Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-20

a young mans fancy lightly turns to
thoughts of love- Now to all purposes
and intent the immortal author Of the
Charge of the Light Brigade" undoubtedly
meant that the young mans love for the
opposite sex got in its strongest ticks" in
the spring tine of the year.
Had Tenuysou been an American and
had he lived in this time he might have
modified his poem so as to make il read in
the spring a young man S fancy lightly,
heavily and ioyously turns to thoughts Of
baseball
Nor is the young man in a class by himself
in his love for the great national game of
America. The infection seems to have
taken firm hold upon the middle aged as
we'll aud even men of venerable appear
ance can be found eagerly discussing the
merits of this or that player. and estimating
Washingtou's chances IN their coming CON
tests with the other clubs composing the
American League.
Being fan" myself and having in the
course of my newspaper career handled the
sporting news for several local and out Of
town newspapers I 5etook myself the other
morning out 20 the American League Park
20 renew old acquaintance and particularly
to meet Manager LOTUS and to see his
husky crowd Of ball tosse-s at work
Perhaps may be accused of being too
enthusiastic when I say that in my opinion
Manager LOTUS has given Washington the
best ball team this city has ever had This
IS no idle pipe dream either. I speak from
as thorough a knowledge Of the game and
OF the men who play il as any other writer
In this country. I have carefully weighed
IN the balance every team CON posing the
American League 7 have compared the
clubs man for man and 7 cannot see any
other team iu the race save Washington
with Philadelphia second Chicago third
and St. Louis fourth
Under the skilfu, hand Of Mr.. John
O'Bricn, the highly efficient ground keeper
who appears 90 know his business
thoroughly. the park is rapidly getting into
shape, aud when Z stood upon the club
house steps the other morning couversiug
with Mr.. LOTUS a view down the 6eld
showed that very lttle improvements were
needed to make the park one of the finest
in the circuit
asked Mr.. Lotus whether he contem-
plated extending the left 6eld fence farther
out He replied that there was not room
enough TO do this where 10 was needed, and
that Is along the foul liue I asked him
whether he knew Of grounds that had such
short field as Washington and he said he
did, that the Boston National League
grounds were about the same a fact which
I afterwards remembered to be correct.
Coming around 10 the question Of PLAYERS
Manager LOTUS agreed with me in my as
7ertiou that he had a likely lot of ball
players which indeed he has But suppose
now that w take the members of the team
individually. for in 10 other manner can
the strength of any aggregation be arrived at
Beginning With the catchers, no one who
knows the game can have auy doubt of the
fact that ia Clarke and Donohue we have
pair Of men who will compare favorably
with any backstops in the business I have
always considered Bill Clarke to be the best
man behind the bat that ever wore NIT.
Not only Is he sure catch, but he is also
invaluable to pitcher, particularly when
the latter Is young and inexperienced. Bill
has certain way about him which seems to
act as a sedative upon pitcher when he is
being hit hard, or when he seems to be
about TO do the balloon act. Il is right here
where the cool, calm spoken Clarke makes
his presence felt; and many the pitcher
have seeu Bill steady, 50 that in the end
the game would be won. whereas had there
been anyone else behind the bat the game
would have been lost.
In throwing to bases Clarke easily leads
all the others. / cannot recall another
oackstOp at the present moment who is able
20 stand IN his footprints and whip" the
oall down 20 second as Clarke can do time
after time King" Kelly had this trick
down to a uicety, so also had Jack Clements
when in his palmy days he caught the
mighty Burlington. But in these times I
thiuk that Bill Clarke has 'em all skinned"
when 1t comes TO quick throwing
In batting. also, Clarke does exceedingly
dne work. for let alone his being natural
oatsman, he Is also a decidedly scientific
wielder of ,he wagon tongue, in fact he
plays tue whole game from a purely
scientific standpoint and science is what
wins these days, and Bill is a professor in
the seuiOr class In baseball
Every one who has ever seen the man
play can testify to his ability as a coach"
and as general allarouud hard worker in
the matter Of run getting. He is popular
with his team mates, and when he is behind
the bat everything seems to move along in
a systematic manner. To sum the whole.
Bill Clarke would be a valuable man 70 any
team, and he is just where his many ad-
mirers IN this city wish him to be--a mem.
Der of the Washington Baseball Club
haven't seen much Of Donohue in the
past few years, but If he is in the form he
used to be IN, then Washington fans" can
congratulate Mr.. LOTUS on having secured
a splendid running mate for Clarke
think that Donohue is one of the hardest
workers when IN the game that know of.
He Is a bad loser aud never seems to con
sider the game lost until all is over; no one
can accuse the Chicago boy Of being a quit
ter" ne Is a hard hitter, has a splendid
whip" and in throwing to the bases is
quick aud accurate. / think without doubt
that DOnohue is the wittiest coach" ia the
business. and he Is sure tobbecome popular
with the bleacherites." All in all Manager
LOTUS is TO be congratulated for having
landed this sterling player
Now we come down to Washington's
pitching staff. and voice the sentiments Of
every man in this country who knows the
game when / say we have easily the best
set Of pitchers in the business
Beginning with AL Orth, who has been in
the harness longer than any Of the others,
and whose record ia the National League,