The San Francisco call., 1898-06-12
SANTA CRUZ
 VICTORIOUS Wins in Last Inning on a Stupid Play. MANAGER FUTILE HAS FITS HE READS THE RIOT ACT WITH
 BIG SUCCESS. MT. Up-in-the-Air Baltz Goes in Search of Long-Distance Throw ing Record and Easily Gets
 There.
MANAGER FUTILE HAS FITS
HE READS THE RIOT ACT WIFE
 BIG SUCCESS.
BY JOE CORBETT.

The Santa Cruz comedians, under the management of a gentleman by the name of Futile, opened up in a nine-act comedy drama yesterday at Recreation Park, and delighted the swell audience present by their ''rag-time" playing
 This troupe since the beginning of the season has not been giving as good a per formance as the cast would indicate, and all sorts of mean things have been said and written about the members inability to properly render the parts assigned them. MT. DeVereauX, who is the leading man of this spectacular group of sand crabs" in discussing the probability of their some day attracting the attention of the dear public" gave out the state ment that his bunch of comedies" in tended turning the tables on Manager Crowley's collection of ancient bric-a- brac, and lived up to his word only after the severest test of grit
 You see, 1t was just this way: MT. DevereauX. who looks for all the world like large-sized bottle of ''Tabasco sauce,' in giving out the above state ment, neglected to confde the news to his master mechanic" MT. "Up-in-the- Air Baltz, and so this individual just to draw forth a few hoots and liven up things a bit, picked up a ball that he in some unforeseen manner got tangled up with, and threw it over midst the dead heads" In recognition of the delicate applause-which was spontaneous-over this heroic act, he gracefully bowed him self out, but returned a moment later on discovering that his time for paying an extended visit to the upper atmospheric elements had not really arrived, and that his labors were still needed in the drama After this unfortunate mistake, MT. "Up-in- -the-Air" played his part beauti- fully and did not appear a bit worried over the fact that his wild throw cost three runs. It would not, however, be a bad idea for Mir Baltz to rehearse that part which compels him to remain on terra firma-" And again, it is a very bad idea for a pitcher, when he occu- pies the box, to go in search of long distance throwing records, especially when the score Is close and the bases occupied. Mir. Baltz appears to be af- fllcted with desire to kill some one when a ball is hit to him. He certainly has a grievance against that 'imper- soma tor" who covers first base. If not, why did he pick up the ball and endeavor hardly left the plate before he picked the sphere up, and instead of simply tossing 1t in the direction of first, he doubles up as pitchers generally do in preparing for Sojourn into SpaCe-and propels 1t so fast that, were 1t not for the combined efforts of bleachers and fence, it would no doubt be going yet. Luckily for the .'impersonator' its course was somewhere in the vicinity of fifteen feet heavenward It struck me that Baltz mistook the City Hall dome for the first baseman and acted accordingly. At any rate, MT. Baltz has all the other pitchers beat, when. it comes to long distance throwing, and should not for moment think other wise.
 When the excitement caused by his brief ascension subsided 1t was noticed that the score board registered "Ath- leticS" runs, Sand Crabs' O. Mir Tut tie, who graced the press box with his presence, suddenly disappeared on real ha frrDN va Cft | the riot act' to his "comedians. and the. effect his presence and outburst of eloquence had on them was astonishing In that very inning they commenced to earn their salaries, and scored one run. The effort however, seemed to unnerVe them. as they quieted down for a couple of innings, yet responded bravely when their proprietor took another fit in the seventh inning, and no doubt to save him from certain death they scored another run.
 It became apparent to Manager Futile after witnessing the effect his fits were having, that to win the game he must keep up this bad habit, so in the eighth inning he took "spasm" and two more the score, and then followed the fatal ninth: Tuttie little s,, was equal to the emer- spasms two After the Athletics eae fnm had been retired without the semblance of a tally Futile was seen gesticulating in a
 
 which won the game. as Arrelanes crack ed out corking three-bagger and scored the winning run on about as stupid a play as I have ever seen.
 I don't know whether 1t was Tuttle's "fit" or nervous prostration which in spired Baltz to sacrifice, but he did, with the infield playing almost on line with the pitchers box. The ball went right into the first baseman's hands, and it was pitIful to see the runner score. It seemed almost a week before Stultz got the ball away, and at that he almost caught the runner. If he had simply tossed the ball, without rising from the ground and taking a couple of steps, there was not a chance for the man to score. He, however, like a good many other players, does not seem to realize the importance of rapid work in plays that are close, and in consequence. game was lost There was only one play for Baltz to make when he saw the infield pulled in. That play was to hit the ball. The chances for hit or error are never better But to sacrifice at such a critical stage, with the infield playing so close, Is very poor baseball, and BaltZ should con-
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