Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-02
LOOKING FOR MEN
Base Ball Manager and Policemen
Both Unsuccessful
ODMEN W0ULDHAVE ONSAfURDAY
Some Plain Talk About the Wash
ington Team.
GENERAL SPORTING MATTER

The Senators lost to the BostonS SatHr-
day when they ought to have won- The
chances are that nine other clubs in the
league would have landed a victory with
out half trying. With the lead that the
Senators had at the beginning of the game
any first class or even second class league
team ought to have won lrandily. The
only conclusion that can be drawn from
Saturdays game and a number that pre-
coded it is that the Washington team
lacks sand-in fact, that it is outelassed by
almost every league team
History Repeating Itself.
The home team recently returned from
disastrous western trip. and as conse-
quence the crowds that go to see the games
at National Park are not half as large as
they would be if some changes, which were
promised. had taken place. 1t has been
pointed out several times in The Star that
Washington base ball crowds are so loval
to the home team that they will stick to it
as long as there is any real effort on the
part of the players to play ball, coupled
with real efforts on the par. of the man
agement to secure ball players to fill weak
places when they are apparent.
from their previous western tour, when
they lost eleven out of sixteen games. The
Star of June 3 contained an article on the
situation in which was the following para
graph:
Washington is loyal base ball city
there is none more so. Good crowds will
go to see the games day after day, win Or
IL sc, 50 long as the team is as good as can
hS, n tain md
and life. but there is a limit to all things
There is no desire to dictate to the Wash
inE;on management as to what men TO get
ard how 10 place them, or to indulge in in
dividuai criticism, which has the effect of
e,lly dscouragfng the men. But MIR. Wag-
ner has been out of town for several
weeks. and he may not realize how the
stay-at-homes regard this matter. They
believe that Mr.. Wagner knows that some
thing ought to be done, and therefore they
expect him to do that something, and not
to postpone the doing of it,
Good Beginning.
Mr.. Wagner frankly acknowledged the
truth Of the above criticism, and prom
ised to leave nothing undone to strength
ell the team. That was just two
ago. MIR. Wagner did make an ex-
celient beginning. He secured Tommy
Tucker 20 play first base, thereby plugging
up an awfully big hole in the team. But
there were other cracks which were liable
10 open vide enough to let many a victory
slip through and Mr.. Wagner knew just
where they were. MIR. Wagner has good
base bail Judgment There is no doubt
about that. And, therefore. the surprising
thing about this whole business is that he
hasn't exercised it. Ever since June 3 re
has been looking for good men. The
w ashington policemen are still looking for
Dorsey Feultz, Tim Hurley and Pat Carr.
A good many people think that the reason
both were unsuccessful is the same.
Why Didn't You.
Long before the season opened 1t was
announced that the team would
start in as it finished last season, with the
of Reilly at third, but that lust
as soon as it was shown that there was a
weak spot it would be filed There would
he no more waiting until the season was
half over to attempt at least to strengthen
The team. AS it was known that the Wag-
rers had string tied to the Toronto club
it was believed that one at least of Arthur
lrwins colts would he brought to Wash
ington in case of need
The above paragraph also appeare in
The Star of June 3: 1897 1t is Just about
as applicable now as it was then. Not a
new face save fuckers, mas been seen in
a Washington uniform since. 1t is said
that 1t has been impossible to effect trades
with other league clubs. Just the same,
other league managers have secured new
men. 1t was only the other day that
Scrappy Joyce secured two new men for
the Giants. These men may not strengthen
the New York team, but one or two weak
spots appeared in its makeup, and an #
fort was promptly made to strengthen the
weak places. How the Washington fans
would nave welcomed such an effort!
A transfer of two or three PLAYERS from
Toronto would have Strengthened the
W ashington crowds materially and could
not have weakened the Washington team.
But it is limited that Arthur irwin is max
ing more money in Toronto than Earl
Wagner is in Washington. Undoubtedly IL
such is the case. it is because Arthur Irwin
has relatively a stronger team in Toronto
than Earl Wagner has in Washington
AT any rate. Washington enthusiasts are
only interested in the Toronto. team in so
far it may supply some real ball players
for the weak Washington team.