The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-06
WITH the BALL PLAYERS|
Changes That Are Contemplated ID
Nake.Cp Of Team.
THOSE SLATED FOR RELEASE
Oiher PLAYERS VIII lie Changed from the
Positions They Now Occupy as
Soon as Proper Material Can
DC Obtained.

Special from a STAFF Correspondent.
Providence. r. l.. May 5.-Now that
three championship games have been
Played it should be possible to form
some emphatic opinion of the Scranton
club; more correctly speaking it
would be" possible if the present
makeup comprised the real Scranton
team. The real team, however. is not
yet, nor will it be until a new center
fielder, shortstOp and catcher are Sc
cured and Mcguire Is cured of his
sprained ankles and gets into his regu-
lar place at third.
1t is not likely that Hess or Rafferty,
will be long retained for backstop
work. McDermott believes Hess has
seen his best days as far as alertness
and base-throwing are concerned, and
Rafferty, is palpably weak with the
stick. He catches we'll and throws
fairly good, and, II his recent lame arm
has not seriously crippled him. will do
most of the catching until a permanent
man is secured for the position.
"Ole Hoss" Chiles now seems a fix
ture at first. Whatever strangeness he
exhibits in the position will be bal
anced by his always reliable hitting.
Chiles' permanency at first. however
Is on the suppOsition that the Power
deal will fall through. If Power comes
as his hitting Is too valuable to be lost.
THE HUTCHINSON DEAL.
The Hutchinson deal has developed q
peculiar status. Friday the Hassamer
negotiation was dropped and advance
money forwarded Hutchinson with in-
structions to come north at once. The
latter wired Saturday that "he was
waiting for Hassamer." McDermott an
swered Indicating that Hutch and
"RcaIing Bill" could very properly
mind each his own business and for
the former to pull stakes. What was
McDermott's disappointment Yesterday
to receive a message from McCloskey,
the Louisville manager. 70 the eaect
that Hutchinson was waiting for ad-
vance money. Then McDermott did get
red-heedcd and wired McCloskey that
Hutchinson had his advance money and
ticket, and that he (McDermott) was
tired of this monkey business"
So until the Louisville man reports
Flack will play short. Then he will
go to third and Deitrick will be dropped.
When Mcguire RECEIVERS the full use
Of his ankles Flack will go to the
bench as an extra player.
Eagan and Meaney are. of course.
elected to lef! and right Bradley, in
fielder. In the Springfield games he
made but two singles out Of nine times
at bat. That's why he seems slated for
release.
Perhaps the list that follows will show
how worthless now Is any criticism of
Scranton's strength and chance for the
pennant. An asterisk () appears op-
posite the name of each player slated
| for release and two asterisl,s % r)
opposite the names of those whose posi-
tions may be changed or who will be
| benched:
SITUATION AT PRESENT.
sHess, catcher.
| Rafferty,, catcher
| a"Chiles, first baseman.
| Ward, second baseman.
| H*Flack. shortstop.
| 'De!tr.ck. third basemaA
| Eagan, left fielder.
| "Bradley, center fielder.
| Meaney, right fielder.
"'Maguire. third baseman.
The following list gives only that part
Of the makeup which Is positively as.
sured:
-. catcher
| -, catcher.
-, first baseman
Ward, second baseman.
| Hutchinson, shortstop.
Mcguire third baseman.
Eagan, left fielder.
| -, center fielder.
Meaney, right fielder.
Chiles and Flack may be considered
with the foregoing as players who VIII
be retained; the former positively, a,
| first or In the Outfield, and the lattel
probably, as an extra player.
Fortunately. very fortunately, Scran-
ton is as long on pitchers as the team
Is short on permanent makeup. Juhn.
son, Horner and Brown will at least
rank with any trio Of pitchers on any
given club in the league. and In such
comparison 1t would not be surprising
IL they We're found to Outrank any three
others. Herr. possibly, could figure In
this same comparison. McDermott's
confidence In him goes for something
anyhow.
Tom Burns, the Springfield manager
says johnson is the best pitcher In the
league barring Coughlin. But a!
Coughlin is Burns star twirler. th'
Springfield managers statement Is no
much weakened by his equivocatlon
Umpire Doescher. too, says Johnson!
delivery makes it extremely difficult t
be corr ect on balls and strikes, more
difficult. he says, than with any of thu
'95 pitchers.
NEED OF A CAPTAIN.
A weak point with Scranton is th'
lack of a captain. Ward is acting cap
tain but as far as the title is concerned
1t is, in Wards case, hollow. He is ad
mitted to be the best combination O
second -basaman, base-runner an(
sticNer in the league. but there his use
fulness ceases; Piggy" Ward wa
never designed for a captain. 1t re
quires peculiar qualities for the offic'
which Ward doesn't possess Fortu
nately he knows this and Is anxious
that someone be secured for the place
He is willing to continue temporarily
That. too. Is fortunate as he Is the bes
man on the team for the position.
McDermott was after Hernon. high
record Kansas City outfielder with
95 fat batting and fielding average
When Mac decided to take him he ha,
left for the West.
The fact that Scranton IS beginning
the season with a crazy-quilt team |
not because Of lack of effort on McDer
motifs part or because of luke-warm
ness or penury by the owners. Tn
, latter are back Of the manager in hi
| erdeavor to strengthen each wea
point as early as possible and he ha
, been keeping the wires singing nigh
and day to bring this about. That h
doesn't succeed faster is that at thi
,, time Of the season all the Nationa
. league clubs are holding their spar
material The flood gates will
opened In week or so and then Scran