Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-26


sleep during the game this season m would
be pleasant and probably exciting sight
10 See a player stand at FIRST like n wooden
iliah aI'er ms captain has tipped him of to
make a Try Tor second. The owners OF the
cup want games won. and they don't care
continental how they are Won whether
py the errors of the other fellows. which
Is the easiest way. or by superior plaNins.
OF their own team. They are after games
and II the players propose 10 stand around
ana 30 To sleep because OF a change in the
rules there is going TO be some lively con-
versaiions between these men and their
managers. The record player is an ahomi-
nation in the sight of the enthusiastic
cranks and live managers. The players get
their credit Tor good work In their salaries
and in the support OF the public That is
glory enough, without crying over the little
point Of a stolen base now and then. The
real base runners will steal just as many
bases this season as before. The other
class may suffer but IL doesn't make much
difference when II comes to the question OF
winning games.
The idea of taking an indifferent player
and making him captain OF the team for
the purpose of shaking him out Of his care
less condition is an experiment in expecta-
tions which Is not going to give heavy IT,
turns on the investment to the Chicago
club. The team has two men. both fire
players. who have been from time TO time
accused of Indifference. Both these men
were discussed as the most available candi-
dates for captain OF the club during the
season OF 1898, and one has been chosen.
Jimmy Ryan il one. and Billy Dahien. now
Captain Dahlen, is the other On the face
of the transaction IL looks like throwing
to the cold winds OF the league some OF
the chances which the Chicagos might
have for a good place in the first division.
If an Indifferent player, and Dahlen is said
to be perfect I'm his indifference. is the best
man for a team leader. then all the other
clubs have been making mistakes year
after year In selecting the active, hustling,
moi 10 por
chances are that the Chicago team will
have another captain before the season is
many months old 1t was intimated toward
the close of last season that the faction OPP
posed to Capt. Arson was headed by Ryan,
and while the latter was willing to have
the question settled by the votes of the
players as TO who would be captain this
season, he has already entered a kick
against the selection Of Dahlen. Ryan says
that his objections to Dahlen will not make
him play any the less harder. but at the
same time he says that he thinks he should
nave been selected. as he was The oldest
man on the team. Being old is an offense
in the eyes of the Chicago base ball pat
rons, and for this reason Cant Arson was
ousted from his position the leader of
the Colts To place another man almost
his equal as to age in the leadership Of the
Chicago club would not speak well for the
new manager or for the players themselves.
Center Fielder LANCE is conceded by all the
players to have been the right man for
tbs place, but William has grown wise in
his generation, and seeing the factianal
clouds arising on the Chicago base hall
horizon. decided to keep out OF the sauabble
and let Dahlen and Ryan fight # out.
Mr.. Wagner claims that as a result OF
three years hard work and an investment
OF many thousands CT dollars, he has de-
velcped only two first-class piayers-Mer-
Ger and Setback. But where is the base
ball fan that will not vouch the opinion
that this pair is as good as pair of aces
to draw to IN a game of poker? Al. Sell
bfch reached his twenty-sixth birthday
the past week and Mr.. Wagner will be
pulling in interest on his investment In
the German Senator for many years 10
come To many spectators at National
Park Setback looks like an old-timer,
while In reality the coming season will be
only the fourth year in the big league. 1t
was in the middle of June, 1893. when the
late Manager Schmelz telegraphed Al. at
his home in Ohio to come to Chattanooga,
Tenn, at once and join the club repre-
senting that city. Selbachs specially then
was catching, and he finished the season
with the Chattanooga club In that posi-
tion AT the opening of the season of
1884 Selbaon was one of the players
brought to this city by Manager Schmelz.
but as the club had about six catchers on
the pay roll the stocky little German was
shifted to left field and his excellent work
has kept him there ever since. As a batter
Setback has always persisted in keeping
In the 300 class since he Joined the Wash
ingtoE club, his average last year being
.31i. Sci, his companions call him.
belongs to that class OF players who will
do almost anything to win game of ball,
but with his pugnacious trait is one of the
easiest men i'm the base ball profession to
get along with. Outside of base ball
proper, Setback is a thrifty fellow, his
weak point being base ball bats, and he
has turned many an honest penny select
Ing exceptionally good sticks for a ma
1crity of the Senators and for many play
ers with other clubs. One of the sensa-
tions OF the past winter in base ball cir
Giles was the offer of Manager Ewing of
Cincinnati, to trade six of his players for
Setback, from which 1t can be surmised
that the German Senator is quite a yalu-
allie ball player.
Delehanty ard Lajoie OF the Philadel-
pfia club are conceded to he the hardest
Filters in the National League. Both play
erS are not TO he considered in the same
Class with keeler, Burkett and Clarke,
when II comes down to place hitting or
hunting, but for real smuggling this pair
is without its equal In professional base
ball. of the two. Delehanty is slightly
the better. owing to his experience, but
it is predicted that the Frenchman will
ft rye to the front the coming sea son. 1t
is interesting to note how effective the
star twirlers of the big league were last
season when pitted against these two
sluggers. The following table was COM
piled from the different scores of games
liz which the Philadelphia club partici-
pated:
Against. Delehanty. Lajoic.
6rs,..hsteih .....-.-......'.... .3oa 90