The Washington times., 1902-07-24

Almost every one of the 1866 people
reported by the Senatorial management
as having witnessed the Washington
Cleveland game yesterday came out to
see the S2S.0C0 prize beauty of profess
sional baseball. Capt. Nap. Lajoie. once
Of the John Rogers Philadelphia Ma
tional team, and now drawing a $1,000
annual salary for his freshman year with
Cleveland
Great stories had preceded the mighty
second baseman.
Great throngs had turned out to see
him perform in other cities of the John
scnian organization. As a freak. ''
Larry is in a class by himself in the ball
world, and only shares the distinction
OF being in the sui generis class with the
aIabaster shoulder blade of Katisha. of
comic opera fame, and the gentleman
who threw the brick that hit William
Patterson.
When the Clevelanders lost several
games at Philadelphia recently, they
said it was because the prize winner was
enjoying himself by the waves of the
sea that are sometimes described as
being in a condition OF sadness.
Larry OF in Work
Perhaps Larry tarried too long in gay
Atlantic City, and visited the home of
the fifty-seven varieties once too often.
Anyway, he was away off in his work
yesterday. which is not to be construed
into the assertion that he will slip up
this afternoon again, fer Larry has a
habit OF playing a sloppy weather game
every once in while and then hopping
back in the blueribbon XXX class. Sc
those who missed the fun of seeing the
boss of the Spiders do all manner OF
phenomenal stunts in the field and at
the bat should be willing to give the
big fellow another opportunity to dis
'tinguish himself and explain the why
and wherefore of the seven thou. per.
AS drawing card Larry is easily
worth his salary, even if he seldom does
any better than yesterday, for there is
widespread interest in any man who
can pull down so much coin for simply
playing baseball.
There was q good deal of rivalry be-
tween Lajoie and Defehanty at the bat
yesterday, but everything came Del's
way, and by the time the last man was
retired the head of the Senatorial aggre-
cation had copped out brace of as fine
hits as one could ask for
Lajoie Not Able to Hit.
Both went over the second base, as If
to taunt the great and only. while not
once was Lajoie able to hit Patten
safely. Once Larry went out to Jack
Doyle on a fly. then he slammed a hign
one to Delehanty, Clarke took good care
OF one of his foul flies, Ely got under an
other Lajoie fly, and the only time the
big man got to first was on the first er-
ror Jack Doyle has made since he be-
came a member OF the Senators over
month ago.
So. all in all, and especially when it is
recalled that Larry dropped a thrown
ball from Gochnauer that would have
retired Ryan in the seventh inning, It
is to be regretted that the muchly ad-
yertised player did not give better ac-
count Of himself.
Still, these prize beauties fall down
every once in while, and leave the
polloi with great yearning for some
thing that they had not received.
Earl Moore, whom that fussy old fem
inine person, Mrs. Rumor. insists is to
jump Cleveland in favor OF one OF the
National League clubs, looked after the
box work for the visiting people. He did
very well with the exception of the fifth,
when he was bad enough to let the local
people win the game hands down.
Moore started out with whole lot of
speed, but he soon realized that II there
is anything in the world the Washington
hitters like better than their salary en-
yelopes, 1t is speed-those real hurry-up
balls without much curve to them, but
vast amount OF human energy behind
them.
Changed to Slow Ones.
This is the sort of ball that the young
representative of spiderdom started in |
TO make a reputation with. but by the |
time the fifth inning was thing of the !
past and most OF his steam had been |
spent, Moore. twirler for the other side. |
suddenly discovered that when 1t comes |
TO hitting nice. slow. ingenious !
pitcher with no great arm action. the |
Washingtons are not so dreadful. and |
thereafter the locals had a good deal |