San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-06-14
MUST PLAY TOGETHER.
WHY THE BR0NOH0S ARE NOT MAX
ING BETTER SHOWING.
They Lack Team Work, Need Catcher,
and are Weak on Pitchers-A Base
ball Managers Troubles.

Peter j. Brophey, who is this season
making his debut as a baseball mana
ger has evidently learned by this time
that the job is not what it is cracked
up to be. Besides securing players
and counting the gate receipts there
is another important element that
must not be overlooked. This has
been found sadly lacking and is really
the cause for the Bronchos' poor
showing up to date. Manager Bro
phey means well, and is no doubt do
ing his best to give San Antonio a
winning ball team. The people ap-
preciate his efforts and would like to
see him succeed. No one probably
feels worse when the team loses a
game than Manager Brophey himself.
1t means that he is called upon every
minute in the day by some rooter to
explain how the game was lost and
then the newspapers tell him all about
it, and what's more, the gate receipts
fall OFF. No one expects a club to win
every game, but the people don't
| want to see a club lose every game.
1t is safe to state that one-third of
the games lost by the local team were
won by the opponents through lack
of. team work of the Bronchos. Every
player makes errors, and there is not
a player living who makes a base hit
every time he goes to the bat and
scores every time he reaches first
base. This removes all cause for COM
plant of the individual work of the
| players. But they do lack team work.
Especially in base running and hitting.
Sizing up the team as whole it
compares favorably with any team in
| theleague, excepting in catchers and
| the team has been weak from the
start. Catcher Jones, of whom so
much was expected, has never been
fit to play since his arrival, although
he was formerly a good man behind
the bat. Buck" Miller, who was
signed to play right field, has been
called upon to don the mask and nit.
and was always willing to go in and
do his best. This weakened the team
in right field. AS for pitchers, Parvin
is the only one in whom the rootrs
have any faith. Dwyer has pitched
good ball, but his support has always
been very wretched, and, besides, he
has been sick. As for Nevin and Her.
bert, both are very unreliable, and
neither have any control. The local
pitchers do not compare with the 9TH
ers in the league in hitting and base
hitting. A pitcher is hardly
ever expected to hit and run, still
there are pitchers in this league who
will bat in the 300 class this season.
But none of these belong to the. San
Antonio. Fort Worth is the lucky
possessor of good hitting pitchers in
McAllister, Gear, Isaacs and Keefe;
Austin in Blackburn, and Paris in
Callahan. Galveston and Houston
also have pitchers who can hit, and
DenisOn has one in Weber.
The infield. This department is as
fast as any in the league, with the
possible exception of Fort Worth.
and the outfield, with Miller in right,
can attend to every thing that drops
over the infielders' heads.
AS son as a catcher joins the team,
and with Dwyer in good shape, the
Bronchos may make a better showing
i'm the second half of the season. But
there is one thing, it is hoped the
Bronchos will do-get down to team
work and quit making such baby
plays on the bases.
For the second time San Antonio
has forfeited games by refusing to
play. While they may have alleged
reasons for their actions, they ought
to play ball as long as the other team
is willing Manager Brophey is not
gaining friends by pulling his team off
the field before the game is over.
The local managers ought to take
few pointers from the Fort Worth,
Houston, Galveston and Paris teams.
Not because these teams are in the
lead are they set up as examples, but
they play together and are always in
the game. Their batteries try to ad-
vance the runners instead of trying to
knock the ball out of the lot, and
when they get on bases they never
take desperate chances, but await the
opportunity, when they take advantage
of it. A perfect system of team work
can be inaugurated in a weeks time.
playing every day, which ought to be
| gradually improved.