The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-05-01

FourEyenly Balanced Teams
in Church League.
GUNT0N AND FOURTH BEST
Look Like Winners in First Division.
Have Staying Qualities and
Batteries.

Fourteen clubs are now struggling
for the pennant in the Sunday School
League, and before the season closes
il is probable that the patrons of this
popular organization will be Increased
fourfold. Already the crowds which
have witnessed the games on the White
Lot. at the Mt. Pleasant. and Northeast
grounds, have been far in excess of
those of last year.
OF course, the center of interest will
be in the Mt. Pleasant games These
grounds are by far the best OF any used
by the Sunday school players. The in
field has been transformed from last
years rough surface. and the outf1eld
is much better. The seating capacities
of the grand stands have been increased
sufficiently to double the accommoda-
tions.
Eight Crack Teams.
On these grounds eight of the best
amateur teams in the District of Co
lumbia will struggle for supremacy The
teams playing here are the Fourth
Presbyterians, Gunton-Temple. Gurley.
Calvary Methodist, Mount Pleasant Con-
gregauonal, Sixth Presbyterian. st.
Stephens, and Foundry. 1t would be
impossible to gather together a more
evenly matched set of baseball players
than are found in these teams. There
is not a single weak organization among
the eight, and it is safe TO say that
there will be some grand baseball played
at Fourteenth street and Lydecker ave
nue..
1t would not be wise to make any pro-
phecy, based upon the games played SO
far this week, but it is pretty safe 10
say that the pennant winner will be
one of four teams. These teams are the
Fourth, Gunton-Temple, Gurley. and
Mount Pleasant Congregational.
In saying this, the strength of the
other four clubs is not befittied in any
way, but it is not believed that they
can play the steady game that the other
four can. AT times they may display
brilliant form, but again they will all
go to pieces.
Gunton and Fourth.
Of the four teams, it is probable that
the final struggle will be between the
Fourth and Gunton. They have the
staying qualities. and strong pitching
and catching stats. Fourth has four
fine pitchers in Clark. Cunningham,
Wahler. and Jones. However, with but
two games a week, these twirlers would
get a chance once every two weeks.
which is not enough TO keep them in
form GuntoE has two pitchers, Hutch
inson and Brown,
In the catching department, both teams
are unusually strong. Gunton has
Woodward and Weber, the latter being
the backstop of George Washington
University. Last year he caught for
Ohio State College, and was recognized
as the star college catcher of that State.
Woodward is well known in Washing
ton as the catcher of the Central High
School team.
Fourth has Bradley, Jones, and Nc
Kinney. Bradley Will do the bulk of the
catching. with the latter two 10 fail
back upon in case of an emergency.
In the outfield, both teams are unus-
ually strong, numbering among them
some star batters. Almost all of the
high-averaged men of last year are on
one of these teams.
Second Division.
In the second division, it is hard to
tell just how the teams will show up.
The six clubs are almost entirely new
including large number of unknown
hall players. The Congregational
pitchers box, would undoubtedly render
fist is also a strong team, with this
same difficulty TO labor under. While
many of the individual players in the
second division compare faVorabIy with
the men in the first division, the pitch
ers are below the standard.
Mt. Vernon Will probably be found
near the top of the second division With
stevenson, McMahon, and Thomas, Of
George Washington, they should be
able TO build up strong playing team.