The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-19
w n KFEIEH

York, Jones ~ ErCCklyp, Dclcbanty and
Lajoie Of Philadelphia. IL Is almost GER
tainty that among these eight Will come
the leader of batsmcn for 1897 A great
many eyes are watching the daily record
made by Keeler of the Baltimores, and it
Is he that would probably DO the favorite
II u choice were made at this time.
Keeler Is the wonder of the baseball
world. AS scientific batsman he has no
equal. IL is said that he can place the
ball in whatever field he likes, but that Is
an absurd statement. No player ever lived
who could dc 10. Koelor may succeed In
placing the bali more frequently than any
of his fellow PROFESSIONALS but 10 do so at
will Is an imrossihility. Keelrr Is not a
hard hitter, hut rather sure hitter---as
sure as one often finds them a large per,
centage Of hi its never go outside of the
diamond. Ills sprinting abilities from
the home plate % nrst base are unexcelled,
and IL takes the quickest kind of fielding
to get "a slowly hit ball TO that bag before
him. He is an expert bunter, and no one
can ever tell whether he will try TO drop
the ball or hit 10 out. Therefore the OPP
posing inheld is on tenter hooks when.
ever he goes 10 hat.
This man Keller as stated above, is the
is almost IL not quite as marvellous as his
hating Yet his Drst experience in the
National league was 40 wretchedly disap-
pointing that the New Yorks released him
outright, and Brooklyn threw him in
with trade for "big Dan" Brouthers,
pretty much as butcher throws a mar
row bone into good customers basket as
a sort of full measure offei e. The Bal
fielder that he would have been benched
and maybe released had not the crippling
of several of the regular players made il a
necessity TO keep him in right field till all
at once he began 10 show rapid improve
ment. From that day the little fellow
ran rapidly into fame.
Keeler is a living proof that 1t is not
necessary for n successful hall player to be
a man OF stature and brawn. He is one
of the smallest men ying ball, under
medium bcight-- feet 5--and
doesn't weigh re than $50 or l55
pounds In ci ms dress this great
player looks like "kid, and he is ia
miiiarly called little Willie" but his
habits are strictly correct, and all the
faculties which are necessary in his pro-
fession he nurses with the utmost care.
Anson insists that his Colts would do a
great deal better work If they would use
less tobacco, especially i'm the form of Gig
arcttcs and cigars. He has been worried
with more Cigarette fiends'i among his
players than any other captain i'm the
League. Dahlon and Langc are especially
offenders with that seductive little luxury.
One of his former players, Camp, would
wake at night while travelling and sit up
in his berth 10 smoke cigarette.
Van u hran Of the New York team is
an inyei ~ smoker out Of season, but
he became convinced several years ago
that he couldn't keep mp his average con-
sumption Of cigars during the playing
season without Injury To his batting 'eye."
AS soon as hc reduced his daily supply of
"the weed" his batting began TO improve.
Anson was lover of cigars, but had TO
quit smoking altogether some eight years
ngo. 1t Is curious fact that among all
tho smokers In tho profession one is sell
dom found using pipe. Probably more
than half of all he professional ball players
In the country chew. 1t il not an uncom-
mon sight 60 sec players taking nips from
their plugs while in a game, or to see
one member Of n nine borrowing a chew
from a moro fortunate mate or "A member
Of the opposition as he goes afleld.
The rather startling announcement was
made recently tiut Bobby Matthews had
made application to National league
club for trial at pitching, putting in the
claim that he was as good rs he was ia
his palmicst days IL would look like a
joke were 1t not that neither Matthews
nor the Climb named put i'm denial.
IL isa mootCd question whether Mat
thews would lo n successful PITCHER, even
though ho could put up the sano game he
played in bis prime. IL was nearly "a score
OF years ago when Bobby was at his flood
tide Of success. tut with tho eighties
came his decline. Either he fell OF In his
prowoss or the game ran away from him.
Old timers wpl insist that a Braincrd, a
Bradley or "a Matthews could fool batsmon
OF these days as well rs they could years
ago " they could he reincarnated and
moved mp. Anson, who has faced every
prominent pitcher for 20 years, will tee.
tify differently. lie will tell you that the
art ~ pitching has advanced great deal
within the last 10 or 20 years.
The Australian BASEBALL players who