The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-04
SPORTING NEWS.
First Week of Baseball Season
a Disappointment.
Philadelphia Not Expected to
Lead as It Has Done.
BOSTON'S WORK POOR.
Chicago Proves Stronger Than
Was Predicted.
The Giants Pitchers in Poor
FOrm-YOung's Good Work.
BOSTON'S WORK POOR.

Over a week of the baseball season has
fed and several surprises have been given
the fans, who knew just how the teams
would stand and the relative strength of
each.
It was not expected that the PhiIadel-
phias, for instance, with a none too good
third baseman, and a first baseman who
is not as much of a success in that posi-
ton as he is at playing outfteld, would
be in the lead and playing ball that makes
it look as if they might remain there for
a while.
Pittsburg did not look to see that star
organization. collected at great expense,
and no amount of tribulatiOn on the part
OF Colonel barney Dreyfus. wiped up
repeatedly and vigorously by Cincinnati,
a team that has been thought weak by
all the prophets.
St. Louis did not expect to lose two
hghting games to Chicago. 1t would have
occasioned no wonder If St Louis had
that Chicago should show sufficient en-
ergy to give the strong team from the
Mississippi river a red hot battle that
Greatest disappointment of all, however,
is the work of the Boston team. Since
back Boston has been typical of good
baseball, and when the Boston nine plays
in such form as to lead to lie impression
that the men nave spring tCTer, and have
forgotten those smart things with which
than almost any nine in the league, it
begins to look as if there might be a
| screw loose
So far as the BrooklynS and the New
York are concerned, there is little of
which to complain. The defeat of the New
Yorks at Philadelphia on Saturday is not
typical of anything, except a good, sound
th~rashing, and that is likely to happen to
any organization at any time of the base
ball year.
Doheny has yet to pitch good ball. ex-
cept in the game in which he defeated the
Brooklyns and it seems as if he were go
ing to be very slow in rounding to as he
should.
plight in regard to pitchers than appeared
probable when the season began Here
the strength of the team was suppose to
lie, and, barring Carrick, there is not one
of the pitchers who has shown anything
The Brooklyns are certainly no worse
than they were last year, and not so much
better, as some had thought. However,
so far as that is concerned, If they are as
good as they were last year there isn't
much for the management to worry
about.
with Kelley on third base the team ap-
pears to get along fairly well. He is not a
finished third baseman, but there are
ing along without finished third basemen.
In fact, that particular brand of third
baseman is very hard to get If Kelley
PLAYS regularly, however, and Jones re-
mains at center field the batting strength
of the nine is increased beyond a doubt.
And batting is what Brooklyn must look
out for, as well as some of the other clubs
If one thing more than another has
been prominent since the beginning of the
year it is the great pitching of the. vet
eran Young of st. Louis. So far as con-
tinuous service is taken into considera-
ton, Young and Nichols have really been
the banner pitchers of the league for some
seasons.
While Nichols is under a cloud for the
present, Young is doing as well as, if not
better than ever he did in his life. The
mines which he has faced up to the pres
ent time appear not to be able to hit
with anything like safety
The number of base hits that have been
made in the games in which he has ap-
peared thus far have been ridiculously
small in number. In his first two games
the opposing teams got ten base hits all
told. In his day, when batting is so free,
that is certainly a great feat for any
pitcher to accomplish.