Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-16
How the Clubs Are Doing Compared
With Last Season.
THE WESTERN TEAMS OPPORTUNITY
Weakness in the Box of the
Washingtons.
ENCOURAGING THE PLAYERS

clubs should be making hay while the sun
shines, but, without going into official
figures, they are faring worse this year
than last with their eastern opponents
When the schedule was made out last year
the western clubs were given the advantage
of the first home series with the eastern
clubs, as the magnates recognized the fact
that the former was the weaker end of the
big organization, and by giving them the
advantage of a good start-off, better patron
age and standing in the pennant race would
be the result.
Last year their calculations proved cor
rect. This season they appear to have gone
awry. Chicago, Cleveland and Cincinnati
are the only clubs that are playing up to
last years form, while Pittsburg, St. Louis
and Louisville are slowly but surely drop
ping back in the race.
If the three best clubs in the western
wing of the league can only hold their own
while playing games at home. it is a cor
rect conclusion to arrive at that the COM
ing eastern trip will prove disastrous to the
crtire six western clubs. Pittsburg has
proved to be the rankeSt gutter of the
league this season, but correct explana-
ton of the cause is almost impossible when
the puGnacious capabilities of the team are
considered.
Compared with last years team the Pitts
burgs should be heading the procession
with comfOr. able margin. They led last
year with two ordinary men at short and
third, and with killen not in condition.
This season with Ely at short, Lyons at
third, both of whom are playing excep-
t!onally good ball. and Killen in fine fettle,
the club is almost hundred points behind
last year in the percentages.
If Hawley and killen continue the yellow
streak developed in the Washington and
Baltimore series, the Pittsburg club will
be crowded out Of the first division before
the eastern trip is concluded.
The other two weak teams in the western
division, St Louis and Louisville. have
gr0dT tai, 1a fail ia1lr off
so much was expected of them by their
friends St Louis, on paper, looked to have
been strengthened, but the contrary has
been the case. There are many why's
and wherefores'' in connection with the ST
Louis situation that it would take columns
Tor an adequate explanation. Louisville is
playing poor ball simply because it hasn't
me players who are familiar enough with
the game to compete with seasoned clubs
But one experienced player. 'Foghorn"
Miller, Is on the team, and from the way he
mas been knocking around with the race
track people it would be better if the team
was made up of youngsters in it's entirety
OF the eastern wing of the league, New
York has proved to be the only rank out
slider, in the parlance of the race track
Had the New York mana cement signed
Rus1e II is safe to say they would be doing
hetter this year than last. and in that case
'EeTe would nave been a good chance of
growing the entire six western clubs into
the second column of the percentage tables
brooklyn this time last season had a per-
NtAtdSt Ol While TO-DAY II is hugginC
tenaciOusly to the 800 mark This club is
doing. apparently. the worst work of the
eastern section, excepting New York while
IN reality they are away ahead of last sea-
sons work The Senators are also over
Hp better than last year in the percentages
and the indications are that they will surely
90 great work when the club returns to
National Park. Philadelphia, Boston and
Baltimore have all improved over last year
and the Improvement seems to be perma-
nent, demonstrating that the row the west
r1rr he mill
der OF the season Will be NOR than usually
hard.
1t makes a great difference in forming a
decision on a certain play whether the
Judge, If he be a newspaper writer is with
the man that carries his point successfully
or with the one that is Thrown down.
Two cases worth discussing came from Gin
cinnati last Saturday and Sunday. In Sat
urdays game the reports read that Jen-
nirgs won the game by knocking down
Third Baseman Irwin and scoring the win
ming run, while in reality Mr.. Irwin was the
aggressOr, and, in trying to block jennings
off third base. ran against a player who
knows the block game" from A to H.
Irwin doing what any other PLAYER
would have done under the circumstances
even Capt Arson, the Chesterfield of the
diamond, who never did a dishonorablc
trick In his life. Several players on the
Cincinnati team have admitted that Jen-
rings did nothing irregular. AT the same
time, 1t was TWINS play to block the run
himself for the collision, that's ALL and he
got the worst of it.
The other case developed during Sundays
game between Washington and Cincinnati
Maui was pitching poor ball, and no doubt
felt sore when Little Tim Hurst threw a
few drops of water him, but that was
hardly an excuse for the pitcher to throw
bat at the little umpire. Later reports
indicate that Maui was all in the wrong
but the newspaper stories sent east put an
entirely different complexion upon the af-
f1i al oil r.
world whether the newspaper man travel
ing with the visiting club is there for the
purpose of bolsterins up mistakes or to
roast" them on every occasion Both Ways
are bad. Conservative criticism is what Is
wanted.
From indications the Senators are veal.
where it was thought they were well for
titled; that is in the pitchers box. 1t would
appear as If the wrong men were sent into
Virginia McJames is doing poorly and
Anderson is in the Same class. When the
former gets them over the plate the ball
is laced out regularly, and when he is Will
he is wild. indeed. Malarkey in his widest
games was no worse. and he did really bet
ter work when the ball went over the plate
Then GilrOy was given a chance to pitch
only two innings in a regular game this
season, buS those two innings were beauty
brights." not a hit being made off him. and
he was as steady eight-day clock
But Capt. Joyce can be relied upon to
play no favorites. and what is best for the
late, as the captain-manager wants to win
games. Anderson, Maui, German and Nc
James may yet come to the front as WIN
ners, and If they do what merry clip the
Senatorial aggregation will cut out for
their oppOnentsi So far, the western
trip they have done all the conservative
followers of the game can wish. To break
even away from home is great novelty
for Washington club. and what they will
do at home will be plenty"
Another good ball player who was thought
IN he iaS hot
up good captain has fallen BY the way
side. When Latham went to the st. Louis
club 1t was thought his generalship would
be of more advantage to the club than his
playing. but the contrary has proved to
be the case, and now Roger Conner, a man
who couldn't protest If he was being
lynched, has been made captain and man
ager- Lathams case parallels those of
Doyle, McGraw, Kelley and Mccarthy. All
these players are great lieurnnants but
when given supreme command show a
wonderful lack of generalship a quality
easy to assume they would possess Doyle
was given command of the New Yorks, and