Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-22
merry slide on the percentage "shoot-the-

merry slide on the percentage "shoot-the-
chutes."
SO far this year the right-handed pitchers
OF the league have won 40S games and lost
397. while the left-handers have won 169
and lost lila hard argument against the
southpaws." The pitchers who are spend
ing their first year In the big league have
OBLIGATED in ninety-one losing battles and
only eighty victories.
Fred. Tenney is not as badly injure as
was at first supposed. Much OF the soreness
is already gone from his twisted knee and
the wounds in his foot are slight and he
expects to be back in the game some time
next week. During his absence Yeager and
Bergen will alternate on first base. Catcher
Bransfield. who had BEEN farmed out, has
rejoined the Bostons, and will be used as
utility man until Tenney gets back into the
game.
President Hart Of the Chicago club main
tains that the verdict in Gumbert's case
against thu Chicago club established the le-
gality of the reserve rule James doesn't
want to go broke on that proposition. So
long as the league reserves the right to re-
lease player on ten days notice and de-
MES the player the right to quit club by
tender Of the same notice, then there is no
mutuality to the contract. Such is the opin-
len of one Of Philadelphia's greatest law
yers.
The batting in the National League for
the season of 1898 has been much lighter
than during any season since the pitching
distance was increased. Many reasons for
this have been advanced. including the
statement that the balls are bad What
ever the reason, it Is true, and the fact was
illustrated on Saturday, when the total
number OF runs made by both sides in
seven games played was "a, an average for
each club of 81 runs. Leaving out the
Washington Pittsburg games. only 10 runs
were made in the other five games an
average per club Of less than two runs
Hanlon has now decided to comply with
the boards decision to suspend Holmes and
pocket Freedmans $1,000. Out of 1t he is
willing to pay Holmes an amount equal to
the balance Of the seasons salary. AS
Brodie is not yet IL condition to play ball,
he has begun negotiations for the services
of an ex-leaguer. Holmes, however, has
decided to sue out his injunction tomorrow,
and as the team starts off for trip and
Will not return until after the limit set for
Holmes suspension by the leagu directors,
Hanlon will not be able to carry out their
orders without getting tangled up with the
court. The question will then be- can Han
lon demand the 81 900?
The Washington club will have a nom
playing manager next season. Umpire
Lynch has declined the position, and the
Wagners are on a still hunt for a capable
man. Among others under consideration
are, according to report, T. J. LOTUS,
Arthur Irwin and Jake Wells. The former
owns and operates the Columbus club and
is too well endowed with this worlds goods
to accept, and Mr.. Irwin is said to regard
the Toronto club as too valuable a plant to
intrust to others. Mr.. Wells, the capable
manager OF the Richmond club of the At
lantic League. is handicapped in the esti-
nation Of the Wagners by his lack of
major league experience. They fear a
repetition Of Stallings' disastrous expert
ence with the Philadelphia club. The
Sporting News would suggest that Mr.
Lynch is not the only member of the Ma
tional League staff of umDires who has
managerial qualifications. What's the mat
ter with Bob Emslie?-Sporting News.
These two double-headers with Pitts
burg, Saturday and today, are the result
of a failure Of the two clubs to get to-
gether for the scheduled four games on the
second trip of the Senators to Pittsburg
the first days Of August On the first trip,
in the latter part Of May, all three sched-
uled games were played. Inasmuch as the
Washington team will not go back to Pitts
burg again this season and no open dates
are In sight, it was necessary to pull off
the two games in this city. The Senators
have been rather fortunate in tho matter
of getting rid of the postponed games this
year. There are now standing out the fol-
lowing contests that have been prevented
from reaching decisions earlier in the sea-
son: New York at Washington, one game;
Philadelphia at Washington, one game;
Cleveland at Washington, one game tied;
Washington at Cleveland (series played in
Philadelpha), one game, tied; Washington
at Brooklyn, one game; five games in ALL
three on the homo grounds.