The times., 1897-04-19
The Senators Will Have to Bat
at Full Speed.
THE CLUB OFF FOR RICHMOND
The Local Leaguers VIII Play Two
Games in the Virginia Capital.
Maui Has Signed Seasons Con-
tract at Satisfactory Terms.

y AS "A Curtain raiser" to the main event,
Philadelphia and Boston Will play IN the
latter city this afternoon. This game pre-
codes the regular opening on the 22u ny
reason of the date being an established
holiday in the Massachusetts, metropolis,
aud is celebrated in honor oil the anniver-
sary of the Revolutionary battle OF Lex
ill gton in 1775.
The other clubs Will open next Thursday
as follows: New York in Philadelphia,
Boston in Baltimore; Cleveland in Louis
VILE; Chicago in Cincinnati; Pittsburg in
ST. Louis. aud Washington will play Brook
lyn at National Park
The opening series, between the Senators
and Biny harnie's Trolley Dodgers, viii
be of great interest They tied i'll the per
ceutage last season for ninth place, each
team having an accounting OF 40 10
their credit, though The Wasningtons We're
clearly entitled to the position, as they
won eight games from RIooklyn TO the
latter clubs four from them.
Spalding's Guide, the recognized an-
thurity gives the Senators position aloNe
BROOKLYN in the championship table, hy
reason OF their excess of victories in the
games played.
Ihe Brooklyns, however, have been re-
organized and Strengthened out, and free
from the clques and family troubles that
beset and clogged their progress last year,
they should be able to give any club in
the League a close argument. The relative
merits OF 10th teams will be put TO the
test IL the series commencing next Thurs
day afternoon.
WA. the exception Of Tommy Corcoran,
Tom Mccarthy, John Grim and Tom Daif'
Brooklyn's personnel will he the same as
last season. In Corcoran's place VIII be
found "Germany' Smith, the well-knoWh
shortstop, so long with Cincinnati, and
Jimmy Canavau will cover second base III
stead OF Tom DAILY, who has been transferred
TO Milwaukee Mccarthy and Grim are
holding out foT more money, aud VIII hdrdiy
ne seen in uniforms III this city during the
opening series
Manager Barnie thinks ne has a first
division club, and when his talent rs care
fully considered, it must be admitted that
he has a collection OF players quite capa-
hle of holding their own in fast company
The question paramount with the fans
nj present is where will the home club
finish?" The Interrogation is plopounded
cred, and opinions range from sixth place
Tn tho tail-end Certainly the Senators
should climb little higher up the ladder.
The team is better organized and better
balanced than ever before AS n field
ing aggregation their preliminary work
stamps them ar CraCkerjacks The pitch
ing departments are well filled In NC
CURE ami Farrell Manager Schmclz has
the premier pair of backstops in the leagnc
not excepting Robinson and Clarke, Of
Baltimore, thinner and O'COnnor, of Cieve-
land nor PeitZ and Vaughan, OF tlncinnau-
In the way of pitchers Washington never
before started a season SO well equipped on
the rubber. With Mercer, Maui ana
KING. of the veteran corps III fine condl-
tion, McJames no longer an experiment
and Norton, Swain, German, Ashe ana
Kimble promising to do effective service
Mr. Wagner can well afford to throw out
his chest and say, Let them we
will show the other eleven a TRICK or
two this season
Vow comes the weak point batting.
Hitting the ball safely and at the nsht
time WINS games. The late Mike heLcy
once said Give me a team OF hltterS
and l Will make the best club OF fclders
in the world pile up errors" The genlhi
Mike spoke a trusm. Let gang or
slurgers commence pounding the iealher
and see how quick the gilt-edge nelders
take a balloon trip.
without disparagement 10 the genera
| excellence of the Senators, and in spirit
! of criticism. it is stated that, as whole,
! they are weak with the stick. If they
would advance in the list they must hit
at full steam from April to September.
| That is. every man must bat to his utmost
| ability. 4 close follower of the game re-
marked Saturday that such clubs as Chi
cago Baltimore and New York could
afford slump in hating occasionally
on the part of several players and not
snffer disastrous consequences, but tha'
the light hitting teams would fail down
hard should any one of their best batter>
have bad week This is true of WASH
ingtou, Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Brooklyn
| ST. Louis and Louisville.
Another thing s base running. With sucl
q crowd OF fleet-footed fellows as Capt
Brown, Billy Lush, Win Mercer, Ed. Cart
| wright and Charley Abbey, the Senators
| should steal bases and register runs OF
| small hits to the equal Of any club in the
| League. Clever and speedy base running
nut the Ctncinnatis within hailiug distance
| or the Deunant and Temple Cup last season
| Cincinnati has no edge on Washington
| in the matter Of speed, and, really, has NJ
| advantage in batting ability should TIT
| Senators strike gait and hit up to thei
| full strength continually. Just where Gin
cinnati com es in as enc, two, three clut
is hard to understand. yet they did the tticR
last wear and are touted for the pennan
this year.
If The Times would venture prophesy
IL would name Boston and Chicago as dan
Eerous competitors for the flag. Nearl
everyone comedies the trophy to Balimor
for the fourth time, but it is the exception
rather than the rule, for the favorite Z
win.
In the opening game against Brooklyn
| MANAGER SchmelZ will send Mercer to tn
slab. Win is the best spring pitcher II
the profession, his work last year, whe
he won nine straight games from TIN
iump, standing without parallel for tn
season of year, and came within two game
of beating the record for continuous Viz
tories for a pitcher in the big league
Brooklyn will probably use Kennedy fo
| the inaugural, anu "Oih Ddup anu isi-
respectively, in the games Friday an
Saturday.
The Senators, to the number Of ''unluck
thirteen" but with Manager Schmelz [
make it fourteen and hoodoo any dir
Perfection Of Style,
finish and material, constitute the di
ference between the average high elias