Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-11
Thursday Opens the League Base
Ball Season.
SIZING Up TIE WASHINGTON PLAYERS
Comment on the Orioles Recent
Outbreak.
CURRENT NOTES oFTHE GAME

Next Thursday, weather permitting, Um-
pire Hurst will call time on the opening
base ball game in Washington of the Ma
donal League for the season Of '96. The
New York club will be the opposing club,
presenting several new faces, while the
| Senators will go upel the field each player
occupying the same position as at the close
| Of the season of '95. A large gathering
| will be present, and it is foregone con-
| clusfon that very interesting game will
| be played. The national game is very I'M
| certain, and predictions are out of place.
but 1t is an even bet that the locals win.
Every player of the local team is in first
| class condition, sore arms and backs being
| out of the race, and all are full of conf
dence
! Professional base ball prophets abound in
Washington. Some have placed the Sena-
tors as high as the first division; others as
| low as tenth, but no lower. While every
| indication which usually guides the judg-
i ment of a base ball crank points directly
at the Washington club as belonging to the
second division, there Is in the team the
| possibility of better things, which in the
natural course of base ball chances might
| land 1t among the leading clubs. If one
were asked in what department the club Is
| strong, one could not truthfully say that it
was perfect in any. Mercer, Maui. Boyd
and Anderson are good pitchers; Maui Is
| good for one game week, and there may
be Rusie among the remainder Of the
pitching corps, Malarky, McJames, Gilroy
and Boswell and if there is. the club will
cut pretty figure in the 1876 race. If the
pitching corps fails the Senators are
doomed for second division honors, but
even an advance of a place or two will be
looked upon as good work, and still better
things looked forward to in '97.
The catching department is all right.
Mcclure will do the bulk of the catching.
nothing hattar.
while McAuley who has proven himself to
be first-class man, will be handy In case
of accidents. The infield looks all right.
Cartwright will do better work this season
than last, Crooks and Joyce will play their
usual strong game. and DeMontreville is
expected to astonish the natives of the
around the league circle. No man in the
infield can afford to lag in his work with a
man like Rogers sitting on the bench, as
he can play any position. and the way he
the first class Setback and Abbey in the
outfield cannot be improved upon, and If
Brown bats up to about go he should be
able to hold on to center garden. He is the
fastest runner on the nine, great fielder
and good thrower. Lush is good in any
department of the game, running. throw
ing, batting and fielding, and will keep the
three men in the outfield keyed up to their
best efforts.
The greater part of the teams success de-
Ponds upon Capt. Joyce. Good, clever ham
in the race, and the experience Capt. Bill'
has had with the best teams in the country
should enable him to get the best work
possible out Of his followers. Joyce has
been laundering for chance to display his
ability as a manager, and 1t Is given out
that this year he is to have a free rein
With no favors asked Every man on the
| nine will play his best for Joyce as he is
great Jollier, and knows perfectly we'll how
| to smother up the weak points In a young
player and bring forward only the best.
Capt. Joyce's career during the first month
| of the season will be watched with interest,
and until that time has expired it would be
well for the base ball public to suspend its
judgment and wait. The team should not
finish worse than last season, and indica-
tons point to the belief that they will do
much better.
The trouble in Petersburg Wednesday, be-
tween the local club and the Baltimore
players, demonstrated the fact long known
to many followers of the game that the
Orioles would go to the we'll once too often
with their rowdy tactics. Players in the
National League and attendants upon the
game nave frequently uttered threats I'M
der their breath, against the Maryland
players as result Of their well-known
methods but the opposition went no fur
Their. In small towns it is different. The
people swear by their club, and will LET
rothing stand in their way to help them
along. The Orioles made bad break when
they kicked on the umpire at PETERSBURG
NO one for a minute, thought the local
club was better, and as they were out for
practice they should have taken their medi
cine without word. Jennings used Ian
guage toward the Petersburg second base
man that only coward would take, and
that he was "slugged" demonstrated that
what might go" in National League cities
tight at the hotel was also the result of
Aellys conduct the day previous Ouarles
was umpiring. anu Kelly called him eyerv
, .hlng but gentleman: The Petersburg
n prptv~ L.
De reached by President Young and n 10
doubtful if Uncle Nick would do anyth;ng
II ne could, as he is perfectly familiar with
~ the Or,oie Boys, but it is a safe prediction
~ make that followers of the game in
eleven cities outside of Baltimore received
the intelligence of the Orioles call-down
Win WI great degree of satisfaction. The
cry against the treatment their favori4.s
s rec put refused to give the Virginia
side Of the story. 1t is hoped that the Ias-
son Will benefit the Baltimores.
me coming season in base ball will he
ole OF the greatest in the history Of the
game fast or there are many false prophets.
Last season was one that showed y ri
anee on the right side of the ledper 80
.he coming year bids fair to outdo the nast
~ ~. enthusiasm and attendance From all
terest is G bein comes word that in
eIat IS no doubt due to the closer race
LOT the pennant last year. In an EXHIBIT
.ioh game last Sunday at Cincinnati tha
attendance reached something like 5o0
and In Louisville the attendance has been
IN the neighborhood Of 1900 at each game
In the east the interest is equally as great
put IL mas been worth mans life to at,
tend the games on account of the disaeree-
ties. AiopdoLi-
In an Interview wired the Boston :Jour-
nal from Cincinnati last Wednesday. Man
aser bancroft of the Red Legs makes the
following prediction as to the standing ~
the clubs al the end of the season: BOSTON
baltimore, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Brook.
lyn, Cleveland. and perhaps Pittsbure.
prominent In the first division, with Rosr
tons chances best for the pennant. with
New York. Washington, Louisville and ST
Louis to contetnd for tail-end honors. The
prediction is all right as to the first d.
vision, but the chances are the Cincinnatis
will be fighting the Senator's for seventh
place before the season comes to an end
The Phillies appear to be the fayorites
down this way for 1rst-place honors.
Just think of man weighing two hun-
dred and sixty-five pounds being one of the
best, If not the best, pitcher in the National
League. One would think that man of
that weight would be so bulky that he
would be in his own way. Yet there was