The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-14
Battery B Players Spring a Big
Surprise in the Armory
Basket Ball League
WELLINGT0NS AND
EMMETS PLEASED
ArtiIIerymen Score a Single Goal
in Five Free Tries, and CityS
Miss Six Chances


with the feeling of that company, at
the armory last evening. They must
have felt like a man who expects to
sit on a down pillow, but who sits on
pin instead. They played Battery B
basket ball. When they started in they
weren't thinking whether they would
beat the artillerymen. What they
thought of was how much they would
beat the Battery lads. They had as
much confidence before the. battle as
Gen. Gatacres had before he reached
Stormberg, and when it was finished
there was about as much left of them
by the artillerymen as the Boer ar
tillery left of the routed British.
Battery B got only one point, but
that point looked as big as a mans
last dollar when the bill collector is
coming in sight. For the City guards
got as much as the Filipinos secured
out of the war with Spain.
The crowd was the smallest of the
season, but it was the most en-
thusiastic.
The victory of the Battery boys was
popular one. Everybody present ex-
cept the City guards members wanted
the Battery to win, and as the game
drew toward a close, with the Battery
lads leading, an incessant cheer of en-
couragement was raised for them.
Emmett guards men were tickled be-
yond measure and wore smiles that
threatened to engulf their ears. But
their enjoyment was as nothing to that
the Wellington rifles boys took. The
latter made a fearful din and cheered
the artillery men far more than they
had ever cheered their own team.
The surprise of the contest made it
the more welcome. Before the game
nobody expected the Battery lads
would win. Victory was conceded to
the City guards. Hundreds expressed
hope that the Battery lads would
trim the Citys, but each wish was ac-
companied with a shake of the head
which told more plainly than words
that such hope was not likely of full
fillment.
But the unexpected happened. Scor-
ing on a free throw in the second half,
the Battery lads prevented their OPP
ponents from getting a single tally.
When the first half closed and the
Battery men had shown as good work
as their opponents, and neither side
had scored the wishes for Battery
y
soul in the drill shed expected vic
tory would lodge on the arms of the
battery
The game was the hottest that has
been played at the armory this season,
The Battery lads showed up in better
form than in any of their preceding
contests. Dame Fortune lent her aid
and was of immense help to the artil-
lery lads. The City Guards played the
better game, and in the last half played
f1ercely to obtain the advantage, but
luck was against them. They didn' t
give the Battery men a breathing
spell. The fierceness of their playing
kept the ball in Battery territory dur
ing the entire half. The sphere didn' t
pass the central point more than half
a dozen times during the entire half.
Shots at the Battery cage were made
by City Guards men by the score, but
not one of them fell in. The f1erceness
of their play was met by similar play
by the artillery men, and that alone
saved them. BY putting up a hot and
fast defense they made the shots at
the cage more difficult than usual.
City Guards had more chances for the
victory than the team that won. Six
fouls were called on the artillery men
and the City Guards had as many free
shots at the basket They missed all.
Battery had five from fouls made by
City Guards men. One of them was
Gagged, and that was the victory.
In aggressive play the Battery lads
We're not much ahead of their previous
contests, but in defensive work they
discounted their former work by many
points. They showed several weak
nesses, which will have to be remedied
before they can have a winning team
They did too much floor work, passing
the ball along the surface, which is
not as fast as in the air. Another bad
fault is not timing pass to another
player, so that man and ball will be at
one place at the same time The ar
tillery men showed a disposition to in
diyidual playing to a great extent. But
the greatest fault in aggressive work
was the failure OF players to uncover
themselves from their opponents, so
that they might take up the play on a
pass and make it effective.
Capt. Taylor used bad judgment in
not permitting Cardinal to throw all
free tries at the basket. He is credited
with being one of the finest throwers in
the league. The captain also failed to
pass properly as was shown by his
free passes on fouls on the ball. Not
once, out of half dozen times, did he
succeed in getting the ball to one of
his own players. He wasn't entirely to
blame for this, however, as the Bat
terry men didn't get away from their
opponents quickly enough.
City Guards showed better judgment
in passing and the players lost their
opponents many times, enabling them
to throw without interference. But
they showed a decided lack of judg-
ment in not placing themselves in a
better position for a throw They made
the play too fast at times during their
passing, preventing clean work.
A feature of the game was the ex-
cellent work of Moore of the Battery
team. He stopped many a long pass
and returned the ball to the City
Guards goal. The defensive playing of
cellent, and A. Magee put up a strong,
aggressive game for his team.
The only point made during the con-
test came after minutes and sec
onds of play, in the second half. While
the City Guards We're forcing the play
hard in Battery territory, Dand fouled
and Cardinal threw a goal.
The work of Referee H. l.. Dadmun
was excellent. The lineup;
BATTERY B. CITY GUARDS.
Cardinal. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS b, Dand
Taylor (Capt), t....-.,.........l b, Allison
p. TraVer, ! c..................r c, A. Magee
Williams. c .....,............,.. c. Goodwin
jenkins, Bender, c.........l c, W. Traver
Powers, h ..;;;...;i,,,.,..:'iii,.;. Falrpanks
Applicants b. ....,.....;-..l t, Thompson
Moore, g...................h, (Capt) Poland
Score. Battery B /. City Guards 0; goal
free throws, Taylor g. Cardinal, II, Ma
gee A. Poland 2; fouls. GLEASON 2, Jenkins
3, Cardinal Williams H. Magee. 2, Thomp-
son A. Magee. Dand Referee, H. L.
nad,o,,n. timers Corn. d. D. McTag-