Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-14
How the Senators Have Been Play
ing in the West.
HAVE bad CONSIDERABLE BAD LUCK
The Mercer Incident in the Cincin-
natl Game.
COMMENT ON THE PLAYERS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

CINCINNATI, Ohio, July IL, 1896.
+ No one who has witnessed the recent
play Of the Cincinnati club will withhold
praise that is rightly due them. Winning
twenty-one Of the last twenty-five games is
evidence of the wonderful work Capt. Ew
Ing Is getting out Of his men. Stin with
all their great fielding and timely batting,
their exasperating bunting 0nd base rum
ming. and good fortVne-for they are en-
1oying run Of 1.-THE Washngtons should
have taken two out the three games Ex-
ceptionally brilliant fielding on the part
of Joyces band was not really essential to
stop the onward march Of the Reds Good,
common, everyday tall playing was all
that was required; and because they failed
to do this the Senators have now lost five
straight games. The error column does not
tell the story. What are known liz base
ball category as dumb" plays worked all
the mischief 1t may also be truthfully
said that Umpire Sheridan did not give
the Senators single close decision in the
hrSt two games.
Mechanics pitched winning hall in the
opening game. In the third inning, after
one~Was out, McJames and Mcclure had
mix up on hit In front Of the plate, ON
which Fisher reached first. Burke's easy
lily dropped sale between two fielders. Al
ter Fisher was OUT at the plate on Hoy's
mt to short, Millefs base Oh balls filled
the bases. McPhee hit an easy-iookinp fty
TO right. Lush got under it. but the sun
blinded him ana three runs crossed the
plate when the ball dropped safe two fee.
away with that dull, sickening thud"
Smiths run in the fourth was due to Sher-
ldan not seeing play on which the Ger
man was out by d yard; and two more
runs were given the locals on a tumble
and muff of a fly ball. Not counting a
couple of Senators who were caught nap
ping on the bases, 1t is apparent that the
fold al
earn the game. In the second contest the
Washingtons were outplayed at every
point. and there is no wall coming of what
might have been.
Saturdays game started out like 4 Wash
inston victory. The Cincinnati players
nave thorough respect for MERGERS abil-
lty, and at no time did they hit him hard
The break came, however when IL was
ieast looked for, and many of the visiting
Elks, who were roofing for the Senators
We're disappointed. MERGERS wild throw
TO catch Burke mapping at second was re-
spon>ible Tor one run in the third In the
fifth. Washington's hopes went up in the
AR. Peitz hit safely. Dwyer made a poor
punt TO Mercer, VINO turned quickly to
second, only to find that neither O'Brien
nor De Montreville were within seventy
live feet Of the bag. Perhaps Mercer mis-
look Lush for the baseman
Al any rate before the ball was returned
rom the fence, Peitz and Dwyer were on
third and second, when both should have
been retired. Peitz was caught at the
pate. Two men scored on Hoy's single.
tioy was forced at second, McPhee was
~ ~ ana vaughan scratched out an infielI
nlt. With the bases filled the climax came
ME trying to catch the runner off firsi
Mercer again threw into space. and 1hr.e
men ambled home. After that there was
trouble all around. Joyce lectured Mercer
and Mercer sulked
IL was anything but pleasing perform
ance from Washington point of view
..n9 undoubtedly had reason to feel
should display his dispIeasure so onepiv
me men behind him worked hard to win
MS game, as they always do, and the one
error OF Judgment was not Cue to care
lesshess, but rather to eagerness on the
part of the infielders to get DIVERS hunr
l cite these plays not alone to show how,
the games were lost, but also to snow how
every error OF skill and brain was made
The team is again hitting the bail and
WIN an Improvement in fielding and a fair
snare OF luck will soon stop their back
ward slide.
The Cincinnati Base Ball Park is laid Out
something like the Washington hall
grounds, and has right field almost as
sunny as the one at National park Al
though twenty minutes distant. nv eiectric
car, from the business center of town the
west avenue park is situated among and
surrounded on all sides, by business and
manufacturing buildings. 1t is a decidediv
pretty little park, with its well-kept dia.
mond and stretch of green field, as level
as floor. The outfield is bordered by a
slopins embankment, and a great back
ward running catch is usually made bv the
fielder running up this green slone ana
picking the ball off the fence. The fence
varies from others In that it DISPLAYS :,
great number of railroad advertisements
anu noids out numerous inducements to
hard-hitting batsmen in the shane of gifts
Tor hitting certain portions of it, There
are several prizes for driving the ball over
the fence. For hitting a certain sign the
patsmah receives round-trip ticket to a
famous resort. Another advertiser sets a
somewhat doubtful example by Offering a
crate OF wine to the batter hitting his sign.
and third offers SIS in gold. 1t NAV moi
be out of place to add that the latter two
Signs are SO far out and so small that a
District Guard sharpshooter would experi
ence some trouble In hitting either with
the aid OF an army rifle. The grand stand
is not very large, but is a comfortable
tiers of seats on line with the field. and
about fifteen rows Of folding chairs on the
floor above
The press boxes are exceptionally well
located On the right of the erandstand is
the big 5O-cent covered staId. and adj
joining this are the bleachers, which run
out back of the right fielder, and holi
ABOUT $500 spectators. Accommodations
provided near the left field fence The to-
tai seating capacity is about 5000 The
park is not so deep as that at the capital.
and unless a ball is hit over the fence or
into right field, the batter is lucky to get
beyond second on long drive The pa
tronage of the games in Cincinnati in
cludes the solid business men of the town
and thousands of ladies turn out on Fri
people are naturally great "pullers' for
their home club. one can travel a long
way and not find crowd that is fairer in