The evening times., 1896-02-27
GOSSIP OF THE DIAMOND.

The present outlook for ST. Louis is very
gloomy. Only five players have thus fan
signed-Latham. Connor, Hart, Cross and
Douglass. The majority of last years team
are dissatisfied over salary, and the man
agenent is apparently Indifferent whether
they sign or not, and is ma king little or no
| effort to strengthen the Browns weak spot.
Third Baseman Mulvey has signed With
| Rochester.
There is rumor at Louisville that John
N. Ward will captain and manage the
| Colonies next year. Should the club sue
coed in signing him he would meet with
! warm welcome from the ball cranks in that
city.
| The Chicago baseball team will spend five
weeks in Galveston during March and April.
The New York team will start for jack
sonville on Tuesday next by the steamer
Comanche, arriving in Jacksonville at day.
break Friday morning, March 8.
The Pittsburg team will spend a portion
of the preparatory season at Hot Springs.
| Goar, Menefee, Foreman, Killen, and Haw-
| ley, pitchers; sugden, Mack and Merritt,
catchers; Bierbauer, Beckiey, Ely and Ly-
ons, infield: Stencil, Smith and Donovan,
| outfieid. Clingman will go along as an
extra man.
Besides the changes made in the rules
concerning the punishment OF rowdy or
obstreperous players, the League made an
important change in the rule adopted last
year which permitted the pitcher to dis
color a new ball by rubbing it in earth
and forbade any other play yer from doing
So This rule is abolished, and the old
rule now prevails, which forbids any
player from rubbing dirt on the ball or in
any other way discoloring ii. 1t is safe to
say that the players will find ways of
evading the rule, as they did before, but
having got into the habit of obeying Ia st
years rule, they may be held closer to the
present rule than before. The League also
gave its consent to allow the Temple cup
to be exhibited in New York during the
Sportsmen's Exposition ut the Madison
Square Gardens next month.
Cleveland was fortunate last season in
having pitchers who were always in con-
dition. Indeed, the clubs standing in the
pennant race and its success in the Temple
cup series with Baltimore were mainly due
to the consistent work of Young and Cuppy.
This season Tebeau's men will be even
stronger in the pitchers box, as Elton
Chamberlain, who was one OF the mainstays
Of the old st. Louis Browns, has been
signed. Chamberlain was with Cincinnati
last year. but through some misunder-
standing with Capt. Ewing he did not
play with the team. He is. however, satis-
fled to play with Cleveland and is now
getting into condition for the seasons
campaign. If Capt. Tebeau can overcome
Chamberlain's sulky disposition, Cleve-
land will have trio Of pitchers the equal
Of any in the League.
The practice OF League clubs having rep
resentation in minor leagues, where prom
Using players can be developed with little or
no expense to the former. is steadily grow
ing. The Phillies have the local State
League team as a "feeder," Baltimore is
said to have n controlling interest in the To-
ronto Club OF the Eastern League, Cincln-
natl is represented in the Western League
by Indiana polls, and New York is alleged
to be heavily interested in Jersey City of the
new Atlantic League.
Billy Shettsline. manager of the Phillies,
was all smiles yesterday. with Boston as
our opponent on the opening day In this CITY,"
said he, 81 don't believe we can get all the
people in the grounds. 1t will be great
game, with Nash and Hamilton opposed to
their old comrades"
.'St. Louis will draw well on Decoration
Day, and so will Chicago on Labor Day.
People will go to see baseball on the Fourth
of July. no matter what club plays. WASH
ington always puts up good game against
us. We will have some fun with the Giants
when we open in New York on April 81.
Irwin says the Phillies will not be in II. but
l think we can beat that team, even II
Arthur should put his entire forty-one play
ers in the game."-Philadelphia Press.