The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-17

however, did not last long enough TO take
1t to the front, and whenever these win
ming streaks possessed 1t that familiar CRY
went up oil along the line, Look out for
the Phillies." This year the warning
comes at the very start. For the first time
In the history OF the club It's team is play
ing winning ball during the opening
weeks of tho season, and ordinarily Its
friends would have high hopes of final suo.
cess. But the we'll established precedent
that O let down must come some time dur
Ing the race gives It's most sanguine
friends feeling of doubt. One conserva-
tive Quaker rooter remarked In nv pres
ence recently, Yes, they look like win
ners now, but tho season is young, and I
suppose they il land in their favorito posi-
ton at third place"
The team is undoubtedly the heaviest
batting collection of players ever seen to-
gether, and do not except tho famous
Detroit aggregation OF the eighties. OF
the first sevcn batsmen In tho League last
year five belonged to this team, and three
more came within the 300 GLASS; It is In
this that the team has excelled It has
failed solely during late years in Its pitch
ing department. Orth was added to the
old corps last fall and helped to mako that
rush during tho months of August and
September, but this spring he has not been
as effective. Should no foil to reach ex-
pectations, the club will probably founder
along once more under that discouraging
handicap.
Delehanty, Thompson, Brouthers, Glenn
ents, Cross and Mailman make an array
Of batsmen who when lined up before a
pitcher causes him to feel that life, after
all, Is mighty serious thing. Tint big
fellow, Delehanty, consider tho best bats
man in the country. While he has never
led the League, no keeps lowering around
the top year after year and has twice
fetched mp close second. Delehanty is q
model athlete and an ideal ball player In
all points OF the game Should any club
be offered its pick of all the outdolders
playing ball, every ono Of them, perhaps,
would select Del.
The Pittsburg club Is starting off In its
usual pace at the head of the column.
Hero is another instance of historical
precedent which deters enthusiasts in that
city from filling up with confidence too
| early. Last year Manager Mack's mon
took the lead In the second week and held
1t until the first week In June. Then IL
lowered near the top till the middle of
July, when by another squirt it went up
head again and alternated with Cleveland
till the middle OF August, when she break
came About the time the Phfllies were
going to the front the Pittsburg team was
| dropping back with disheartening rapidity.
On tho 9Th Of May last year they led
with ten games won and only three lost
Their start this spring Is equally good, II
not better. The friends of she club claim
that the team has been strengthened If
that Is so, there should be considerable en-
couragement for tho hackers of the Pirates
| But no line" can be drawn upon my Of
| the western teams until after the intersec-
| tionul games-east In the wost and west
In the east-which are now In progress
and which will end the middle Of July.
A dangerous team, IL 1t once gets into the
| lead, is tho Boston. At this early date IL
looks as II that combination Is going to
| be quite Troublesome to other aspirants
Nichols Is in betteS early spring form than
I've ever known him show in May. 1t all
| depends upon the help which the other
pitchers will give him.
| The Baltimore champions are dlsap-
pointment so far to themselves and to
their friends. They miss tho services of
Mugsy McGraw, who is slowly recovering
from typhoid foyer. He Is the lacking in
| gredient necessary for their success. It
may sound unreasonable to talk about the
absence Of one man fron a nine prevent
Ing the winning Of games, but there Is no
| doubt about the costly loss to Baltimore
in McGraw's case. Probably no player in
tho League Is the "run getter" that he U.s.
At the top of the Raltimore's batting col
umn Mao was a powerful factor In the
manufacture Of that which Is necessary to
win games-runs,
IA gamblers luck" Is an old express
sion. The theory exists that. when a gam
bier wins, good luck Of astonishing charac-
ter Is constantly with him, but when he
begins to lose Ill luck follows him like an
avenging fate. The same relationship Of
luck Is we'll known to attach itself to base
ball. When team Is In winning
streak" Its hits 90 between fields, it's er-
J rors arc not costly, mistakes Of the umpire