The sun., 1897-12-13
DIAMOND DUST.


Watkins has not yet decided upon a
captain for the Pirates next season.
Above all, he desires man who will
carry out his orders, and an ontsider
may be secured for the place.
Earle Wagner has declared for the en-
tire abolition Of drafting. He will pro
pose at the next meeting that the League
return to the old plan Of purchasing
minor league players outright.
Hallman's contract with Brooklyn con
tains provision that he is to forfeit $500
for every breach of discipline.
! "Mike" Grady, the Giants new back
stop, has spent his time since the end
Of the league season playing football.
Doggy Miller, the Cincinnati out
fielder, will be traded off during the
winter. Offers for him have been re-
ceived from Minneapolis and Kansas
city.
Jack Warner is now Il superintendent
in the street cleaning department..
Sockalcxis is hunting the deer in the
woods OF Maine, and for the time being
has ceased to tamper with the Redman's
curse, tirewatcr, and no longer seeks the
society of soubrettes. ''Socks' has
promised the Cleveland management to
report in good condition next Spring and
play a game that will entitle him to Il
permanent position on Patsy Tebeau's
aggregation.
George Stallings, the very much minor
league manager ofthe Philadelphia Club,
acknowledges that he got the worst of
the recent deals in which his club figured
He is said to justify the trading off Of
Clements, Taylor and the other players
by saying that no ball team can win
unless there is harmony. He accuses
certain players, without ming them, of
sitting on the bench and roofing for the
home team to lose when certain other
players were in the game.
Nearly all the baseball writers think
that the edict ordering life suspension
for any ball player who uses profane
langrage during game will be modi.
fed by the League at it's February meet
ing. 1t is an absurd rule and was prob
ably passed to give some of the players a
scare.
Earl Wagner has sold Charlie Reilly's
release to Comiskey for 5000.
The Washington scribes think the
Wagners got all the best of the deal with
Baltimore.
President Kerr, of the Pittsburg Base
ball Club, sold his interest and stock in
the club to local capitalists last week,
and will retire from baseball. 1t is now
an assured fact that there will be Sunday
baseball in Pittsburg next season.
Manager Stallings is in favor of taking
the Phillies South for a couple Of weeks
next spring.
The trip of the Baltimore and all.
American teams came to an end last sun
day, and the players have left California
for their homes
There are +0ex-Natonal League players
in the Eastern League, 80 in the Atlantic,
10 each in the New England and Inter-
state, Is IN the Western Association and
81 ia the Western Lcaguc--lSl in all.
A party of Wilmingtonians chaper-
oned by Mrs. Howard George, attended
Il delightful entertainment at the Elam,
Pa, school house on Friday evening.
zone of the hardest plays for me to
make, and one that think bolhers every
pitcher, is crossing to first to receive an
assist from the first bascnan," said
Billy Rhincs recently. Coastal obser-
vers do not realize how hard this play is.
Three things are to be considered. The
| pitcher has to watch for the base, and he
has also to watch to time his step on the
bag with the throw from first bascman.
| Ii is pretty difficult to look for the base
and the ball ut the same time, not to say
anything about the batter, with whom
you are sure to make Il head finish at the
hag. This is the hardest part of the
game for me. | don't know how it
strikes other pitchers. I'm only telling
Of my own experience"
Washington is now looking for third
bas"man to complete its intield, and it is
said the Wagners will offer Lcahy,
Tucker and Farrell for II good man.
Why not buy Nash from the Philics?
CYCLING.