The Portland daily press., 1897-04-23
BASE BALL BEGINS.
POrtIaGd's EeW Team Makes Its
First Appearance
AND CREATES A VERY FAVORABLE
IMPRESSION.

Bowdoin College Defeated to Harvard
Second Nine Defeats Bates at Lewiston
Other Fast Day CONGREGATIONAL
League Season Opens.
In accordance with the wishes of our
good Governor Powers, and in obedience
to his Official proclamation to that effect,
Portland opened the base ball season yes
teFday.
Tho sun did not shine brightly enough
toysend the mercury upsinto three figures.
and the breezes as they were waited
across the plains of Forest avenue had
quite evidently kissed snow drift not.
very long before but on the whole there.
was no fault to find. The sky was clear,
TIE sun did fully as well as we would
expect an April san TO do, and you could
keep tolarapiy comfortable by keeping
your outer garments grit well about
you. ,za, z4se-a
At any rate about a thousand people
gathgred and sat themselves down in
the weather worn seats, rooted q little
barked at the frankfurt man! eheered the
good plays and otherwise disported
themselves in that merry light hearted
way which is the manner of all base
ball audiences wherever You find them.
Outside Of the fact that it was East
Day when it is just as much of a duty
to go to a ball game as it is to attend
church on Sunday-more, some people
regard 1.-THE magnet WI ich drew the
IN w tha
faotsthat We had brand new, spic and
span ball team, all under the gallant
leadership OF Capt. "Beasie" McQuirk,
and we wanted to see 'em and see how
they would do.
The impression on the whole was ia
vorable and more than one Lover OF the
noble sport wended his way homeward
such as he hadn't felt since his best
girl accepted him, or the Portlancs won
the pennant years ago.
The team which Manager McQuirk
presented for the.E delectation of the
assembled hosts, consisted of Pitcher
Miller, Catcher Nichols, Second Base
VI,
Short Stop Deisel, Left Fielder Houle
Centre Fielder Polhemus. and Right
Fielder CoughIin. Besides these are
Pitcher Engel. who tried his hand a
couple Of innings and a catcher by
name Of Blood, New England assUci-
alton player, from Fitchburg. who comes
down here for trial. McQuirk him.
4
Of these men only four so far as the
Y ritter knows ever played ball ON Port
land diamond before and not one as
member of a Portland team. The four
are Hickey, who has played with Lewis
ten and Brockton, Polhemus, who was
with Lewiston short while in '94, and
plared in the old New England league
of the eighties, McQuirk, former first
bnseman of Lewiston and Dave Cough
lin, member OF crack Manchester
team of 81. 6
The Others are unknown to these parts
and this afforded the cranks that SUI
premest delight of all to the crank's
head en- opportunity to size them up.
And as we say on the whole, the ver-
dict was most favorable and when you
consider that the day was cold and the
ride Of the night before on the boat,
the work of our coming champions wa
remarkable. Dbl
There were no difficult chances, but
the fielding was clean for the most part
and nearly every player went at the ball
at bat in spitsful hardhearted way
that is joy TO see.
Little Hickey led in this respect,
smashing the ball for three with total
Of four, and giving Outsielder Bryant
a long chase for his fourth time at the
bat. Nichols, Houle, Burns and Nc
Quirk also batted we'll.
The player whose work pleased the
crowd more particularly yesterday was
Catcher Nichols. He is quick on his
feet, playing bali all the time and re-
covers easily. He was not sure on his
aim TO second, but got the ball ready
quickly and the wind probably bothered.
- We like the~way Manager McQuirk
handles his men. and the way he plays
his position. His work on the coaching
lines is feature. and we may safely say
that Beasle has caught on all right.
!, Pitcher Miller's work was remarkable.
The Bowdoin team contains some heavy
hitters, but Miller kept them down to
two singles for the seven innings he
pitched, one the scratches kind of a
scratch.
Pitcher Engel held down the box the
last two innings, and hit his first man,
but after that not player reached first.
There is no discounting the splendid
work of the Bowdoins. 1t went little
hard with Pitcher Dodge for couple
of innings, but after that he was trouble
some.
Coburn, who is supposed to be the star
of the lot, made the weakest show in