The morning times., 1896-11-23

tween Brooklyn and Cincinnati. And as
| in the Baltimore-P Pittsburg case, both clubs
| prorited. For Tommy Corcoran. the Brook
iyn shorlstop. Cincinnati gave George G. Ger
! many'1 Smith the veteran shortstop
Chauncey Fisher. the promising pitcher,
and, il is said, $500 in sound money.
On the face of the deal, without probing
into the matter, 1t would look as if cincin-
natl paid high price forAGorcoran mas
much is Smith is generally thought to he
the equal OF any shcrtstop and that III sher
ranks well in the list OF pitchers. Then
in addition. Cincinnati paid 5000 cash To
boot.
SMITH Is GROWING OLD.
But let's delve into the deal. Germany"
Is old and 1T is not physically possible
Tor him TO last very much longer in fast
company Age brings POOR eycsight and
stiff limbs TO the BAN player. Good as
ne Is now lie can't stand the clip many
more seasons. In the way of pitchers
Cincinnati is well equipped and had no
need for Fisher. With Breitenstein,
Ehret, Rhines, and Dwyer ON the staff,
Ewing could wen afford to trade Fisher
To improve his in or outficld.
Corcoran is young and has many years
of play before him. Such fine Judge
of players as Earl Wagner is of the opinion
that Corcoran is the best all-around short
stop in the league, taking him day in
anu uhH out"uriHBd seasD II anucoISluerlnS
Min at every point in the game.
However, with all Of Corcuran's excel
lence, II was to the Brookiyn's manage
Inents advantage to dispose of him, as
1t will he 10 sell or trade those other
two stars, Mike Griffin andSTommy Nc
Carthy.
Corooran had become sulky, stubborn,
careless, and in every way dissatisfied
=" fi~oniH IA nt, N..un ~ ann NC
'arttiy. belonged 10 the cliuue that made
life miserable for Manager Foutz and
other people connected with the club.
He was disturbcr and a disorganizcr
and despite his individual ability it
was a necessity for him To be transferred
elsewhere in order that team work and
harmony might prevail among the ''TroL
ley Dodgers"
With the above facts in view, co onsider-
ing both the Cincinnati and Bro oklyn ends
IL leo Ks as If neither club suffered by the
exchange, but to the co ntrary, both prof
tied. In the long run, say several seasons,
Cincinnati will have the better Of it, as
Corcoran, barring accident, will outiaSt
Smith at short and Will yet be in his prime
after '.Germany's" age has forced him
from the diamond.
PASSING OF KING CROoKS.
Two other deals were made that af.
fected players well known in Washington
one that transferred Jack Crooks from
Louisville TO Columbus, of the Western
League, and that moved Bert Meyers, q
home hoy, from third base in st. Louis
to like position on Connie Mack's Mil
waukee team.
The Cruo ks deal means the passing
of the once king of second bascmen from
the bi league forever. Jacks sun reached
its meridian several years ago and his
re-entrteintOra fast co mpany in "a Washington
uniform during the season Of S95 was
but as the Spgttering OF q candle before
its final going out.
The pace was too fast for the king
and he has been relegatcd to the minor
league, where the gait is not 50 demand
ing on his hca d andhands.
Jack-may good luck ever attend him
takes his medicine chccrfully and in "A
letter to the writer says he has no pangs
Says Jack: Really, l will I've glad to he
witn Tom Loftus ptscovrrcrs | liavc
played in that city and viii be right at
home. My leg is all right and | VIII
be back in the game with both feet and
legs next season. | had tough luck last
year but the old sport is not discouraged. -
tits saidthat LOTUS will secure our George
Tebeau t"White Wings - to manage Co.
lumbus and that Crooks will play second
and captain the team. Jack writes that
he is wearing whIskerS Il Ia SchmriL, Dlu
that he will run il lawn mo wer over his face
on next ground hog day.
Bert Meyers does not take kindly to his
transfer To Milwaukee. No; that lie las
an aversion to getting away from ST Louis
and Won .icr Abe nor that he has the least
objection to Connie Mack and Milwaukee,
So far as that part OF il is concerned. Bert
is pleased. He relishes the idea OF csca ping
from Won der Abe and the st. Louis club,
even il he will have to do service IN u
minor league for season.
What makes Bert sore is that Man
ager Dowd threw him down. On
lea"ing st. Louis at the end of the se;lsun.
Dowd told Bert, voluntarily, that he would
not be sold or traded no matter what other
changes were made, and when Bert read in
the papers that Tommy was a the Chicago
meeting of the league for the express pur-
pose of trading him for Hartman of Mil
waukee, on the best terms obtainable. his
confiiencain Tomm reached the Zcrumark
BERT WILL BETTER HIMSELF.
otwithstsnding Bert's feelings in the
matter, his friends are universally con-
graduating him on getting away from St
Louis and falling into the good hands of
Connie Mack. His salary will be the same
$1,000, in Milwaukee and the season will
be shorter by a month and a half. That is
he will get as Inuch FOR four and half
months work in the Western League as he
did for six months in the National.
The st. Louis club was guilty Of sins of
omission and commission last season and
Bert had to suffer for the faults of others
That he will come back to the big league
again admits of no question.
Under the training of Connie Mack, VINO
is his friend personally and admirer pro-
fessionally, Bert will make rapid strides
and il is sure that he will be rcGiifted
into the big league at the end OF next season
il indeed his release is not purchased from
Milwaukee before July of the coming
year. Certainly he is the most piotnisIug
third basemen in the business and astute
managers of National League clubs will not
lose sight of him at Milwaukee
The local grist in baseball furnishes
nothing new There is a rumOr around
town that DeMontreville and Mcclure and
$4,000 in cash will be given for Dahlen and
Lange of Chicago, but to contradict this is
Mr.. Wagner's assertion that not a man
on the Washington club is for sale or trade
except Pitcher Flynn and Catcher Nc
Auley.
Minor League Magnate Ted Sullivan,
who recently returned from Europe is
spending the mid-seaSun between this city
and Baltimore, and regales his friends with
choice bon mots about his trip to the old
country.
Ted has made no plans for next season
and ithough h..nas been offered ha fra nchises
at Lowell. Mass. and san Antonio. Texas.
he thinks II cute rrn5atle that he VIII take
one seasons vacation from baseball and
attempt the management of theatrical
cumnany which is billed TO go on the road
January l out of New York.
JACK GILROY's FUTURE.
Jack Gilroy, who was a Senator lit the
fall of 80 and the spring of '96 AMI who
was sold to Norfolk or the Virginia League,
is spending the win5ar ~ his home i'll this
city. Jack proved n success in the Virginia
League and will be Il star in the Atlantic