The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-09
RACEF0RA pEuuANT.
UPS AND DOWNS OF THE
GREAT CONTEST IN THE
NATIONAL.
HOW REDS" GOT THE LEAD.
THE VALUE OF CONFIDENCE AND
TEAM WORK ON THE
DIAMOND.
CREDIT TO =e"BUC1x, EWING.
Lessons of the Late Western Games
MIR. Robson of the National
League.

Uncertainty thy name is baseball!
When the National league season open
ed last April, the man who should have
picked the Ciffcinnatis as proba BILE pen
nant winners would have been lidicul-
ed. Ewing s. team was put into the
second division by nearly all of the an
te-season prophets. Even Ewing him
self went on record with a hope to fetch
up among the first six clubs That was
in his mind; a consunmation devoutly
to be wished / have in my possession
the memoranda of wager made be-
tween one of the shrewdest newspaper
baseball critics in the United States
and an ex-manager that the Cincin-
natis would beat out the Louisvilles
in the race. 1t was bona fide even
money bet. too, and the hacker of the
Louisville team, with all his knowledge
OF baseball players, believes he had
tho better end of it. That shows the
tenor of public opinion concerning the
Cincinnati team as it existed before
the playing season opened.
On the other hand, every one was
talking about the five clubs which had
a chance to win-namely, the Balti-
mores, Bostons, Clevelands, Philadel-
rhias and New Yorks, with chances
in about the order named Boston's
team was particularly considered a
dangerous foe to all other aspirants
and the Phillies had more followers
than ever before. The almost total COL
lapse of the Boston, Philadelphia and
New York teams has been scarcely
less astonishing than the remarkable
record made by the Cincinnatis. Can
all this be accounted for?
With three exceptions the Cincinnati
team this year is the same which fin
ished eighth in last seasons race by the
narrow margin of half a game Irwin
replaced Latham at third base, and the
battery Of Ehret and Pietz was added
The other fourteen players took part in
last years race 1t is not entirely the
work of the three new men which has
wrought this great reversal in team
form. But players who were laid off
for incompetent work in 1895 are he
roes of wonderful. deeds this year That
is especially kttrue of Hoy, Burke
Vaughn, Forema n and Dwyer. From
the verge of failuresin 1895 these players
have suddenly risen to stars Of full
magnitude. Smith the short stop, was
several years ago turned loose by the
Brooklyns, which@elub Is now fighting
hard to get into the first division.
Burke has been released in turn by the
late Harry Weight, manager Of the
Philadelphia, by the Pittsburgs, by
the Milwaukee Western league club
and by the New Yorks. Hoy until this
year was never considered a player
worth contending for. Vaughn for sew
eral years was a butt for the sarcastic
rooters even Of his own city. Foreman,
as pitcher, kept hanging to a pay roll,
here or there, for several seasons. Ehret
has been traded from pillar to post till
he scarcely knew where it was safe to
unpack his trunk
And this is the nondescript team
which is giving the Baltimores the
hardest fight for the flag cit has had
for years. Why is it?
AS / said before, Ewing's leadership
must get large part of the credit.
''Buck" knows the game FROM A to z.
and his players respect him. His
pitchers have been unusually success
full Their good year came to all at the
same time. The team got a good start,
kept going, had a. streak Of luck here
and there, and finally got Into that
stride of the victor which is hard to
stay. Confidence cuts large figure
in their work. 1t Is a great element
for good In the national game The
lack of the confidence which Is making
winners of Cincinnati's mediocre play
ers is keeping better teams In the rear.
This irresistible DeIeI IN themselves
carried the New York team forward
with that great rush in the last half
Of 1894, their confidence being based
upon the pitcing Of Rusie and Meekin
A lack Of this base ball requisite has
kept the Phillies. from reaching the
coveted goal year After year.
with the example Of the present Gin
cinnati team before them there Is no
club in the National league which
should not have more or less hope
reasonable hopA Do-of bidding high
for the pennant next year or In some
year to come. "A team OF all stars Is
not sure winner. During the Play
yers, league campaign IN 1890. Chicago