The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-18

Pitcher Mercer was the popular hero of
the afternoon after his feat of beating
the Wolverines. and. indeed, he deserved
all the encomiums that were handed out
to him He displayed a remarkable con-
troll of the ball. and during the nine in
nings did not send Detroit man to first
on a pass. Then, too, he fielded his posi-
tion perfectly, his stop of Gleason's drive
in the last inning being one of the most
brilliant plays of the matinee. The ball
came to him with cannon-like rapidity,
and he barely had time to shove out his
hand The ball struck the ungioved men,
Der and bounded away a few feet, but
Mercer was after it with all the haste of
a Government clerk chasing a promotion
after he secures a job in one of the de-
partments He picked up the sphere and,
without taking time to aim, fired the ball
over to Jordan just quick enough to head
or the fleet-footed Gleason. OF course,
there were salvos of applause. and Mercer
could have had anything he wanted for n
few moments.
In the second game Patten pitched
good II not better game thaa did his
associate in the previous contest. but the
other men on the team went to pieces, both
in the hitting and fielding departments.
and gave an exhibition that would not
entftle them to decent position in the
grammar school league. Jordan presented
the visitors with their first run, while
in the sixth inning. with the score one
against them as a handicap. the Senators
all took off their hats and turned their
cabbage leaves upside down and started
In as il they meant to do something.
Clark was cute enough to get in front
of slow out curve, thereby earning free
transportation to first bag.
DUNCAN Immediately pushed him ahead
one cushion by a punk hit that landed in
right field just out of reach of the feeders.
With two men on bases and no one out
the prospects for scoring were deemed I'M
commonly good. But here is where the
nstuteness of the local fellows manifested
ftself-the spectators were also given an
object lesson regarding the present some
what obscure position of the Nashingtons
in the race for the rag. Jordan hit a
weak one TO Pitcher Miller and was easily
retired at first. but his crack sufficed to
move along Clarke and DUNCAN a base
each. Coughlin lined the ball down 20
Casey and at this moment Clarke ard
DUNCAN succumbed to an attack of vel
tigo or something approaching it. for
after two or three minute game of tag,
you're it, in which the entire Detroit
were both put on ice and any hopes the
crowd had Of getting a run across the
plate Immediately vanished and everyone
realized that the Senators had struck
their usual gait and ii was all over but
the cheering on the part of the VOL
verines as they left the grounds on their
chariot. AS a game of tag the Clarke
DUNCAN play was all right, but as an ex-
hibition of baseball IL was simply exc
cradle. And then Patten had to go "a
once more and fire balls over the pla e
that would have won any game with eight
players of an ordinary calibre behind him
Because the Board of Aldermen who
have for some months been masquerading
under the guise OF members of the upper
house on the hill secured fifteen hits in
the first game. they concluded they had
enough honors for one afternoon. And
when Mr.. Miller. petulant young geii-
tlemau, by the way. who because he once
while the other men on the Detroit team
were working on the day shift at the roll
ing mills. imagines he is the real article
and must be coddled as much as a prima
donna entered the box and commenced
heaying the sphere the Aldermen vainly
sndeavored to get in communication with
some OF his curves and benders.
AT the conclusion OF their afternoons
labor Il was ascertained by the curious
that four tits-aH singles-represented the
sum total of the efforts of the local hit
ters And then, too, while they were get
ting this uuartette OF bicycles. they were
collecting FIVE luscious errors. while the
visitors b. attending strictly to their
business and working hard to earn their
salaries and the coed viii OF the baseball