The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-11
ORIOLES BAD LUCK
LAW OF COMPENSATION SEEMS TO
BE APPLIED TO BASE
BALL.
PUNCHING OF INJURIES
PUT THE THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS
OUT OF THE RACE FOR A TIME
AT LEAST.
PROPHETS HAVE AN INNING.
Pitching n Feature of This Seasons
Games-Great Hunt for
T.virIers.


they follow. The Baltimore base ball
club has had a practical Illustration
of the great Shakespeare's meaning
when he put those words into the
mouth of one of his famous characters.
All last winter players and expert
writers on the game were united in
their expressed belief that the Balti-
more team would this season be due
for it's share of Ill luck. The probable
reason of this general prophecy was
the fact that for three years that team
had played with a marvellous freedom
from accident to it's men in spite Of
the dashing and reckless style of it's
play, and also the well established
theory that misfortunes are part of the
great game and it's rare uncertainties
in which each team in the course Of
time evens UP with its copartners.
Whether that which was predicted
last winter was the spirit of true
prophecy, only a common guess, or the
result of this evening-up theory may
not be shown conclusively. But the
turn was called" The Baltimores'
misfortunes began ON their first West
ern trip, when Doyle was hit on the
head with a pitched ball and put out
of the game for several weeks. When
the team got to Cincinnati, Capt. Rob-
inson was badly spiked on one knee
and laid up. Catcher Clark soon after
ward suffered from a split thumb and
joined Robinson "in the hospital" AS
soon as Doyle got back upon the nine
Stencil fell i'll and was followed by
Kelley. In the New York-Baltimore
series at Baltimore the regular nine
got together again, but the chapter
Of accidents was not closed. Robinson
had gone back too soon and the old
wound in the knee had to be reopened.
In the important series between the
leaders in Boston, Keller suffered a
sprain of the groin and that great
little run maker left the nine for the
first time in nearly four years.
Still the tide of accidents flowed In.
The team went to New York and in
the game on the Polo grounds an ill
bounding ball hit Doyle in the left
eye, closing it in less than five
minutes. Then came the worst accident
Of all. One of Rusie's terrific high in
shoots struck Jennings on the head
just above the left temple. The great
player staggered and then fell. When
he recovered consciousness, he insist
ed on playing, and for an inning went
through his work. Then he began to
talk incoherently, and q his fellow
players realized that Hughey's injury
was serious. He was led off the field
taken to his hotel and put to bed, sur
fering from slight conclusion of the
BRAIN
This chain Of accidents to the BaIti-
more club is almost unprecedented. 1t
is only equaled by the misfortunes
which punched themselves upon the
New York team in 1895, whereby
Doyle, Davis, Rusie, Meekin, Herman
and Wilson were all most severely In.
jured during that season. The Balti-
more punching of injured players
came at such an important period that
it may have put them out of their
chance to win the pennant for the
fourth successive time.
This injury to Jennings was not a
surprise to players who are familiar
with his reckless methods. How he
has escaped so long is the mystery
Jennings has a record for being hit
by pitched balls. He took all sorts Of
chances of getting his base by that
method, and, while seemingly trying
to avoid the ball, he actually was put
ting himself in the way of it, General
ly the great short stops skill in this
respect was so great that he man
aged to escape bodily injuries. but his
recklessness of leaning over the plate
has probably received a final check
No man can ever be hit as was Jen>
nings without the result being a TIM
idity at bat thereafter.
Watkins, manager Of the Indianap-
Oils club, had his career as a player
cd INV nit hoI rr,h; Ii l,
on the head almost in the exact place
where Jennings was hit. 1t occurred in
Cincinnati. Gus Shallix, a left-hander,
pitched the ball. Watkins was a mad
man until physicians succeeded in ges-
ting him under the inf1uncc of anaes
theticS. After he recovered a spot of the
hair just above where the ball struck
him was found to be snow white. That
mark of the great pain which he suf-
fered he carries to this day. He was
never worth anything as a batsman
afterWard.
Pitchers! Pitchers! Pitchers! That
is the cry which is going up through
most Of the league circuits. New York
has surplus, Boston is we'll stocked,
Cincinnati can stand pat, but the 9TH
er mines are confeSSing their need of
better box" talent. Even the cham
pion Baltimores announce that they
have unlimited supplies of money to
buy what is not in the market-frst-
class pitchers.
Tebeau needed help in that depart
ment, and last winter he picked up two
young men on the recommendation OF
friends. One was Pappalau, the cole
gian; the other was John Powell, a
young man who had done good work
in the semi professional clubs of Chi
cago, almost under the eye of Uncle
Arson, who is one of those that are
"shy'' in "twirling" talent.
Powell din't get a trial till after the
Clevelands returned from their disas-
trous Eastern trip. Then sheer nee
essity induced Manager Tebeau to use
him against the Louisvilles one day
and he held his opponents down 10
three hits. Tebeau took him along to
Chicago, and he went in against the
Colts, who made only six hits The
indications are that the Clevelands
have found in Powell a jewel. And yet
two games do not make a pitcher 5
reputation.
1t has been a long time since the
Western clubs of the National league
made such poor showing on an East
ern trip as they did during the inter
sectional series in June. The Chicagos
did best of all, winning six and losing
eight The Cincinnatis come next with
four victories and six defeats. The
other tours records were: ClevelandS,
won 5, lost IL; St Louis, won 4, lost
10; Pittsburgs, won 3, lost 10; Louis
A Thaca