Evening star., 1901-12-21
Veterans Of the Game Recall Inter-
esting Plays and Names.
VASHINGqoE'S BEST BALL CLUB
How a Thrown Game Was Recap
tured by Clever Work.
SOME GREAT AY s

There was a merry time recently, wher
| a group of base ball enthusiasts gathered
| together and talked of old times, when
| Washington was big factor in the ma
| tional game. The veteran Tom Gallagher
| had just completed making two wonderful
runs of 20 and 90 at balk-line billiards, and
| then joined the group after the applause
| over his wonderful feat had snbsided.
| Jack Lynch, who pitched for the Wash
| ington club back in the eighties, had come
| over from New York on a short visit, and
Jack Chapman, the old player and man.
ager. was also on hand Mr.. Lynch is one
| of New York city's boiler inspectors and
| Mr.. Chapman is a drummer for a we'll
| known liquor firm. Pop Scanlon, by
| right of age, experience and leadership in
] the old days, was accorded the chairman
| ship of the group, and whenever the story
! telling lapsed he would revive old memories
with an exciting incident, and the CONVEX
| satfon would once more be loud and ami
! mated OF course the team of 10 was the
| chief topic of conversation, as all the vet
| Grams claim that that aggregation was the
| strongest that ever wore a Washington
uniform. In that year Mr.. Scanlon was
manager of the team, Lynch was the star
pitcher and Chapman was the manager of
| the Holyoke club in the same organization.
I'm that year. said Mr.. Scanlon, 1.-The
Washington club could defeat almost every
! club in the business, and we were the IA
| city also had a strong club, and as We
| could defeat them on an average of about
three out of four games it is easily seen
why we didn't stand high with the fans
| in that city.
A Great Game.
MY club was made up of Snyder and
Trott, catchers; Lynch and Derby, pitch
ers; Martin Powell, first base; Gerhart, sec
| ond; Morrisey, third: McCleIand, short,
and Pa Rutt in he
Every one of these players was a hitter
of the three hundred order, and as to field
ing they We're considered about the best in
the business.
Il have always considered Snyder the
finest catcher that ever went behind the
bat, and the people who witnessed the
playing of McClelland, Morrisey and Phil
Baker are still enthusiastic over their
work.
DO you remember the game with Spring.
field in 10, when that other good pair, Cor
coran and Goldsmith, were pitching, Bob
Ferguson was on second and Lip Pike
was in center?' spoke up Chapman. THAT
team could always beat the Holyokes,
but it took the Nationals of this city to
take their measure. | remember laying off
one day in this city to watch a game be-
tween the Nationals and Springfields, and
must say it was one of the finest that has
come under my notice.
Lynch was pitching. and Derby was out
in right field. Goldsmith was on the rub
Der for the Springfelds and was not hit
very hard, but Lynch was still better. But
back of Lynch the fielders put up a streak
of sensational work that kept the crowd on
its feet almost continually. At one time
Latham, the heavy first baseman, was on
hrst and Ferguson hit a ball to the extreme
OF left center. Phil Baker set sail for the
ball, and after running a mile got the hall
on the tip of his fingers.
Latham, who was anything but fast
runner had turned second and was logging
frl han fAn loRf
course he was easily doubled up, and the
crowd cheered for several minutes Ra-
ker's efforts to gather in the fly resulted in
severe strain and he had to retire, Or
mond Butler taking his place.
Butler had hardly gotten into his posi
ton, when long fly was knocked into
center field, and it looked as if it was 90
ing over the fence. Running to the fence,
Butler placed one foot on the lower cross.
piece and springing up caught the ball with
one hand about a foot from the top of the
fence. once more the crowd yelled out IFS
delight Right on top of this exhibition a
pail was driven into right field that would
have gone to the fence If not interceDted
but Derby came in on the run and caught
the sphere at his shoe tops, sprawiing over
the ground in his efforts.
That game went to the Nationals with n
safe margin, and speaking of the team that
evening Ferguson said: There NAV he n
weak spot in the aggregation, but it GER
tainly failed to be seen today The Snrine
q
the city, who was also 4 large paper manu-
facturer He had gathered together what
he thought was the best club to be had
and money in the way of salaries was M
object. But without fuss or feathers the
Washingtons. as / have previously said,
couid take their measure on almost any
day In the week" '
Failure to Throw q Game.
About the funniest experience I ever had
occurred in that year. chimed in. Jack
Lynch. "Our club could always defeat ths
Baltimores in the easiest sort of style. and
as result toward the end of the season
when we played there there would be but
small crowds to see us. One day the man.
ager of the Baltimores came to Snyder and
myself at the hotel and asked US to let the
oyster city crowd win so as to get ont a his
attendance the next day. One game lost or
won mattered little to us at that time as
we were away ahead of the procession. and
l promised to help the Baltimores along
To make the game sure we took Gerhart
into our confidence, but none of the others
u was doing the pitching, but couldn't
Jet down In my work too much. or it would
nave given the snap away. As a result the
Baltfmores We're only hitting fairly well
but base on balls helped along When
one of the Baltimore players got on first by
prearranged signal he Immediately broke
for second, and as Snyder threw the ball
out into center field he continued on to
third and then home. The trick was re-
peated three or four times and then the
'gang'-I mean the other PLAYERS on our
team-got onto it and let out a yell. MY,
but didn't little McCIelland, Baker and Nor
risey. not to overlook Powell. give 1t to us,
Throw us US down, will your yelled Nc
Clelland. Why. Wen beat the whole
bunch of you put togetherr
And they did. Every time after that
when man started for second Baker
would cut in toward that bag also, get the
Wlid throw as the man was turning to-
ward third and then throw the bali to
third in plenty time to catch the runner.
The Baltimore players weren't looking for
this ard were the easiest sort of victims.
But on top of 'coppering' our scheme the
other men set to work to undo our plans,
ana you never saw. such playing in your
everything that was above ground, and
Powell dug up several wild throws that
were underneath the sod. But at the bat
they had their revenge. They simply killed
every ball that came within a foot of the
plate and drove three pitchers out of the
business. The game had to be called at
the end Of the seventh inning. with the