The sun., 1898-01-13
CURRENT SPORTING TALK.
MAJORITY OF BlLL PLAYERS NOT
IN FAVOR OF KICKING.

eescaIled "AGErensivepesa" bE n Few nirE-
leaders Can No EasiiS suppressed--rewis
siKns the I,vnas FOR the Coney Hsiaud Arena
--o'Rsurke Onersd TO MA $40. 900 Tor u.
II is q fact that thcrc arc largo number Of
players In tho National League who arc not In
favor Of kicking and rowdy behavior ON tho
Geld. II the magnatcs would consult these
men now and then, thcy might be moro dis
posed to issnc orders TINT the rules against
kicking should hereafter be rigidly enforced
So much has been written about tho outrageous
behavior Of certain .lawbroakors on tho field
that the general public has como to tho belief
that nearly oil tho players in tho profession are
kickers. In n word, tho impression prevails
among many patrons OF tho game that ball
players arc not sportsmanliko and arc, there
fore, not gentlemen. On the contrary, how
ever, there are twice as many gentlemen In the
League ranks to-day as rowdy. kickors, and, II
the truth be known. thoy feel their position
keenly. The Boston team contains moro gen.
tlemanly behaved players than any other team
In the League, and tho fact that they won the
championship last year was q serious blow to
what has been termed aggressive ball play
Ing" This style Of play, which was inaugu-
rated In the old American Association and grad
ually introduced into the National League has
all along consisted Of unsportsmanliko kicking,
personal encounters between rival teams, and
violent language used on the field by players
who address remarks to both tho umpires and
spectators. The idea of 1t all has boen to in
timidato opponents and-tho umpircs to such an
extent TINT Victory might bc a!l the easier to
achieve. The fact that tho Baltmoros won
: three successive pennants 10y this snmc socallcd
aggressive BALI has imbucd othor managers
with tho idea that IL Is q necessary evil and is
also financially profitable, for winning team
draws the crowds.
rfl Ina rnaf fO In nat ,Nfn
years ago, therefore, players who kick, fight,
and are generally nnruy oro made either man.
ayers or CAPTAINS Of League teams nowadays,
or .the captains assisted by just such row.
inonds in the pnst Ave years. Like tho Bostons,
the BrooE;yns nro quiet, gcntlemanly lot, al
though Griffin. the captain is disposed to Kick X
TME SrN. Men like Grim, Lnchance, shindlc.
Jones, and others OF tho Brooklyn team have
tho field. and thoy have often protested in vain,
against tho disgraceful behavior of players On
3 change. Van Iieltren, Tlcrnan. McCroery.
Seymour. and Dohcny. have always tried to he
gentlemen OH tho field. Umpircs havo often
s snSs 81 er hSe
cisions. Rusie and Mookin, for instance have
never protested against the calling OF balls
and strikes, except TO perhaps laugh sarcasti.
they arc nearly tho best two pitchers in Tho
not Responsible for the actions OF Joyce, who,
- is contended. has always been a chronic
Players League. team IN isSo Some Of his out.
SsTs SSss ssnSmnss S oct sR the ssss
defends himself by saying that the New Yorks
Don, Warner, and Dad" Clarke while The lat
phias have mover been called kickers, although
whom they were losing game after game last
ii9ht." II The Baitinores ores have ave. more M 'i kickers
McGrsw; JonnilnEs. Kelley, Clarke and Stem
havior on the field; but Il is doubtful whether
their aeti9ns have been sanctioned by the gen
son and others, The Washlngtops have by
ths. rscsns deal H secured DoyIs. shs man who
Sf hotsrs wagner asn ns Ss' hun dn
seitaeh e BroSn. asl1ap RsiS %slsy Hasy.
MERCER, Mcclure aud Farrell viii DO made to
oean eowaep bas
they have behaved themselves. Tebeau, OCon.
and haze
their team in bad repute, and S yet Chiids. zmp zip
%erh Pickering, Blake. Young. Cuppy. Wilson.
Bookioy. Peitz md Miller. but they arc not the
tho manager of tho team, used to kick q great
deal WHOM no WAS captain Of tho New Yorks
bers Of the team have always beon a credit to
S wsS HssTss asass ihs TmS4s SsRa a6s
last seasSp hut e is mot chronic L, trouble od
% and nd Rsod Aary Daa Ety.
Gray: Mccarthy, Murphy s, and others. however.
The Chicago team has always been pretty
Wen sbehaved. Last season when Anson made
bered by those who saw the game that the rest
O. tbs Chicago stood pcCf St SnS Laughed
ssnseiess. The St, Louis team as It will prob
S made Tp T hyS list
ytlles haye:never been regarded as rowdies al
though they hays some few kickers. 1t will be
minority. and that Il Is not @ such diicult II task ask
for the magnates to suppress them II they are
uincere In their desire to have clean ball playing
Psesidsps .ss Wagner ss, St the Wsshington Club
the Held viii be suspended 1er Week Of two To
weeks. as ,t the case may be- He also declares:
s' 81 III ddmRhi %R asns
player for the suIp6nroSa use 81 his tongue; 1
believe this remedy win stop hoodumism."
agitation against Kicking on decisions. '''
President Ebbets OF tho brooklyn Club and
President Freedman of the New York Club had
? confab Yesterday. presumably on tho Sunday
ball question. and also the possibility of having
the Brooklyns go to Lakewood to train with the
New Yorks. Ebbets said that no had Ave sitos
Tor new grounds In view. and that the latest
Offer was from @ man who has q dne location
near the entrance to Prospect Park. Ho will
eend out contracts TO his players in a few days.
Hartman. the New Yorks new third baseman,
hassaccepted terms and will sign shortly Har-
yey Watkins, who was tho New York Clubs
financial manager In 1898, has been re-engaged
by President Freedman and will probably sue
coed Fred Knowles. who has made other ar
rangOments.
The controversy between Tom 0Rourke and
Warren Lewis over the lease OF the old Coney
Island A. C. was settled last night by Lewis,
when he signed the lease Mt an annual rental of
$4,000. O'Rourke thcreupon declared that he
relinquished all claims and would try TO find
clubhouse elsewhere In the Supreme Court
at Brooklyn yesterday there was a lively tilt
between tho rival bidders for tho noted boxing
arena. oRourke, who claimed that he did not
get u hearing on Tuesday, when Justice Mad
dox ordered Receiver lteiss to accept Lewiss