The Saint Paul globe., 1897-06-06
RUsIE THE TERROR OF THE CHI
CAGO AGGREGATION-ORI
EASY FOR BROOKLYN.
AUSTRALIANS ARE A FAILURE
Show "a LamentabIe Lack OF KnOwI
edge of the Great American
Game.
corresnonhanna Of the c1ohe

athletes Of the universities are not, as
a rule, the best students. 1t is proba-
bly, no secret that Yale university par
ticularly has sacrificed much intelli-
gence upon the altar Of athletics and
sports. Old Ellis supremacy in all
contests of muscle has not been sue
cesssfully challenged for years, and the
pride of it has taken possession of
the faculty as well as of the students.
This supremacy in general is not so
pronounced as 1t was several years ago.
Princeton is pushing the New Haven
people, especially in base ball. 1t looks
very much as if the Tigers were going
to win the college base ball champion
ship with ease, judging by the make
up of the various teams. or course
this does not anticipate surplus of
accidents The team has already been
weakened by the injury of Easton, who
will hardly play in any more or the
championship games But even Win
Easton out it looks like an easy task
for the Jerseymen to win the pennant
again They undoubtedly have the
strongest team that has ever repre-
sented the university.
That visit from the Australian base
ball players has been a complete fali-
ure 1t is not the fault of Americans,
but Of the Australians themselves. They
came heralded as representative team
from the antipodes, and as such ar
ransiements were made to entertain
them and give them a chance to show
their skill in every league city OF the
United States. San Franciscans got tna
first experience as hosts. They touno
the Australias pleasant guests ami
hi rQY1f1 AhOmlnaOlA
ball players Their attempts to play
the American game were so Wretcheu
that it was inviting Insults from spec
tators to let them go upon the field
The result has been that these mis-
guided men from "the bush" are ad-
vised to confine their visit to the "a
c.fic slope and not cross the ROCKY
mountains except in the characters of
private citizens and unprofessional
tourists
1t was originally intended to give
these visitors a chance to play upon
every national and minor league ground
in the Union by arranging an exhibit
ton with the home club few hours
before regular scheduled champion
ship game The committee which had
the arrangements for their entertain
ment in hand has kindly given them
the same advice which was once given
to the young man who was about to,
be married: Don't"
1t is seldom that a single accident
puts out OF the game two such highly
respectable players as Captain Robin
son, of the Baltimores, and John A
NcPhee, of the Cincinnatis In col
lisioEs of this kind there is usually
malice behind them, but the very char
acter of the two victims precludeS
even a suspicion of such a motive. 1t
was playing the game which did it.
Robinson blocked the plate while re-
ceiving the ball. McPhee alive to the
situation, attempted to raise the block
by. feet first slide. Robinson was
game. A collision was the inevitable
result. Robinson made the play, but
, at the expense of great pain and dam
age to both men. He himself was so
badly gashed under the kneecap by
the spikes on McPhee's shoes that he
will play no more probaly till July, if
he be not permanently lamed, and Nc
Fhee was sent to- bed with painfully
sprained ankle. ss~--es s..
All this for the sake of one run
Robinson came. off the victor in the
play, but the greater victim The two
clubs lost in the future services of.
! these star players many times the
worth of that fatal run. Burt the un-
fortunate incident serves to show the
despera ton which professional ball
players put into their work and the ex-'
treme chances for personal injury
which are taken in every game.
Surprises in the national game never
cease. The Cincinnatis checked the
Baltimores' triumphant march with
three successive defeats which. made
their own string ten consecutive victo-
ries. Then the BrooklynS, rated far
below either the Champions or the
Reds, went to Cincinnati and gave the
conquerors of the Baltimores three
most impressive drubbings. AT the sanla
0I,S1 L.
into its Western trip with six straight
victories at ST. Louis and Louisville.
Then came one of those ''toboggaq
slides" which has been peculiar. In the .
National league races with the Phil
lies only. The cause is plain and has
been plain for several years to every
one but the managers of the Philadel-
phia club. who persistently close their
eyes against the fact; the clubs pitch
ing is weak, unreliable and timid. The.
rest of the team has been strength
ened, but a ton Of sand is needed in
the pitchers box.
The Bostons, who started off with II
string of eight defeats before a single
victory was won have rallied nobl5...
and have been passing through their
field with telling effect In strong con
trast is the utter Decentralization
which has beset the Chicago team
team which before the race began.
was rated as a dangerous factor g in
the championship - 80
Several of the star pitchers of tn = :,
major league are diSa ppointments 81
far in the fight Men llke Meekin.
Young, Dwyer, Rreitenstein, Hawley
and Taylor have been hit hard nearly
every time they faced a foe this spring,
All have hot. weather arms and none of
them can acquire speed till the mus.
cles of their wings are thoroughly
"thawed out" Meekin, Young, Bret
tenstein and Dwyer. particularly, will
make up for lost time after hot wealth
er sets in to stay
One of the strange but well estab-
lished facts in base ball is Rusie's In
vulnerability against the Chicago team,
1t has existed ever since Rusie was a
pitcher. Arson himself declares
Whenever Amos Rusie marches out
on the field against us, 1T is all over
but the grunting and groaning" The
feeling also pervades Chicago. specta-
tors. On the day when the big fellow
pitched in that city during the recent
Western trip, spectator In the stand
asked Capt. Joyce, WHO will pitch for
your nine ?" "Rusie," was the reply.
The spectator dropped into his seat
uttering the three words, "Oh, good
Lord!' and his neighbors greeted the
well known sentiment with laughter
This misgiving did not go wrong.
Though Rusie pitched with sore arm
and used none of his great speed, the
Colts were shut out. Not one of them
reaching third base In 1895 Amos per-
formed the unusual task of shutting
Anson's men out on their own grounds
twice with only day between the two