The evening Republican., 1902-05-05
THE OPENING !.
, GAME Of BALL.

| of the boys from Manayunk. 1t IS
the same old story that you have
heard many a time before and one
that would give Il hump-backeu
turtle the bow-wows and make a
| sand tick feel like committing sui
| eide.
The aggregation of players cor
| allied by Manager Roach Of the VIII
mington team met the Manayunk
players on Saturday and despite OF
| the improvements to grounds and
the attendance of nearly 1000 when
then the bells tolled + o'clock they
were the worst-looking set of knock
| ed-down, dragged.out, lambasteC,
shurked-up, ALFRED set of disgrun-
| tied geezels that ever wended their
spring fever, trunks to a Market
street hotel. But yet the people OF
Wilmington are supposed to love
them and sing their praises by day
and night like a Browntown dealer
with honeyed words for Delaware
| Shad. The boys are not used to the
good food at Hotel Lafayette
1t is too rich and they must take
more exercise.
Three pitchers, a bundle OF errors
| and half IL score Of bases presented
on a salver tied with pink ribbon
| helped the Wilmington to run the
score up to 8 runs.
Day tried to pitch two innings and
the mill boys played peek boo with
| the ball and trolted around for four
runs. Then Walker took the magic
| wand and after the visitors touched
him up for a number OF runs Walker
| looked at the dark clouds and walked
| with the air OF some one who had fall
en- overheard while the Manager
| ,oked as if he had been received by a
grave digger and bonght,second hand
| ed
Then Myers finished the game just
to let Manager t'rysinger see that
Wilmington can raise pitchers. lie
did fairly well and showed lots OF
skill and room for improvement.
Mayor Fisher made a neat address
previous to the game and tossed the
ball to the umpire.
The base ball lovers will shortly
have u ball ground where they are
sure to see first class hall played and
to hear 10 vulgar language.
Work is being pushed onthe grounds
Of sthe Wilmington A. A. on lhe
senth side Of the Chrisliana river and
| they will undoubtedly be in first
class condition for the opening game
on Saturday, May II, with the Har
risDurg A. c. Nearly fifty laboreT
haze been at work since Friday morn
ing getting in the top soil for thi
grounds and they have nearly all O
it laid.
When the grounds are finished they
promise to be the fastest diamond II
Delaware. as social care has been ia
ken and the advice Of competent ex
pprts has been secured by Strlltl
brothers, and Manager Frysinger OF
the best methods Of making fas
field. The grounds will be somethln!
on the order of the base ball field u
Atlantic City, which has the reputa
tion of being one Of the fastest dia
monds in the country.
The original ground was made on
of !oam and sand pumped from tn
Christiana river and it packs firm ant
tight. but is naturally rather porous
70 re, over this latter condition
heavy coat of stone gravel was MS
spread over the entire field and pack
ed in hard. After this was done,
layer Of sand was placed on top ant
the men are at work on this now
They have finished the sanding Of tn
field and have commenced work ol
the top coat of soil, which is a mix
turc OF red clay and screened gravel
This is Icing spread on top OF san'
and both Of them will he narrowed
When this is done 5000 pound roll
cr will be run over the field a mum
Ter Of times. packing it hard. Ate
this roller gets through, Il heavy j
. ton steam roller viii be called in t
: put ON the finishing touches, and /
, will pack the earth 50 hard that j
= will be almost impossible to driv
: railroad spikes INTO it with d steam
l hammer or a pile driver.
: Tie result Of all TINS work prom
: iScs t. make the field almost as har
, as cement, except that il will hav
J that springy quality that is so mucI
! desired. 1t will bc perfectly smopt
. without grass, having only cnoug
Q pitch to insure proper drainage. AZ
: cnrdiug to the management the cA
! pert opinions they Lave received al
$ to the effect that field constructe
on such plans will dry within an hou
or so after Il hard rain storm 50 tha
it can be played upon. The mixtur
: Of sand and clay land gravel will 5
4 absorb all water that does not run 0
q by the drainage facilities that will J.
+ provided.
d A feature of the new park will |
: the construction Of the grand stant
! and expert bail players say that
!. will be the best and only one Of j
shape outside of the big league.
will be in the shape Of a crescent
with the home plate in the centr
@ therefore every spectator in II
t grand stand will be facing the hon
y plate and batter, and at the san
: time will have IN unObstructt
d view of the entire field. Bleache
l. will extend along the foul line
l. from each end of the grand stand.
II The entrance to the grand stan
will be directly at the main gat
which is an easy three-minute
walk from Front and Market
e The new base ball park will hay
= many things to recommend it to Il
E public It iS practically within II
!, heart Of the city. To go to al