The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-25
LATE SPORTING NEWS.
Boston again in the Lead for
the Pennant.
Herman Long Was the Hero in
Yesterdays Contest.
One of the Greatest Games in the His
tory of Baseball, Baltimore Made
Game Fight-Story Of
the Game.

Baltimore, Sept. 25.-Boston has won
the first of the greatest series of games
in base ball history.
The result of yesterdays game has put
Boston for the first time in several weeks
ahead of Baltimore in the matter of per-
centage, a position which, if it maintain
it must keep by the hardest and truest
playing of which any club is capable.
When the game began yesterday Balti-
more stood at the head of the clubs,
with a record of 81 games won and Sc
lost, its percentage being 707. Boston
was but one point below it in percentag ge,
having won SO and lost 81 games. Today
the men from Massachusetts have sup
planted those from Maryland, and the
percentage table shows .7O9 for Boston
and .702 for Baltimore.
Boston went into the game yesterday
handicapped in several ways. The con-
test was to be decided on the grounds of
the Baltimore club with whose every
hillock and hollow the Orioles are doubt
less familiar. A greater drawback still
lay in the fact that the Baltimore
''rooter," u, 765 OF him, was there. What
these ''rooters' did during that exciting
and memorable contest those who have
ever attended big ball game know only
too well. The men from the Hub were
cheered on to victory by a small but
doubtless enthusiastic outpouring of 135
souls, who had come down from Boston
to push good thing along. In the face
of everything Boston took the game and
made another big step toward the cham
pionship.
Nearly 900 people saw Boston's base
ball players beat the champions and take
the lead in the exciting race for this
seasons championship. One hundred
and thirty-five of these were Bostonians,
who came over to root for their fellow
citizens. Bedecked with red badges and
armed with tin horns, they made noise
enough for ten times their number. The
game was fairly won by superior playing,
timelier batting, better base running and
sharper, cleaner fielding, in which Her.
man Long and Tenney played probably
the most conspicuous parts, two of Longs
and one of Tenney'S catches being of the
most sensational order.
The Boston ''rooters.'' headed by Con-
gressman John F. Fitzgerald of that city,
headed a brass band last night and gave
the victors a serenade and reception at
the Eutaw house. Today they will take
the band to the grounds to help root
for the visitors. Collins, Bostons third
baseman, was hit in the eye by a batted
ball during practice before the game, and
last night the injured member was swol-
len and discolored. He expects to be in
the game today however.
At first the game looked like an easy
victory for the champions, when the visit
ors went out in one,' two, three order in
successive innings, and the Orioles had
two tallies tucked away, but there was
change in the fourth, when Doyle, usu-
ally faultless in his fielding, fell over an
easy grounder right into his hands, gave
Stahl a life and let Tenney in with run.
This piece of bad playing was followed
by a bit of hard luck, when Stencil hit a
three bagger but was instantly caught
trying to come home on Doyle's easy one
to Collins A period of Generalization.
which does not show in the score, over
took the Baltimoreans at this juncture
and two runs put the visitors in the
lead.
This lead would have been overcome, as
the sequel shows, but Brother joe
cinched it for the visitors by presenting
them with two runs in the seventh, a
throw over Doyle's head in trying to field
an easy bunt, wild pitch and another
fall down on a simple grounder by Doyle
netting these runs, after gilt-edged
chances to retire the side had been Of
fered and lost.
The eighth inning was productive of
great disappointment to the Baltimoreans,
when with bases full Stencil lined out
corker that making for the left field
bleachers like a cyclone. Had it got
through Boston's infield it meant two
runs, but Long made a desperate run and
reached for it. 1t landed in his init and
the side was out.
It seemed quite hopeful for the cham
pions again in the ninth. when Doyle,
Reitz and Robinson singled, one after the
other, sending Doyle in with run, and
Reitz followed with another on McGraw's s
single, Quinn going out in the meantime
on long fly to Hamilton. With four
runs in, two men on bases and only one
outfit looked good for Baltimore, but Long
jumped way up into the air, pulled down
Keelers redhot liner, threw it to Lowe
at second and doubled up Captain Rob-
inson who had incautiously lit out for
third base when Keeler hit the ball. This