The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-13
no ABoITsH THE BUNT.
The Crack Player on the Brooklyn Team
Advocates This Move.

Advocates This move.
The star of the cluster of young play
Club last fan is Joseph Neager, the
pitcher who won the Atlantic League
championship for Lancaster. Manager
Barnie tried hard to secure the young
man early in the season of lSJI Dut ne
was informed by the Lancaster manage
gers that If they permitted Aeaser 10
90 they might as well disband the en-
tire team.
Yeager is a resident Of Philadelphia,
which in late years has superseded BROOK
Iyn in the production OF ball players.
He is twenty-five years OF age ana not
herculean in build, but as a pitcher ana
all around ball player he is said TO nave
no equal among the youngsters dratteo
this season.
Ycaeer learned to play ball among the
amateur teams of Philadelphia, branch
ing out i'm his career with the Camden,
Pottstown and Shenandoah teams IN
regular order Three years ago he was
secured by Lancaster and immediately
Jumped into prominence by his fine pitch
ing and batting. Last year he ranked
second among the Atlantic League Pitch
ers and was ninth among the batters,
with an average of .3Sj. Yeager has also
played short field cleverly and If George
Smith fails TO fill the bill Barnie expects
TO try Yeager in that position.
Yeager favors the rule to abolish the
bunt. Regarding his training during the
off season he says: 81 have been doing
light work I'm the gymnasium ana feel
pretty good"
81 am unqualihedly opposed TO foul or
profane language on the ball field; just
as heartily object to a player stopping
the game to make a prolonged kick, re-
sulting only In getting the umpire rat
tied and down on the club besides. !
propose 10 I've up 10 the League rule
which says: NO club will be allowed to
pay any fine imposed upon players for
disputing the umpires DECISIONS and
will cooperate in any just legislation
which will prevent the recurrence or GER
tain scenes witnessed last year, now re-
GREETED by all parties concerned. / do,
however, want the line between ag-
gressive ball-playing and rowuyism
drawn sharply for l will never consent
to making my men dummies. believing
that such action would not only take the
life out Of them. but kill the game also"
Such is the declaration OF President
Manager Hanlon's platform for the COM
ing year. and IL is what might be eX-
pected from a man Of his recognized
ability aud discretion. Continuing. he
said
The term 'aggressiveness' has been
widely misapprehended as connected with
the Baltimore Club. 1t is spirit. sub
dued to legitimate bounds, but none the
less apparent and constitutes the very
essence OF what makes the game most
enjoyable. If batter believes a strike
has been called on him unjustly. a man
who cares anything about his team win
ming shoul say quietly. without turn
ing toward the umpire or letting specta-
tors know ne Is calling him down: Mr..
Umpire, don't you think that was a
little wrong?' Such action would let the
official know that poor work would not
be passed unnotced. and yet would give
no cause for offense or prejudice.
AN ungentlemantly complaint at the !
start will make any human being angry. |
Anger causes prejudice and poor work. |
Continued poor judgments result In the |
playere getting beside himself in his |
anxiety 10 win. and serious complications |
follow. No matter to what lengths my |
players have gone In arguing with UNI |
pires over decisions-and / don't think |
they were notably offensivel In this re- |
spect last year-I have never counte- |
nanced bad language on the field. II / |
had my way, the first profane word a |
player uttered during a game would be |
sufficient TO send him to the bench.
in my opinion, the fault has been as /
much the umpires' fault as the players |
in this respect. II used TO be different. /
I remember years ago. Arson was fined /
sli0 by Gaffney for questioning his hon |
esty in decision. and Andrian had TO
lay off few days until he paid the
money.
ut is an old story. but none the less /
true. that the alleged rowdyism OF the /
Baltimore players has had its root In the
bitter enmity against the three-tirne /
winners. Perhaps the public Of other
cities will be able to see more clearly.