The sun., 1897-12-02
THE SPORTING WORLD.
Short and Pithy Pointers From
the Turf.
BRIEF TOPICS OF THE DAY. .
A Resume of the Latest DOings in
Athletics, Indoor and Field
Sports That are
Legitimate.
DIAMOND DUST.

A great deal has been said about the
decline in base stealing during the past
season. Many papers, commenting
sagely upon this decline, as shown by a
decided decrease in Mr.. Young's aver
ages, also gave many reasons for this
state of affairs. Some said that it was
because the catchers were more pro-
ticient in 1897 than in 1896. Others
attributed it to the fact that the hit-and-
run game, as well as the sacrifice feature,
were used more thoroughly than in
former years, and many other theories
were advanced. The champion baA.
stcaers OF 1896 fell considerably in the
number Of pur!oined bags. The records
show this. Charley Miller, for in
stance, did not stca! half as many
bases during the past season az
be did the year before "Big Rili'
! angc, OF Chicago who stole 100 bases
in 1896, only ''coppci" cighty-thrco last
season. When dies" apparent decreases
are taken Oh the whole, there really was
No decline at all. The scoring rules have
been changed and some Of the wise ones
seemed to have forgotten about it. In
1896 Il lnan was given q stolen base under
tho rules il he advanced two bases on Il
bit fly or groundcr, "provided there was
a chance and pafpabic attempt to put
him out" This rule was done away
with in the spring, and the base running
suffered appreciaJiy in the figure. OF
course, this does moi apply to every III
dividuaI record. Charley Miller, for in
stance, irrespective Of the new rule, did
not seal nearly as many bases last year
rs lie did Tie year before He fell oil,
not bCCaUsC OF the change in the rules,
but for other reasons probably. best
known to himself. In Baltimore the
scorers ignored this rule, and HauIon'S
men We're credited with all kinds Of
stolen bases which they never deserved.
Fred 1enncy, Of Boston, was generally
regarded as the best first bAseman Of the
year. He is lrit-hanucd, very active and
has the head Of a general. Tcnney Is all
right in all the mechanical points Of The
game, such as taking thrown balls, die
ging them up from the ground and
chasing fouls, but where he cspeciuilv
exces is in the art OF mixing nto the
struggle at every turn. He is ever on tie
watch for a chance to ma kc trouble
getting into the plays. driving back run
ners and making himself component
part Of the game in the way the great
generals Of o,-tinle ball used to do.
Jack Doyle is another first baseman who
gets right into the strife, although lie is
not such Il fielder as Tenney. Anson
and Cartwright were, last season, about
the last survivors of the old school OF
heavyweight first bascmcn.
The massive silver cup presented to
the National Baseball League to be con-
tested for by the teams finishing first
and second in the pcnnant race and
known as the Temple Cup, will not
adorn the headquarters Of the Natiunu
League in Washington, but will come
back to its donor, ". G. Temple, Of this
city, says the riitsburg Commercial
Gazette, who thinks we can find here
friends who will appreciate it more
highly than tho&o in whose hands it laa.
been for the past year. Thi. is the de-
.ision Of Mr.. Temple, and to show thaa
he means just what lie says, he has tc!a-
gaphel Harry Nondcrhurst, president
II the Baltimore club, in whose pcs
session thn cup now is, telling him f.
dip the cup to PittSburg, collect, and f.
emphasize his feelings the word "rp,-
cct' was heavily nnderscorcd.'
"l's Il pity that Ed t"Iorisnr.
)attn& eye was SO belonged as to pal
1im out Of the uIajor Icaguc,' says r.
IanIon. "lar wright WIS one of the
,est fielding first basemcn in the league
[e had enough muscle behind tIc tat
0 PUNK the ball, but his Judgment in {
,icking 'cm out with the sticl; wa
weak. lie ought to prove Il ,
winner in the Western League as the G
minor league pitchers are easier to work
)r hits than the twirIers in tie Biz |
,ague." a
The Boston club showed it, apppcia- t
ion of Tenney's fine playing and hard l
'am work by giving him sum more
han $500 in advance OF what his con- y
'act called for. Such generosity is 4
cry rare indeed in baseball magnates. +
During the nine years Holiday has Il
layed in Cincinnati he has batted over r
300 in all seasons save two--lS00 and /
S02. His batting average for the period a
81, and during all these campaigns a
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