Evening star., 1902-08-23
Base Ball Notes.

Detroit starts a series of four games with
| the Senators today.
The saddest words of tongue or pen.
| But what's the
! Manager Griffith can place yesterdays VIC
| tory in his lucky album of records.
| 1t is simply marvellous how much damage
| can be done to a ball team through shift
/ ing positions.
| There were a couple bright spots in yes
| terday's game at any rate, Jack Doyle
| breaking his batting "hoodoo" with three
| hits, while Ely and Coughlin made several
| clever stops and throws
Jack Townsend never worked finer than
| he did yesterday for seven innings, and the
champions were completely at before
| his delivery. 1t was very unfortunate the
| exhibition couldn't be continued until the
end.
Catcher Mcfarland got a terribly mashed
finger in the seventh inning and had to re-
tire The bone was exposed on both sides
through the ball striking the finger fairly
! on the end. He will be out of the game
for some time and left for home last night.
The air around American League Park
last evening after the eighth inning was sui
phurious enough to cut with an ak. 1t was
just the sort of finish to make everybody
mad with his neighbor.
Wiley Pfatt was showing a contract yes
terday he had signed with the Boston Ma
tional League club for next season 1t cans
for $4,000 He received $500 for signing
and will get $500 more the 1st of February.
Piatt is getting 81, 100 for this season, and
the advance was too much for Manager
Griffith.
A renort from St. Louis last night as
serts that Pitcher Chesbro of Ptttsburg has
been signed by the st. Louis American
League Club.
1t seems funny to hear of Col Rogers be-
ing mixed up in foot ball league with one
of the Shibe family. The base ball war
feeling must have been forgotten
At Cincinnati yesterday Manager Shetts1
line declared that he had heard notning Oh
Deiehanty's wanting to return, but saia
he was sure of having some of his old play
ers back with him next year.
Mercer and Mcclure, who waited In Cln-
cinnati to see Hulswith and Doom of the
PhilIies, to make them offers to join the
American League. left as soon as they
learned that these players had signed con-
tracts for next year.
Pickering, the Cleveland outfielder, who
has been out of the game for a month, ow-
ing to a sprained ankle, practiced with the
Athletics yesterday. He will join Cleve-
land today. Pickering received an offer
from Manager Shettsline of the Phillies-
Jesse Burkett is a great ball player, but
seems to be in disfavor with the crowds.
| Burkett has the same fault as Delehanty,
| that Of talking back to the crowd, and this
| is what has made Burkett unpopular with
both the National and American League
| followers in ST. Louis--Phila delphia Press
If McGraw had signed all the star Amert
can League players he declares he has he
would be only too glad to make public their
names to induce others to jump. Nearly
| all or the players IN lQe american
have had dealings with McGraw in the past,
| and there are few willing to risk their base
ball fortunes with him again
The remarks of National League mag
mates upon learning that Hickman had re-
fused all their iattering offers and signed
a contract with Cleveland sound very much
like sour grapes. If New York had a few
more players like Hickman McGraw and
his pseudonymous Giants would not need to
| be fioundering about in the mire of tailen-
ditis.
The great work of Mack's twirling staff is
not the least surprising feature of the Ath-
Ietics winning streak. In the last four
| teen games only ninety hits and thrty-one
runs have been made. This is an average
of a trifie more than six hits and two runs
per game. Hastings has won four. Waddell
won four and lost one, Plank won three
and Wilson and Mitchell won one each. At
the beginning of the season the Athletics
pitching material seemed only fair, now
they are doing better work than any tWiri
ers in the country, not even excepting Pitts
burgs famous quintette.
Since Barney Dreyfuss has issued his
manifesto that the Pittsburg team can de-
| feat any club in the American League it is
altogether probable that there will be a
post series Of games between the leaders
| of the two leagues. The Pirates will un-
doubtedly be the representatives of the Ma
| tional League, while their opponents may
be any one of st. Louis, Chicago, Boston OF
| the Athletics. Dreyfuss makes himself look
| foolish when he claims such a walkover for
lis ltdIH' L ile lllSDuISHS are SOOd play
| ers, but Dreyfuss is likely to discover to
his loss of prestige that they are not un-
| beatabIe.
| The victory of the Athletics over St. Louis
and the dawnfall of Boston at the hands
of Cleveland yesterday caused a shake-up
| in the standing of the first division teams
IN the American League race. The Athletics
have now comfortable lead and as they
| should win a majority. if not all three
| games with Cleveland in the series begin
| ming today. they have a chance of going
| away on their last trip with a good lead for
| the pennant. st. Louis dropped from second
| to fourth place, and Chicago passed Ros-
| ton, and is now second.