Evening star., 1902-08-25
Base Ball Notes

Two games today with the Detroits
The Senators need and will try to take
both.
George Carey's wrist was so much better
Saturday that he hit the ball with conf
dence and precision.
Billy Keister is in the dumps" at pres
ent He hasn't been hitting of late and he
can't account for the slump.
Scranton Bill'' Coughlin is fast round
ing into one Of the stars of base ball He
has been batting hard of late and his base
running is attracting attention.
Jimmy Ryan viewed Saturdays game
from the grand stand and will probably re-
sumo his work in center field today
Pitcher Frank Smith of the Southern
League is reported to have been signed by
Manager Lotus and will soon make his ap-
pearance in a senatorial uniform. This Is
the young man tipped" off so strongly to
Manager Manning last fall, but allowed to
go by the board. His work has been first
class this summer.
Should the Senators trim the Detroits to-
day and tomorrow and the Clevelands go
down before the Athletics the locals will
once more be back in fifth place.
Conny Mack's Athletics are certainly
putting up great finish, and from present
appearances have the pennant won. But
wait until the Quakers strike the western
circuit, especially Cleveland, and then fin
ish with the Senators. 1t would be a
strange occurrence for the Senators TO
knock the Athletics out of the champion
When shown Saturdays dispatch from
Baltimore to the effect that he had signed
with New York for next season, Norman
Elberfeld denied 1t most emphat atically, and
intimated that Manager McGraw is carry
ing around contract with a forged sig
nature.
Miller, the only clean out-and-out con-
tract jumper from the American League,
is failing to make good in New York, and
the ak may fall at any time.
With Murphy and Hastings newly enter
ed into the matrimonial ranks and Powers
benedict of less than a years standing,
it will soon be in order to call Connie
Macks team the Bridegrooms.''
Moore has pitched great ball for Cleve-
land on the present trip Not until he
reached Philadelphia did he get his bumps,
and the way the Athletics batting at
present is abundant excuse for the big
twirer.
If Methuselah Cross keeps up his present
gait he'll soon be leading the American
League in batting. And to think that
Lave" was a recognized star when his
team mate, young Howard Wilson, was i
babe in swaddling clothes.
Wallace of St. Louis and Bradley of
Cleveland recently treated McGraw with
scant courtesy when he approached them
with propositions for next year. 1t is said
that Wallace used language that would
scarcely pass muster in mixed company.
The fine work which Dan Murphy has
been doing both with the stick and in the
field must now make Freedman feel sorry
place of some of the misfits to whom he is
now paying big salaries and getting no re-
turn.
The season of rumors is at hand. Stories
of players jumping, of clubs being wrecked,
of new leagues being organized, of COM
bnations being formed will be ripe from
now on till the gong sounds the opening of
1908. The wise fan will be slow to believe
all he reads or hears.
Whether or not Christy Mathewson has
signed to play with New York next season
is a much disputed question. Supporters of
New York declare that he has though they
cannot get McGra:w's statement for their
confidence. Several members of the ST.
Louis American League team insist that
they have seen Mathewsons contract with
their team. MatheWSon'S latest declaration
on the subject was that he would not talk
business with any team in either league
until the end Of the season.
There can be no doubt that PhiladeIphians
are charitably inclined. The events of the
last ten days prove that. ''Muggsy' Nc
Graw's memorable plea for Connie Macks
White Elephant has been responded to in
an unprecedented manner. Fans to the
number of 9o,159 have paid to see the
Athletics trif1e with the other American
League teams since their return from the
west, and, incidentally, all records for base
ball attendance have been irrevocably
smashed. This outpouring means an aver
age of more than $500 per game. 1t
means even more than that. 1t means
that in ten days more people have
visited Columbia Park than have been
to the Philadelphia grounds in the entire
season of forty-one games played thus far.
Philadelphia North American.
Tim Murnane says that McGraw worked
early and late to get some of the star
players to jump contracts for New York
and that several men turned him down
good and hard. New York, with McGraw,
Brush and Freedman, have an idea they
can get every player to go to that city.
They hope to mead off the American
League, but in this they will be deceived
for before another six months rolls around
the American will be in stronger position
than even now to checkmate any strength
New York may give the league