San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-31
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ball player during the team of his en-
plOyment: that he assumes all risk of
accident of injury in playing or other
wise, and of illness from whatever
cause, and of the effects of all acct
dents, injury or illness occurring to
him during said period of employ
ment; that should the party OF the
second part become i'll or unfit for
service the party of the first part
shall have the right to discipline, sus-
pend or discharge the party OF the
second part; that should the party of
the second part be discharged the par
ty of the first part shall be released
from all further payments of money
to the party of the second part. CN
cepting money accrued before such
dismissal" It would probably not
he unwise to bind some of the Texas
LEGISLATORS to contract of that kind
before they take the oath of office.
!
Arson and COnnOr are the only two
men who were playing ball in 1876
that were found in the major league
last year, while Glasscock and Hines,
who were playing from 1876 were
with minor league teams during the
, past season. OF all the other players
of the leading teame of 1876 only
Nash. Brouthers, Thompson, Pfeffer,
Ryan, DOnnelly, Ewing, Camel, Gle
mentS, Mcguire, Quinn, G.. +. Daley,
Miller W. Robinson, Bierbauer, Ly-
ons. McGarr. Terry, George Smith,
McPhee and Latham were found with
the inaiOr league teams of 1896. OF
these Daley. BrOuthers and Latham
| remained only n short time the last
two finishing the season with minor
league teams.
Away back in the summer of 81 the
San Antonio baseball crankS reveled
| with delight when the Sunsets" took
a victory. which, sad to rela'" was
an extreme rarity. But the Sunsets
played good ball. and everybOdT Tx ii
tn"Dl for that rCFsCn. The only tr'r-
| hle was mat the score was gene aIlE
on the wrong side. Their memory is
cherished by not Il few who can re-
! call some of the exciting contests
the Sunsets figured in those days. It
was league consisting of semi-pro-
| feSSiOnal teams, and the Sunsets Of
| this city, the Dallas Browns. the Gal
weston Reds and the Houston Nation
ais were in the circuit The CatcheT'S
mitt was then yet unknown and the
mask was in its infancy. The pride
Of the Sunsets was their catcher. He
was Il switchman in the Sunset yards,
named Charley Palmer. He was
Familiarity known as smoky" and
was to San Antonio what "Silver"
Flint was to Chicago. Smoky" new
er wore Il mask nor gloves, but took
the balls from the bat as the pitcher
would speed them over. He always
took delight in keeping the spectators
in Il fit of laughter, and was what is
termed as Il grand stand player.
But the manager, who was John Cav
anaugh, allowed him these privileges
for Smoky always played the game"
He was never in the game unless he
was smoking a big cigar. With two
strikes on the batsman he would go
up without mask or gloves, place
his cigar on the home plate and work
the batter. One of his favOrite plays
would be to stand on the home plate
with his head directly under the bat
while the pitcher was in the act of
delivering the ball. \ timid batsman
would not strike at the ball for fear
of hitting the catcher, but Smoky
would tell him to hit the bali and not
mind him. As the ball reached the
batSman Smoky would step back, but
the batter was more afraid of hitting
Smokey than the ball and was often
called out on strikes.
i oil In N a hD xsn
their peculiar traits. Here is a speci-
men of coaching umpires by Buck"
Ewing when he was the star backStOp
Of the New York Joints" not many
summers ago: Say, Gully hOws
that" Right over the plate, old
man." The people in the
stand are dead on to YOU" oh, say,
now, Gully he touched him three
feet away from the base; put your
specs on, Gull and give us show"
Watch the ball, 'Cul,' that was
good one, or ! wouldn't say So" NE
Cul. you're wrong there; the man was
out; We'll never win unless we get
fair shake" Then at another time
it would run like this: Put your eyes
| in front of your head. Be a man or
a monkey; don't be cross between
the two" For heavens sake, if you
are dumb say so, but don't stand
/ there like mummy and say a ball.
when you know it's Il strike" Il don't
thing you're a rObber, old man, but
this isn't a case Of petty larceny
never was out of jail"
| A murder was recently committed
| in San Francisco, in which one Dave
Force was implicated. There is an
old ball player named Davy Force,
who was shortstOp for the st. Louis
team twenty years ago, and he was
at one time suspected of be-
ing the man the police were
| after. At any rate there
are no new developments in the MUIR
der mystery, but this is how the
Washington Post describes the search
for the fugitive: "a local detective
called on President Nick Young yes
terday and asked for a description OF
| Dave Force. the fugitive eX-ball t;sS-