The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-04-30

wherefores.
Hank Plank is recalled by local admir-
ers of the noble sport of cuss-the umpire
when-he 's-trying- to- earn-an-honest living
rs the tall. smooth-faced youth with
side propeller as a means of conducting
his business. Yesterday Mr.. Plank was
forced to face the stiffest proposition of
his hitherto uneyentful and cheerful life.
He stacked up against Washington
baseball club that contained few fitters
and several others who almost are. His
one bit of solace as he sucked the end of
his thumb after ii was a matter of his
tory was that he had caused the mighty
Delehanty-the Del. about whom SO much
has been written in connection with his
prowess as a swatter from Swatsville-to
agitate the outdoors much to the deep
chagrin and disgust OF the former Quaker
City fellow.
Senators Hit Hard
Hank could not get much comfort out
of this reflection upon Ders inability to
get next TO one Of his curves. for had not
the Washingtons. the once despised Sena-
tors. walloped the very life cut Of his
baseball existence?
Had not they solved all the supposed
intricac:os of his muohly heralded assorr-
ment of curves and shoots with a non
chalance that made the proceeding almost
a burlesque?
Only for one inning. and that was the
initial one, did the local tossers of the
ball experience any trouble in locating
the mysteries of the Hank Plank style
of pitching. After that all was easy.
When the hits came, they arrived in
chunks. big loads Of singles. bingles, and
even tTingles-this latter achievement be-
ing credited to Coughlin in the eighth in
ming.
The local men were out for the game
and they Immediately commenced to show
their opponents that nothing short OF q
downpour could stop them.
In the grandstand were Lajoie,
Bernhard and Frazer. the Athletic baseball
renegades, while in an adjoining box sat
Ban johnson, the head of the league.
President Ban is something of a mascot
for Washington, for he has been verita-
BILE mascot for the Senatorial aggrega-
tion. They have not lost a game when he
was present. On the occasion of the duo
of setbacks for the championship the re-
doubtable Mr.. johnson has been away
from the city on important business.
1t would not be such a bad idea, in view
of the fact that his influence upon the
home players is for SO much good. that
Manager Lotus hire some one to lasso the
big chief and have him anchored in the
grandstand during the remainder OF the
season.
Then, perhaps, We may have chance
for the silken rag.
Anyway, it would make the umpires
give us a fair show.
Called Umpire Names
Apropos OF these arbiters of the game
The gentleman who has engineered all the
games that have beer played in Washing
ton this season came in for quite a lib
oral share Of the disrespectful utterances
from the faithful yesterday.
Some unthoughtful person suggested in
steptorian tones that Mr.. Sheridan be
lured TO the river front and pushed of
the dock: another veltured the idea that
he was a robber, while there were fire.
quent cries of kill him. kill him." re-
fcrring. of course, to the hard working
decider of plays, who went on in the even
tenor of his way, doing his level best TO
earn an sonest dollar for the support Of
his loved ones at home.
Delehanty's Phenomenal Catch.
The game had proceeded quite unevent-
fully for eight innings with no more ex-
element than the usual enthusiasm
aroused whenever the local men give signs
OF winning out.
In the last inning Seybold, the first
Quaker to take his position at the plate, hit
n high fly to left field, which was very
neatly taken care of by Delehanty. Then
the following hitter, Monte Cross, lifted
"a low curve high into the clouds. Dele
hanty got line on the sphere as IL was
issuing for the last station this side OF
Mars, and he cut loose for the spot on
which It should land when II returned to
this portion OF the universe.
II was hard run that the guardian OF |
The Senatorial left precinct had and after |
sprinting for over 200 feet he caught |
GLIMPSE of the little shcepskin- covered |
thing dropping gently from the upstairs |
fepartnent OF the outdoors. II had evil 1
IDENTIFY passed through heavy Storm for |
its sides were shedding bountiful drops of !,
crystalline moisture.
Delehanty yelled, "Howdy. I'm after |
you" and kept on his mad chase for the /
hit. II was but a few feet from the /
bleacDers, mat ne 2ot WIthin naming dis I
tance OF the thing, and, pushing out one |
hand. he firmly grasped the ball in his
wide. hospltable mitt.
The crowd yelled Justify and long, and
the only thing that lacked TO make 1t
worthy OF an act in the big circus was the
fact that Del failed TO turn a handspring
after concluding the feat-for feat il GER
tainly was.
All Del did was to grin and feel on good
lerms with himself for the remainder OF
he evening. SO good, In fact, that he for