Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-12
The Past Weeks Sunshine Brought
Out the Average Enthusiast.
CHANCES FOR !. TEE NEXT SEASON
Reasons Why the Senators Should
Do Better Than Last.
GOSSIP OF PIE GAME

Auc SpTiHS-Hke weather OF
the past week set the Washington base
ball enthusiasts thinking of their favorite
pastime, and as result Of these thoughts
considerable gossip about the local club
as INDUCED in at the many places where
people congregate to enjoy their after-din
ner cigar. The Star base bali man ran
against group Of this sort recently in a
prominent gathering place for fans" and
became an interested listener to the argu-
ments and suggestions advanced about the
Senators for next season One bright
young man said:
Il am figuring on the Senators finishing
fourth or better next season. basing my
prediction on what the club did last year.
The trade of McJames for Amole did not
hurt the club a little bit, and why Mr..
Wagner or Captain Brown should worry
about an additional pitcher is a mystery to
ME. OF course, a first-class pitcher is al
ways welcome, but just an ordinary one
will not be needed by the Senator'S next
year The club did fairly well in the box
last year, and Is certainly not weaker in
mat position. To my mind. l believe the
club has two or more crackerjack twirlers
to help out Mercer. Cy Swain made mon
keys out Of the hard-hitting Baltimores at
the close OF last season. and If he can be
mace 10 quicken MS movements his i'm
provement will be wonderful. Amole will
win as many games as McJames although
the base hits made off of his delivery may
be larger Dineen and Bresnehan are far
above the average as to cleverncss. and
both these hard-working quick fielders
may prove first-class men. The other men
on the reserve list of the pitching corns
may or may not prove. available for fast
company.
Now, if these pitchers did fairly good
work last year with the terribly slow field
ing team behind them l figure it that their
records the coming season cannot help but
a n iY,yD
are base runners, something the club lack
ed last season, and through this speciality
at least dozen games should come our
way. don't care who Captain Brown
places on third, they will all be good with
the bunt stricken out, and | claim that the
Baltimore Birds are the only players thai
create confusion with this sort of play But
Captain Tom will take care of thai club
this season. With the bunt stricken out
the Senators can play the oyster shuckers
TO standstill, and Captain Tom has de-
developed I eW play that will check that
club very effectually. This is simply bring
ing the third baseman up close during the
entire game with the Birds and making
them hit it out. Several swift ones NAV be
lost at third in this way, but their loss is
more than compensated for by compelling
the Birds to play straight ball With the
bunt out of the way Tommy Leahy can
play the third bag as good as the average
man outside of Collins and Wallace
The club is certainly stronger at first
base, as Doyle isIequaaly as good batter
as Tucker and in other parts of the game
the two players are not in the same class.
AT second the club also looks stronger, al
though L don't want to hammer little De
Mont. who is great player. But Reitz
anu Doyle have played together and will
work like clock well oiled. The out
field has not been weakened, the catchers
are the same great pair and as extra men
the Washington club has the cream of
the Eastern League. Under these circum-
stances | cannot see how the club can
help finishing higher up. The Cincinnati
club is the only team Dove the Senators
that has been strengthened during the
winter, and for this reason the enemies
known strength will help us. What | am
EcpinS for is little luck at the start OFF
Luck cuts n great figure in the national
game, and If it comes our way to the ex-
tent of two or three victories around April
u. - End %. the Senators will never be
headed until the middle of July. These
starts have been made and maintained for
a month by Washington clubs in the past
and then came the terrible slump. This
slump Will probably appear the coming
season, nut instead of being big hole in
the ground 1t.will be a mere indentation.'
Talk of similar import can be heard all
over Washington, and to say that the
fans are enthusiastic over the new Sena
torial outfit. but mildly expresses it. The
splendid weather recently on tap has caused
the talking, and it will also bring several
Of the Senators to Washington earlier than
expected should it continue. Weather
prophet DeVoe predicts blizzard for
February %, and says that will wind up
the winter, and the Washington base ball
followers are hoping his prediction may
come true, as the club cannot get together
too early to please them.
The proposition of the official scorers to
take the law into their own hands, practi-
cally, and give the results of players work
as 1t should be, is of those things
which should have been done long ago.
There are some features of the rules on
scoring which have been eyesores to every
Eody, players as well as scorers, because
the tabulated results gave no clear idea as
to all the work done, or rather, just what
was done, that a mans skill might be
measured by the figures. No statistics,
however, will ever give true verdict on
any players ability, though some of the
changes proposed by the official scorers
next year will remove much of the in
equality of the present system. For in
stance, the pitcher who holds down oppos-
ing teams to few hits, fewer enough to
make the game certain for his club. and
then by fatal wildness through bases on
balls allows the garie to go to the other
fellows. will not hereafter stand so high
in the list. His wildness will be made to
figure much against his work it
should, as il formerly went toward fixing
him as a star twirler by the earned run
route Then the hit and run players will
not be given stolen base every time the
ball is hit safely, and that will make
difference in the standing of those who al
ways get assistance in base running from
the man at the hat, and those who take
the risk clearly, unaided. 1t will make
difference in the comparisons made of the
throwing of certain catchers. And finally
this style will have its true effect upon the
winning of games shown as II should be-
The position of Manager Hanlon on the
earned run paresis of the leagues scoring
rules is the one which should be adopted
by everyone who would like to have a
change. OF course there is nothing COM
pulsory about individual scoring. because
individual scoring f,xiy always differ in de-
tail anyway, butt If the scorer wants to
stick to the established rules he must take
account of that which, should be- in equity.
omitted. When Manager Hanlon and
others say thatthe pitchers should be
charged with anx canned run when one
results from a wild pttch.a base on balls or
batter hit by the bail, he takes the right
grounds. IT the ipooFo work of the pitcher
Is not to be taken. into account in scoring.
then, similarly, their good work should not
be given the Importance it is In the scores.
In tabulating the result of mans work
the good should be SET against the bad all
the time. If pitchef is so careful of his
earned run record as to deliberately give
base on balls or hfti the batter with the
ball he should beinade to shoulder the re-
SpOnSibility, The,s r,lle among pitchers is