO BAD
about it that even his old partners SYM
pathized with him. Jimmy Rogers has a
touch of malaria and did not play. They
think he is the greatest first baseman In the
league down here. Jimmy" was Senator
again for while Thursday. in that he rode
out to the grounds and returned to the hotel
with his old comrades.
Mercer reappeared in the box, after
short rest, and pitched great ball, four OF
the seven hits made of him being infield
Joyce's fielding was feature; in fact. the
captains third-base play is being praised
everywhere, the Chicago Tribune observing
that Joyce put up the best game for the
visitors, and is one of the fastest and most
accurate third basemen seen on the grounds
this year."
There was a noticeable improvement in
team work in che Cleveland games, and,
though the Senators were shut out twice
within five hours, they played the game for
all 1t was worth, there being refreshing
absence Of 'ifs'aand "ands' in playing the
games over after dinner. The pitching of
Wallace and Wilson was the stumbling
block. In the last game they hit Cuppy
harder than he has been hit this season
Seventeen hits and five runs seem out of
proportion, but the explanation is that nine
OF the seventeen We're made after two men
were out, and went for naught. 1t would
puzzle congress of Wards, Hanlons,
Tebeaus and EwinEs to decide whether the
WashinStons are weak as hitters, or weak
in the box. or on the-bases. Just as soon as
one concludes they are weak in any one of
these departments the next game or two
upsets all his arguments.
Pitcher Win Meroer undoubtedly has been
a target for much undeserved criticism
since the club began losing. The writer,
from personal observation, is in position
to say that no member of the team is taking
better care Of himself or trying harder to
win games than Mercer. The Cincinnati
episode, of course looked bad for him. but
the trouble was really brought ABOUT by the
men back of the pitchers box. Mercer has
been overworked with the possible excep-
ton of kilen and Nichols, he has pitched
more games than any other pitcher in the
league, and has won eighteen out of twenty
six games. He is unquestionably the most
willing worker in the league today, and
has gone in the box in and out of his turn
time and again to help win game, as his
record will show. The best evidence that
Mercer is not shirking duty is that he has
been in uniform and out for practice or on
the coach lines in every game the club has
played on this trip. In Cincinnati his en-
thuSiaSm on the coach lines cost him $40.
and was paid into the league treasury only
a few days ago.
There are a few attractive ball parks in
the National League circuit, but the Chi
caso grounds are unquestionably the neat
est and most comfortable Of the western
cities. Grand stand and bleacherS encircle
the entire play ground, with the exception
that in center field are two pretty club
houses-one for the of visiting teams.
Several hundred feet of canvas are stretched
back of the right field bleachers to shut
off the view from a dozen verandas, and
on this screen the one advertisement in the
park is displayed. Grand stand, bleachers
and fences are nattily attired in pleasing
color combination Of lemon and maroon,
with white edgingS
Many kick made by players on the ball
field appears unreasonable to spectators.
simply because they do not happen to I'M
derstand what the kick" is about, and
often when the auditors think players are
protesting on a base decision, 1t is really
on point of "blocking'' or interference
which escapes the average eye An in
stance of this kind occurred in the second
Cleveland game, and from players point
Of view was as follows: De Montreville, in
trying to make a double play, was jabbed
under the jaw by a Cleveland base runner
and failed to make the play. O'Brien OBJ
tected; but Hurst said it was all right.
ial
'Yes, everything goes" replied Hurst
When McGarr, shortly after, was blocked
off second by O'Brien, and SKINNED around
to third without touching the base Hurst
called him safe because of O'Brien's '.in-
reference" O'Brien naturally got hot
under the collar. He kept on referring to
this play, and was finally put out Of the
game; and probably nine-tenths of the an
dience were under the impression that the
trouble started about the decision on third
when the runner was clearly safe At one
stage of the argument Hurst pinched
OBrien; ~ and ,.oln John mus mussed up Tins neck
after the gamessi and O'Brien retorted that
he would be tiGkled to have the chance.
1t all ended very pleasantly, however. Ball
players say John OtBrien knows more about
the manly art than any other man in the
league.
Bad luck, In the way of accidents st,,,
pursues the Washingtons. A hard hi linz
ball from Blakets hat struck King on the
forearm last Tuesday, and will put him out
of the game fof several days. In todav's
Louisville game Abbey was hit over the left
eye by one Of Hills swift balls and fell to
the ground Ikea log. The accident caused
considerable excitement, players and snec-
tators being underI The impression that the
ball had hit him op the temple and that
Abbey had gong toss the plate for the last
time. He recovered sufficiently to return to
town in the players bus, and is now un-
der phyScianis care.
tr =
Pitcher Norton. Of the defunct Atlanta
club Joined the Washingtons here Norton
is said to be a promising player, a fast run
ner and good batsman. He is about as tall
as McJames and weighs 16S pounds. In
practice he used fast underhand bali. and
his style resembles that of Pitcher Rhines.
Norton entered the profession from the
Ohio State University, where he studied
electrical engineering.
Pat Tebeau. in speaking of Washineton's
drop the other day, said he could not un-
derstand the clubs losing streak. with
Joyce, O'Brien, Dc Montreville and Cart
wright you have an excellent infieId" he
observed. "Your outfield is fast: you have
three good twirlers and the club is strong
behind the plate. How you lose SO often is
a mystery to me-" Another case of the un-
oS,,<ia ~ hoe hall