The morning times., 1896-07-18
WILL "scRAPPf' REMAIN /?
Gus Schmelz May Be Rein
stalled as Manager.
MR.. WAGNER TO DECIDE
Poor Playing of the Senator's Has
Made IA Shake-Up Necessary and
Heroic Treatment VIII BE Under
taken-The Club Is Capable of Play
ing Better Ball. rs

1t is IA condition, not theory" that con-
fronts the management 6f the Washington
Baseball Club ut the present time.
IL is u condition requiring drastic treat
ment; no milk and water policy will suffice
10 cure the ills into which the club has
fallen. - II
Whether the remedy may be worse than
the disease Is the subject or which The
Times will treat. fCsf
Let it be Understood that this paper esti-
mates the local representative OF the
National League OF baseball clubs as an
estaDnshed Institution OF Tile city.
Baseball Is the accredited pastime most
in FAVOR, ana has constituency a respect
able and as large as the dranias or any
or lne valued uiversions OF the people.
The game las risen 10 that eminence that
it commands the patronage Dr all classes
ana has Justified itself into the esteem OF
the public TO the extent that each Individual
city comprising part or the League, feels
a similar pride in its bah club as il does
in It's fire department, police service or
military org anizations. Local pride is
basic principle or the American people
and through 10 channel is this feeling more
intensely or more jealousy expressed than
in-the realty TO It's baseball cluD.
Especially has this been true of the
Washington public this season. Long ac-
custoned to feeding their hopes on hlsks
and on chips and whetstones, they were
famishing IOr u change from the non salts
flying menu, and when early tllis year the
club gave promise or a respectable show
ing iU the great race that interests Il dozen
OF the ciiiel cities OF the country. enthusiasm
knew no bounds, and the club was given a
support that was not only surprising to
the most sanguine at home, but that oc-
casioned comment from the press and
public over the entire League circuit.
BASEBALL HUNGRY.
In other words, Washington, after the
long famine, was baseball hungry and it
appeared as II ..Scrappy- and his band'
had filled the bill.
Game after game was wrested from the
strongest opponents ana there was a snap,
dash and get-there about the club that
set the fans wild and brought to the
team a degree Of fealty hitherto unknown
in the city.
Through April and May, and into the
June da Us 'Scrappy and his band' weaved
winning row, Dut tine approach OF July
brought its portion OF defeat and the mis-
fortune Increased steadily until now it seems
as If disaster had rc-envelOped the club
and doomed 1t to return 10 the sloIgh
OF despond in which it has floundered so
hopelessly in seasons gone by.
As to the cause for the slump, The Times
will not undertake to specify.
There are rumors OF dissipation, OF in
OF lax discipline, Of poor
of which would quickly explain the trouble
and make plain the almost continued chain
OF losses OF the past three weeks.
In the absence OF absolute proof as TO
either charge The Times VIII not ind-;t
the team in any particular. That they are
losing games STEADILY to clubs confessediy
prove that a shake up is necessary.
BY saying shake- up which is an
accepted term in noting the reorganiza-
tion or Teincarnation OF II ball club, The
Times does not wish To convey the i'm
preston that it favors the deposing OF
Joyce from the active control OF the team.
The Times would give rScrappy' every
chance possible ana notwithstanding the
shaving al club rpcentlV IL is
inI lined to believe that he has been more
sinned against than SHINING and that IL
his own men, 10 whom he has been uni
formly kind and considerable while having
them under his control, had only performed
their duties as steadily and eonscientiousy
as he has discharged the responsibility
clouds would have beset the club and
the successes of the early part OF the
season would have been continued.
The writer ha khown joyce personally
since his debut rs O professional ball
pla yer in the Texas League ,'and has Kept
close watch on his cafter from minor
Lacquer to an accepted master Of the
"a I'c and star pla yer in the1naJor organi-
zation. =
JOYCE IF ANYONE.
II Joyce does not know baseball, nobody
does, and if he has made failure OF
handling the Washington dub it is not
due to his incapa bility or has Inisconception
OF the responsibility reposed i'll him, but
WITHOUT uutslibH III lHo Hhiftis VI tHtst III
position to know, is owing ito n lack of
nearly CO. operation on the part OF several or
the men placed under his charge.
Joyce was educated in the John Ward
school of baseball. and like, his able pre-
ceptor, he believes in putting his
players on their honor rather than in
subjecting them to a surveillance OF the
da rk lantern order. He only asks them 10
play bail, and that they have taken license
from his laxity to unfit themselves for
their duties makes him a victim or ms
placed confidence and renders IT his mis-
fortune but not his fault
The Times does not speak authortively.
but will state that the probabilities are
that Mr.. Schmelz will supercede Joyce
as the active manager of the club within
the next few days. Such a change would
mean that Schmelz would re-occupy his
seat on the playefs'. bench and direct the
field play of the club by the "Schpelz
code OF Signals He would also assign
the pitcher for each contest. and would
otherwise place the players and operate
the game ffop the bench.
word in regard 10 Gus Schmeiz. He is