The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-26

BILL lOLEh- go
Who will probably pitch for the EisenstRdts
to-day against the East st. Louis team 10
the opening game Of the Trolley LeaguH-4
500 fans turned cut to witness the opening
game. while the opening at Detroit draw
forth 1900 oe-zons
These throngs At the openings seem to
bear out the statement Of most OF the
magnates that we are going TO have one of
the most prosperous seasons in the history
Of Baseball.
II Boston where-the American and Ma
tinnal Leagues are both represented. both
teams bad q good attendance. the Ame-1-
can LEAGUE heiHKtthe better rfagnet. but
this happened mainly through the popular
ity Of Jimmy Collins. o. the American
League team. and the. aaropuIaficy OF the
National League management il the center
CT American culture.
Al Cincinnati ana Pi'tsburg. the towns
tcute1 as having the best teams in TIE
National. large crowds have prevailed. At
Redville nearly twenty thousand J~our1eyed
10 the bali park when the Tribes Of Kelley
of Clark furnished the curtain raiser.
The crowd that greeted the New York
Nationals at the Polo Grounds when Nc
GraY's team battled with Brooklyn was
one Of the largest in the history OF the
grounds.
Patsy Donovan's DuckHngs have made a
very favorable impression on the lovers
OF the national game. Their hard asgres-
sive style Of clean bail playing has at
tracted the spOTtsmen who attend the na-
tionsl game Although several OF the
youngsters on porovan's team never
stacked VI against a major league orsgn-
izauon before this year. the entire troupe
play a high class article Of the national
game. With the willow the team viii be
enc Of the leaders of the League this sea-
son. unless they take a slump later on that
In ire 0utf.id. SsrcIav Smoot ard Dom
evan, when going right. are all SO hitters.
fBs-clay IS the speedy man OF the trio. and
Agets away with many infe.d hits that slow
7fr players would easily be thrown out on
Smoot is fairly fast. Donovan is speedy
and uses his h~eetness 10 the best advan-
tage. On the bases the tall suburbanite
keeps the pitcher, catcher and most of the
inaeld on the jump. Smoot is not a Won
derful base runner, but he is fast enough
10 make a good showing on the pillow. His
siashinS style OF meeting the ball Is a
hit with the crowds
very speedy. Brain, at third. is a sprint
merchant. while Otto Williams can. run as
fast as any man in the National League,
barring probably, Barclay and Beaumont.
Farrell also is fairly fast. Nichols Is not
particularly fast. but he is an earnest
player ana runs everything out
The showing OF the Browns in the series
with the White Sox. which ends to-day.
has been anything but satisfactory. Tn
first two games showed that the McAleer-
ties are not playing anything like the game
they are capable Of
Their work with the bat has been all
that could be desired. Burkett.- HeidEick
and Hemphill have been doing a large
4 business with the willow. Anderson has
that is refreshing. Wallace is meeting
Mccormick lines them out, but with
al this heavy smuggling the Browns have
been losing games that they should have
won.
The Browns fielding also has been of a
high class Burkett. Heidrick and Hemp
hill in the OutfPld have hean doing UfraTr
Tbs inheld has been working fairly well,
but the hole left by Padden has hurt the
McAleer's team almost invulnerable. Wall
lace Is playing the game of his life. Nc
Cormick never bfore played a better field
ing game this early in the season.
Still. the Browns continue TO lose. The
pitching department is very strong on pa
per. and fairly strong in the field. Powell
can pitch good ball. Donahue will do bet
ter than he has been doing. Sievers. al
though he has made a very creditable
showing is an unknown quantity. But the
sad fact is the Browns have been playing
a losing game with the Comiskeyites, not
withstandfng that the Chicago Eeam IS
PLAYING a good first baseman at third.
The chief reason that the Browns are
losing IS that they do not play the inside
points OF the game. On the bases they are
like so many blocks. Not one of them will
try TO steal This is the weakest spot
shown by the brown-hosed brigade. and IN
less they improve in this particular. IL will
SeSt them many a game before the cam
&eign is over.
~ VI SREEu EdAAOA De OLtESu as III
excuse for inferior base running on the
part OF the Browns, for they have several
good sprinters and no ice wagons on the
team.
In speaking Of baseball as IT is played to-
day, Harry Pulliam. president OF the Ma
donal League. said the other day:
The time Of the baseball rOwdy Is past.
The umpire is the official representative of
the National League. and as such he must
and shall be respected I do not. for a mo-
ment. wish 70 be considered as saying that
the umpire Is invaluable. He is not. but
what mistakes he makes. are owing to the
number of plays he has to pass upon. and
not through any willful neglect or desire
On his part to work any player or team an
injustice.
An umpire plays every play that is made
-oB=Ihc field during a game. He makes Une
mistake. and In an instant the players. as
well as the spectators. are shouting at and
reviling him
"A player plays, perhaps. a dozen plays
pouring the game. He makes one, perhaps
TO errors Not a word Is said. Suppose.
Just fer the sake-0f argument. that every
Wine a player. mace an1error that the other
members of the team Joined with the spec
tators in shouting at and making life. weary