San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-05-04

There is something radically wrong
with Hon. Mike O'Connor. Perhaps he
has changed from vichy to settler and
is now suffering from the effect. AT
any rate the Broncho chief is lot III
the game. He goes on the field, per-
forms the functions Of his calling on
the initial bag; he goes to the bat and
hits the ball; he runs the bases with
the alertness of an expert; in fact, he
plays as we'll as ever. That's Mike
O'Connor as a ball player. But where
is Captain O'Connor? Alas! He is
conspicuously absent, and the team
suffers by it. That gingery air that
used to hover over the BrouchO herd
has mysteriously vanished. Can it be
that some designing voodoo has sud
denly sprung up, or that Mike has had
a horrible dream, or that a black cat
crossed his path while on his way to
San Pedro park, or that he met cross
eyed niger" Monday?
1t is plainly evident that the Bron-
chos are not playing the game that
Mike taught them. Their work is as
good as ever. But no one is there to
tell them what to do and each man
plays as his mind dictates. In plan
words, there is a distressing absence of
team work. The players look to Mike
for orders, but the commanding voice
of the chief is not heard. While the
opposing team wildly rushes at the
umpire, Mike looks on, meek as a pet
lamb. That's not natural, for Mike al
ways has been found where the fight
was the thickest. The players always
cheerfully obeyed his orders for they
knew they were for the welfare of the
team.
In yesterdays game every man OF
the team went to the bat to knock the
cover off the ball. One or. two at
tempts were made to sacrifice, but the
next ball was hit against fielder and
a double play or a force, out was the
result. Especially in game as yes
terday's, when but one or two runs
meant a victory, sacrificing is an i'm
portant factor. Combined with little
coaching, such as OConnor has drilled
into the team, nothing would be more
embarrassing to the opposing pitcher.
Several times with men on the bases
and none out a sacrifice would have
advanced the runner, but instead, the
next man up would try to hit 1t out,
and ii was all over.
While the game was lost in the last
inning on errors and rank ones at that,
the spectators have no room for COLI
plant, but that is no reason that thcy
should be satisfied. 1t was indeed
hard game to lose. Up to the eighth
inning the score was TO 0 FOR San An
tonic and that ''1'' was home run of
Bailey. The visitors eighth opened
with Hoover at the bat. Tom Hays
put an inshoot over, which got Hoover
on the left shoulder blade and he went
to first The next man struck out, and
Huston, the next man up, also let the
ball hit him. Then Jack Hess drove
hard one down to Clark, of which Win
made beautiful stop. He threw to
second to catch Huston, but the ball
went through Weber's fingers like mel
ted butter and Hoover scored the tie
run Tom Hess then drove one to the
infield, which Clark also scooped up.
He threw to Mike O'Connor, but Mike
and Hess got their legs twisted, Mikes
cap fell over his eyes and the little ball
was on the ground. No one scored.
Klopf flew out to Bailey, but Huston
dared not to come in on the throw,
which went straight to Stanley at the
plate Matt threw to third to catch
Huston. but Knau, who covered the
bag let the ball get away from him
and Huston came home, scoring the
visitors second run. Nance hit to
Clark, which went through his legs
and Jack Hess scored the third run.
Tom Hess made the fourth run on
Rothermers single and Beecher flew
out to Kohnle, retiring the side.
In the last inning Knau and Bailey