The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-27

Promptly at 70 o'clock yesterday morn
ing Tom Brown and his band Of ball
tossers appeared on the field and began
the practice for the day. All the mem
bers handle themselves in a gingery,
snappy manner, and seem eager for the
season TO open in earnest. They are as
likely lot OF ball players as Washing
ton has ever had under contract, and
with Jack Doyle in their midst for in
spiration they viii put UP a rafting good
gam.
Manager Brown is confident that the
team viii prove stumbling block TO the
top-notchers, and that at the end of the
season the patrons OF the game in this
city viii have every reason 10 feel proud
Of the Senatorial aggregation. And this
view Of the genial Tom is shared by
many local enthusiasts, who assert that
the team for the present season Is the
very strongest that has ever represented
this city in the National League.
Now let Us analyze the team and see
how il pans out. To start with, Mcclure
and Farrell rank easily as leaders in
the catchers' class. They are both heavy
hitters. and always in good playing form
In The pitching department, Mercer is
q known quantity, and q good one, too.
Weyhling enjoyed q great reputation in
the old days Of 81 and his preliminary
work gives every evidence Of future
usefulness in the box. He has speed
and good control Of the ball, and IS at
all times the possessor Of q cool head.
Amole Is credited with some excellent
work while a member of the Orioles and
is expected TO develop into formidable
enemy Of the heavy hitters. Bresnahan
was given trial at the close of the last
season. and the fact that he has been
reserved by Mr.. Wagner leads one to
believe that he possesses the attributes
Of good pitcher. Mahaffey and Dono-
van are new men, and as yet little can
be said Of their abilities, save that they
appear TO handle the ball in a clever
manner, and ii is TO be hoped that they
viii prove valuable additions 10 the Sen
ators' box brigade.
The guardian OF the initial bag, Jack
Doyle. is too well known as the king Of
FIRST basemen to need any commentator
a this time. Suffice II TO say that Doyle
viii play his usual game.
Retz. the equal OF any second base
man in the business, Will play strong
game on the second bag, and prove
terror 10 the grass-rippers that invade
his territory.
Tommy Leahy, II is expected, viii play
on the third base and put up a fine ex-
hibitiGn Oh that portion Of the diamond.
To Zeke Wngley viii fail the hard
work at short field. and if he plays up to
his standard Of last year there will be
DO cause for complaint
The outneld viii be made up in the
strongest possible shape and Manager
Brown may be relied on TO place the
proper man I'm the proper place
So IN will be seen that the Washington
Club Is composed Of good ball-playing
material. and the local fans may rest as
sUrcd that the Senators viii put up
fine game throughout the season, and
finish well up in the FIRST division.
The sympathy Of the fans and rooters
See ms 10 be entirely with the strikers IL
the Baltimore Baseball Club. Leaving
out The question as 10 The right or wrong
of the stand taken by the players. there
s. little doubt that they have the best Of
thu argument The Baltimore Club has
cleared over 100000 in the last three
years. and the strikers have helped to
make this fortune for Messrs. Won Der
Horst and HanIon. Last year these
players received the limit for playing l5Z
games. and they were hard games too.
while this season they are asked 10 par
ticipate in Isl games for the same money.
Take twenty games and allow the club
10 clear SEQ on game, . very low esti-
mate and il VIII be seen that the man
aEemcnt VIII be ahead clear 5000 To
settle the controversy it viii take about
s. GJ1-a nice tidy sum-which Manager
HanI0E does not care parting with.
The CRY Of disappointment that has
gone uD from the different prominent
scorers Of the country over the abolition
81 the earned run would lead the unso-
phlstica. ed TO think that the national
game was in danger. From an outside
point Of view il appears that the earned
run was adopted Tor the benefit Of the
owners Of the clubs. and il they think
proper 10 abolish this feature Of scoring
the scorers have a very small kick The
earned run Is a hard thing 10 watch in
q game and the public takes no interest
81 in whageEcr-bcsides. II is unreliable.
OF course there Is no way 10 prevent
scorers generally coun ing the earned run
81 they want TO. but the official scorers
can be easily handled. They are hired by
the league magnates. Under these cir
Gums .ances il is a dollar-to-peanu
wager that the official scorers viii not 20
out Of their way % find extra work. Sew
eral Of the prominent baseball writer's
have cOntended that there viii be no
way of telling how effective a pitcher has
been during the season, but here again
the scorers have gone out Of their way
TO hunt FOR trouble. II a pitcher helps
materially TO win games, conducts him
self Ike q gentleman, and his health re-
mains good. IL viii not be necessary TO
spring figures on a manager 10 tell him
that the player is valuable one.
Now thar Nick Young's staff OF UNI