The Portland daily press., 1899-08-05
Wonderful Work By
Jim Smith.
BrOrkton Beats Pawtucket and
Newport, Manchester.


by PLAYING perfect ball again yesterday
and winning as they pleased from Taun-
ton. IL Is wonderful ball playing we
folks are seeing out on the Forest avenue
grounds these August days. ball playing
that cannot be improved upon in leagues
much faster than this. II it can be con-
tInued and there Is no reason why 1t
should not be, there will be lots of grief
down In Massnch usetts next week The
record of the team for the past three
games has certainly been remarkable
Only three runs have been scored against
us and only two errors made in all thres
engagements.
| The visitors fought hard for the game
and not an error marred their work, but
their hits were not timely ami Brsdy's
wildness aided not little in piling M
the runs. In spite Of the splendid work
of each individual player of the homo
team, work which outclasses anything
seen here previously this season, Jim
Smiths wonderful Fielding yet stands
forth apart from all the rest. We unubt
If anything like 1t was ever seen on a
local diamond. certainly not In the ten
years the writer has followed New Eng.
land league baseball has he ssen 1t APP
proeched. In the two games with Paw
tucket and yesterdays with Taunton he
has accepted "a chances without an error,
and that too while he has teen dashing
about the fisld and scooping up every
thing In sight like the yeritable wonder
that he IL
2 . .saf hA iu
d Cblnamsa would rats, his stick has been
vssy much in evidence, and the great
~ sis pleYar has done more than his share
~ pilins up the big surplus Of runs
4 ~ d we save acquired.
! AAGs s work, however, would have
won any team in the league except
4, Fogtis1.d d. The visitors played splendidly,
and the wonder is that team which can
give any such exhibition as the Herring
town men did yesterday occupies the posi-
ton 1t does. King made some beautiful
stops and throws, and Kellogg who is he
ing touted for the big league showed that
he has not been overestimated. The
batting of the New Yorker was ona of the
features of the game. He makes no effort
to hit the ball out, only tries to place it.
How we'll he succeeded the four single
hits to his credit show. Tbs fleSt time
he hunted one down in 'front.' of the
plate and get away with IL. When he
come To bat again. Nelson came up and
Sullivan plas ed In for him. This time
he drove ons out past SuilT Just far
enough to he good for q bass. The
third time he aimed slow one at Jim
Smith and that was where he made a
mistake. The little shortstop dashed In
for 1t and managed to get 1t over to Con-
| roy but there was no 70 I'm to spare His
other two hits went out past second. OF
course he can't do 1t every day, but yes
tsrday he seemed to be able to place the
ball with his bat almost as accurately as
an ordinary man would throw 1t.
1t was again made evident yesterday
that the aching void which Friend loft
left when he departed from us one sad
week ago has been more than filled.
Nelson got q chance yesterday to show
what he could do In the throwing line
and the result was more thhn satisfac.
tory. In the very first inning, Kellogg.
who 10 perhaps the fastest runner on the
|
little catcher sont the ball alter him with
| wonderful accuracy and speed and it
was. nesting safely In Jim Smiths hands
waiting FOR MIR. kellogg when he was at
least rod away. After that no one tried
to ttsal second on Nelson. He also had
number of difficult foul flies which he
handled without q particle of trouble.
| have remarked before in these col
umns that Spratt has effectually plugged
up very weak place In our diamond.
and this was amply demonstrated yester-
day. 1t no longer sends the shiyers down
the backs of the spectators to see a ball
going down between first and second for
IL is a pretty safe bet that 1t will be de-
voured.
/ Pulsifer gave q fine exhibition of base
running in the third when he stole SEQ
ond and third SUCCESSFULLY. He also
made splendid catch of what threatened
to be hit.
But there. one might continue TO throw
bouquets all day at these rejuvenatsd
Phenoms OF ours. All is. If you doubt
whether they deserve 1t come out
and see for yourself.
Portland made runs enough to win In
the first two innings Spratt opened the
festivities with single, and Georgius
Noblit. who came next felt called upon
to spank ons good and hard. 1t looked
good for home run over right field fence
but dropped little too soon and split
a board. Conroy brought him in.
In the second Pulsifer accepted one In
the abs with Brady's compliments and
was advanced to second by Nelson's
hunt. Miller and Epratt followed with