The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-01
Sports =.s pasfiDes


In looking ever one OF M Old baseball
score books recently l came across
rame played May Il. lsss. between Vie
soria and Seattle. The local team won,
-sss Butler IN the box. the seGre being II
- 8. CHANGING down the list of Victoria
,aaverx, came to the following
ssuughes." He was a pitcher, bat On that
a.. as on several others in this section,
Aid not keep the opposing natsrnen from
batting his curves sufficiently hard to win
enmes.
ST suppose Il Will surprise many OF the
nnsehaIl cranks In the Pacific Northwest
- iear, that Hughes Of Victoria is none
afhey than Hughes OF Bastimore, who has
nut out more teams this season without
: run than any other pitcher In the Ma
tonai League.
In hig first National League game he did
at allow Washington % reach home, and
that Is more held them down TO one sin
~ hit Twice have the champions. Bos-
Sor failed 10 score of his pitching. CIeye-
land fell a victim to his pitching May =
v4,h no runs and only four scattering hits.
p.,t.burg managed 10 get one run June ],
and only four hits.
when / called Capt. Edwards attention
10 the record Of the former Victoria pitch
O. he said.
"why. ] remember that fellow. He had
II
Ars, time / ever saw him ] remarked that
he had stolen my style Of bowling and
turned Ii iu;o a pitching delivery. The
peeul.artiy about him was that no matter
how closely you watched hin you were
never certain where the ball Eas COM
ing had no idea, however. taat the fel-
bw who has been making such record
for himself with the Bal.iInores Was the
old Victoria tw.rier.'
The ST. Louis News recently said that
Hughes was born In Sacramento. Cal.
January %. 1874. He learned the rgdiments
Of the national game there and played
with Victoria Il. c., in 1856 until the Pa
cfse Northwest League disbanded. At
that time he did not gave promise of be-
coming "a star OF the first order. Hughey
Jennings, OF the Baltimore team, saw him
In California and recommended him 10
Hanlon. He was signed, and did phenom-
email work from the start.
The Pacific Northwest has already pro-
duced It's share Of major league ball play
ers, but Ii stands in the way TO add more
to the list. Ia making such an assertion
I desire 10 insert one nj" No matter
how good ball payer may be, he cannot
stand up against old John Barleycorn. II
Is an unequal battle. and John always
wins out. Some bali players think that
because the crowd is cheering their work
today IL Will do 80 tomorrow. There is 10
class OF peop.e so fickie AS that which de-
lights In baseball. The hero OF today is
the butt OF ridicule tomorrow. No matter
how fine work a player may have done
In the past all is forgotten II he makes
q few fielding errors or shows lack of
Judgment al critical points.
There f. no better illustration of the
swift decline of a great pitcher than that
of McGnnis. who pitched for Seattle dur
Ing the last days OF the Old Pacific North
west League He was Ike an iceberg in
the box. and when II came to curves, 10
Was the peer of any other player l ever
saw. His drop baii' was simply won
derful George Borchers. the great pitch
er. once told me that il was the best he
ever saw in his life, and that is saying .
great deal.
Arson. who was managing the Chicago
team. signed McGnnis. At first he WAS
looked upon as a wonder. but soon he was
dropped. II was the old. old story He
thought he could play ball and drink
whisky by the Wholesale. Then philadei-
phia gave him a chance. He was no bet
ter. Abner Powell, who had gone to New
Orleans from Seattle. and who knew OF
McGinnis' ability. signed him. but was
compelled TO let him drop ont Of sight.
When one thinks of what McGinnis
might have been and what he turned out
10 be. &c not think ne Will wonder at
my making a reservation.
Some OF the players that have been seen
IN Seattle this season have the ability 20
make the National League. provided they
attend strictly To business. | have conf
denee In George Andrews. of the Tacoma
team. He Is one OF the men who are "A
credit 10 the profession Some people be-
Heve that If n person becomes a profess
sonal bail player he is not fit person
10 mingle In good society. This is wrong.
but in large degree the players them
selves are responsible for the condition
OF AFFAIRS. The many suffer for the In
d.scretons Of the few. The failacy OF tn,
reasoning lies in the fact that what in
ie2c is termed a particular proposition Is
applied In general way
Murray. The young Tacoma pitcher, that
Portland recently signed, gives promise OF