The San Francisco call., 1898-05-05
GOSSIP OF
 THE DIAMOND.
By JOE CORBETT.

| l of his hard hitting"
 | Pitcher Harvey, familiarly known as the Silent Man." came out of his trance last 1 Sunday and demonstrated in an unmistak- 1 able manner that he can be real noisy" | if circumstances warrant It.
 Held of the Fresno team endeavored to 1 punch Umpire Long's head off after the game last Sunday, because he was called out at the plate on a close play. Presl- dent Bert should take immediate action and make an example of MT. Held. It is to be regretted that players should so far forget themselves These "rowdy tactics should be stopped immediately, as a scarcity of good umpireS will be the in evitable result.
 At Monday night'sp meeting of the new league 1t was decided to take 212 per cent of the receipts of all games played, to be divided among the clubs finishing first, second and third. This will be an ad- ditional object for the teams to put re- newed energy into their work, for when the end comes a nice sum of money will be in waiting for those clubs fortunate enoughtto be among the first three. Bill Hammond, the clever catcher of the | San Franciscos, is one of the best throw CTS now playing on the coast. He does not throw as fast ball as some of the catchers, but more than makes up for this deficiency by his rapid movements In get ting the ball away. Last Sunday at
  third base, and had Murphy been watch ing the game. 1t is said. he would have caught two or three more at first. Great work, Bill keep 1t up
 Carl krug made quite a record in Sum- days game at Fresno. throwing four men out at the plate. Altogether there were six men thrown out endeavoring 10 score on infield hits.
 Sykes, the new first baseman of the re- organized Oaklands, Is the tallest player in the league and should make a s'great hit" playing the initial bag. He is a tri1e weak on scoops" possibly on account of his height, yet with practice should easily overcome this fault.
 Claud Sheer Is a great little shortstop- no one will dispute that fact-but 'Claud- ie's" throwing to first base at times is very poor. With Big" Sykes playing the bag it would be good idea for CIaud to throw all the balls high. It will have to be thrown over the grand stand or Sykes Will reach II; so remember that, Claud, and always throw high.
 Hardte's drive over the clubhouse in Sundays game was ''peacherine.
 Youngers Johnson departed for the East Monday night.
 Harvey complains of a sore arm The great fault with all pitchers out here is the same. They do not take proper care of their arm during game After finish ing an inning a pitcher should lose no time in covering his arm and keep it covered until 1t is time to again resume hostilities. It is during the rest between innings, when pitchers arm is warm, and very often perspiring, that cold sets in. Therefore. pitchers, good and bad cover up the wing" or some day in the near future you will be rele- gated to that class known as has been or | never wasers.'
 Fasteners call Hughes the "California wonder. He defeated New York Mon | day, and beat great team Meekin one | of the oldest and best pitchers now in | the league, opposed him in the box, which | adds additional glory to his victory. | think New York the hardest team in the league for right-handed pitcher to beat, as they have eight left-handed batters. and consider this latest victory of Hughes | as great as any. No use talking-they 'cant" stop these Native Sons
 There is an immense amount of discus | selection of Recreation Park as tho | league grounds. It is mighty hard mat ter to satisfy everybody in this 'booming | as a bali ground, Recreation Park is as as far above Central Park as the Call build | ing is above the Examiner. It is utterly | Central Park, unless 1t be with a dead | ball, and the people are tired of this stuffed ball proposition. The new league propose having their teams play good i used, and it's like throwing money away to put live ball in play at Central Park. To be sure, 1t Is more centrally located, and in consequence will attract those peo, pie whose fondnesS for the game Is such that If 1t were not being played right in their path they would not otherwise come
 
 starve if it catered to that class of peo- pie. Their idea is to give the public good baseball. To do this they must play on a ground where the outfield will have a chance to catch ball without climbing up a fence or into the stands, and where the batter will have to hit the ball if he expects to be credited with a basehit. If the people want to see baseball a five or six block walk is not going to stop them by any means. In Chicago and many other league cities people are compelled to go three, four and five miles to see a game, and while San Francisco is not Chicago. still baseball fans are the same the world over. A few blocks is certainly not going to prevent those in San Francisco from seeing the game especially so when they know the change was made that the teams might give them their best efforts.
 Owing to the scarcity of good umpircs it would be a good plan for the league to abandon the double umpire system and give each game in the different towns a "good umpire