Evening star., 1899-04-08
Season Of the National League
Local Team.
CHANCE TO See TIE new PLAYERS
Grounds Being Put in Order for
the Year.
CURRENT SPORTING NOTES

homeward bound or will arrive home today.
The Phillies reached the Quaker city yes
terday, brown as berries and in good trim,
while the New Yorks also reported to their
chief in the metropolis yesterday, and will
go against the Yale team today at the Polo
grounds. The Giants are not in as good
shape, physically, as desired, several of the
men having malaria or injured limbs
Rusie, Meskin and Seymour are still hold
ing out, and the club as a whole is in very
bad shape. The Cincinnati club arrived
home Thursday evening, two days ahead of
their return schedule, rain having driven
them out Of the south, and tomorrow they
start in training on the home grounds
With thu exception Of DUSTY Miller, the
entire outfit ts in lrst-class condition. The
Louisvilles will reach home today, and it
is reported that several of their best men
are suffering from injuries that will take
weeks to heal. The Chicago team Ia on its
way home; Ptttsburg starts for home Mon
oay and Washington will be the last club
TO come up out of the south, leaving Nor
fold Tuesday night, and will be in the city
IN IN time to start the game with Georgetown
Wednesday afternoon.
The overwhelming defeat of the Senators
py the Boston club last Thursday has put
renewed confidence into the Georgetown
boys, and it is expected that thar showing
against the Washington club will be- of the
nnest order. Bach is slated to start the
game for the blue and gray, and 1t is
thought Mercer will be his opponent at the
start off. This game will be the oniy one
played in Washington before the season
opens, and it will afford the local enthu-
siasts chance to size up the new men or
the team as a whole. Slagle and OBrien
ara entire strangers to the league cities
and Hulen is almost so. it being three
years since he was with the Phillies. Harry
paws at first, Dick Padden at second, and
the other men mentioned in their positions
VIII furnish novelty enough to draw a
ia1gs crowd to National Park. The George
town club will have large following, and
the enthusiasm that comes from a body of
colege students should make the occasion
far above the ordinary
AS outlined in The Star last evening
through special from Chicago the Louis
@ xiiie manasement has decided to forego
!egal suits and begin the season without
further arguments or protests. A special
dispatcn from Louisville, dated last night
says:
A meeting of the directors Of the club
was held this afternoon. No official result
or the meeting was given out The reason
for this is obvious. The directors, while
outwardly bound to uphold President Drey-
fus, secretly saw the instability of his DO
sition and the uselessness of crying over
split milk.
There are reasons to believe that the
young president was told that he had burn
ed his hands and had better keep away
from the fire hereafter.
The result of the meeting 1t Is expected
Will be that no more will be heard Of the
injunction suit The season will open and
proceed just If there were no row. and
that Louisville having now a good team
will draw sufficiently well on week days to
overcome last years deficit, which could
have been earned on Sunday games tfds
year.
Meantime Harry Pulliam, who has al
ready secured one concession from Chica-
xxrf1I tow k,fo l.
kuehne, the extra man carried by Bos-
ton, has been playing shortstop In place of
Herman Long, and his work has been so
remarkable that 1t Is just In line for Mr.
Selee to be open for congratulations in
having corralled another first-class player.
Kuehne's work at Norfolk in the Boston
Washington game was Of such a sensa-
tional order that many of the onlookers
were positive that 1t was Herman Long.
This will be Kuehne's first year in the
National League, and he Is said to be
younger brother Of the old Pittsburg third
baSeman.
In all likelihood 'Scrappy BiW' Joyce
will be the manager Of Stanley Robdson's
Cleveland Base Ball Club. The gray-haired
first basenan of last years Giants was
sent for yesterday by the owners of the
St. Louis and Cleveland clubs. Joyce's re-
lease from the New York club will be OBJ
tanned in exchange for Tommy Dowd. The
progress of negotiations has been so favor
able that Joyce has now been made party
to the dicker. The first baseman Is quite
willing to take charge Of the old st. Louis
crowd, and 1t is likely that by Monday he
will be in charge Of the Cleveland squad
at Terre Haute.
Jimmy Williams. the third baseman
drafted from the Western League by Pitts
burg, Is in such bad shape that 1t Is not
expected that he will be able to begin the
season with the Pirates. He turned an
ankle in one of the first practice games in
the south and has been laid up ever since.
OBrien and Madison have been playing
third since the accident to Williams, and
1t Is expected that one of these men Will
be found in that position at the beginning
of the season. The remaining members OF
the Pittsburg team are in fine shape.
Phil Wagner and a large corps of work.
men have been diligently at work for the
past week or more fixing up National Park
for the opening game OF the season Tne
work of greatest interest has been on the
diamond, in the region of third base, where
the surface has been raised fully foot
This defect has been overlooked for the
past two seasons, the rains gradually wash
ing away the earth, until at the close OF
| last season there was almost gully In
front of the third baseman. Jimmy Casey
put in a protest against the surface around
third base Immediately after his arrival,
and as a result one Of Manager Irwin 8
first orders was the repairing Of that par
ticuiar spot. Fences surrounding the
| grounds are being repaired, the boardwalk
from the street to the entrance relaid, new
ground filled In at several places in the out
field and near the stands and comfortable
| seats placed in the different stands. Every
thing promises we'll for the opening day
and the expected large attendance will be
we'll taken care Of
Not satisfied with taking Catcher Aleck
| Smith from the Baltmores, yesterday Man.
ager Hanlon also took liking to Pitcher
McFaxlan, and he was quickly yanked into
the Brooklyn camp. This drawing upon
the Baltimore reserves will stop April Is,
but by that time 1t would be wise for Man.
ager McGraw to keep his promising young
sters under cover. Pitcher Hughes, who
has been holding of from the offers Of Man
ager Hanlon. has at last come to terms
an he asked for-and will report to the
Brooklyn club by Monday morning. AL
Maui is still In Philadelphia, but promises
to report as soon as the Brooklyns return
home Maui Is in fine fettle and claims 1t
was not necessary for him to take the
southern practice trip Manager Hanlon
thought differently, but Al. had his own