The sun., 1897-08-02
THIS WEEKS BALL GAMES.
THE -FOUR LEADERS WILL MEET NV
IMPORTANT CONTESTS.
Few Works Have n Lonr string or Games -
PIay at Home-They Will Havo - VIA
60 Fer Cent. OF These 20 Beat Out BoHten
,,a r,n,t,,nere-RacoPd or the Local Players


Piay at Home-They Will Havo - VIA
90 Rer Cent or These % Beat Ont Bo5ton
and dBaitimere-Rocords OF the Local PiaJer'
Tho four leaders in the race for the National
League championship have some important
games TO play during tho week. The New Yorks
will meet tho Brooklyns again at Eastern Park
this afternoon, and At tho Polo Grounds to-mor-
row. AS tho feeling between the two teams
does not mean brotherly love these battles WILL
like the previous ones. be for blood. On Wednes-
day. an open date. tho New Torks will play
an exhibition game at Orange with the Orange
A. c.. and on Thursday they will go to Philadol-
phin for a series of three games, the last to DO
played in that city by Joyco's mon this season.
In the Bast tho Pniladelphians have had ratLer
easy times at homo with tho New Yorks, but
the improved playing of the local mon may turn
tho tide this time.
The Bostons and Baltimores meanwhile will
have q much harder road to travel than tho New
Yorks. Tho Bostons win play at Washington
to-day and tomorrow, while tho Baltimores will
tackle tho Philadelphia. Then tho champions
and ex-champions will 60 to Boston for most
important series on Thursday, Friday. and Sat
urday, Tho result of these three gaines will
have a direct bearing the final outcome OF the
raco for tho pennant. The PittsburRs beginning
to-day will play thrce games at Cincinnati, after
which the latter will lay Off until Saturday.
when the team will go to Louisville for two
games. The Brooklyns, after their games with
the New Yorks. will entertain the Washingtons
at Eastern Park on Wednesday, Friday. and
Saturday.
Manager Joyce is banking on his long string
Of games to be played at tho Polo Grounds to
land the New Yorks at the top. The team has
only twelve games to play away from home
Including to-day's game, they have three to
play at Eastern Park, six at Boston. and three
| at Philadelphia. On the Polo Grounds they
| have total Of forty-two games, including sew
| eral postponed contests. They are as follows:
| Four with Boston, two with Brooklyn. six with
| Philadelphia, three with Baltimore. three with
| Washington, four with Pittsburg. four with
| Cleveland, including game transferred from
the latter city; Ave with Cincinnati. four with
| Louisville. providing tho game umpired by Wolf
| and protested by Joyce is ordered to be played
over: four with Chicago and thrce with st.
| Louis.
In order to beat out Boston and Baltimore.
| Joyce's men will have to win at least 80 per
cent. of all these games, which is very hard
task. considering the fact that the Bostons and
| Baltimores also have long strings of home
games. The Bostons, however. have twelve
to pHy away from h ho%s s4 six TSs ., cbnm
pions, on the other hand. also have twelve
games awsy from hTps three each nT VIII Rnont the
iSns. Il is the opinion that unless the Cincln-
natis play pnenomenal ball in their coming
| Eastern trip they will be forced TO surrender
third place to the New iorks in rather short
| order.
That Manager Joyce has displayed good judg-
| ment in signing Donnelly and Wilmot seems to
| be the general Impression among baseball men:
| Donnelly. In condition. Is last nelder ana good
| be laid Off Joyce will be more at home on first
base than on third and he can direct his team TO
| better advantage. Wilmot Is fast man IN
all respects, and has good supply OF baseball
brains. With Ruse ant Meekin now In their
1894 form 1t is unfortunate that with all the
| other good pitchers on the clubs roll one cannot
| get in between the big fellows and keep up the
| standard.
| There is one feature about the play of the New
| Yorks which is calling forth unfayorable COM
ments. There is TOO much Kicking. joyce.
| while undoubtedly u capable manager and a
ing over Empirical rulings He has set his men
such an example in this respect that al! OF them,
| with or two exceptions, KICK at the
| slightest provocation. The team can win with
| popular with thousands OF enthusiasts who
| like to see clean baseball.
In the four games played by the New forks
last week Meekin, who led last Monday ue.
Davis added points. and is now at the top. Van
Haltren gained points. and also passed Meekin
The best showing of the week was that OF Joyce
who sent his figures within 8 points OF the 800
It's own at the bat. the opposing players adding
point. Joyce's men increased their heldina
figures from .929 to 1881. There was a gain OF ]
Jones still leads tho Brooklyn players at the
bat. but there was big drop In his average lac
week. Kennedy. Lachance. Griffin, G. Smith
and Grim made slight gains. The team held its
own at the bat, but added point to the fielding
figures. There was an increase Of points in
fielding by the opposing players. The records te
date follow: