Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-07
TED SULLWAh'S TALK
Expects a Close Race in the
American League.
By TED SULLIVAN.

The American League clubs are so evenly
matched the coming season. It looks as If
1t will be a neck-and-neck race with five or
six of them until they get to the end of
their schedule. If any base ball clairvoyant
can come forward and predict who will win
the pennant of the American League in
1905 he will be the cynosure of all eyes for
the entire season. The Boston Americans
are liable to shake off their base ball
lethargy and set the pace again. do not
believe that those players of the Boston
team have deteriorated so much and passed
into the scar and yellow leaf that the
least wind will shake them off the base ball
tree. The unparalleled burst of speed
shown by the Chicago Whites in the last
two months of last season was one of the
sensations of 1905. The New York High
landers should be up In the race next sea-
son and stay there. They have added one
pitcher from the coast, named Keefe.
whom l have seen work the past two years,
and If his skill as a pitcher is equal to his
character and department, New York will
have no chance to grumble. 1 may say the
same thing of Sheehan drafted by Pitts
burg from Tacoma. He is an ambitious
little fellow, and a very good batsman for
man Of his size and weight. and If he
1a1lS IL Will not be because he has not tried.
This class of players should receive every
encouragement from owners of clubs / am
always on the side of sober and Industrious
young fellows, and Sheehan is one of them
Washington gave them all surprise last
year and it may surprise them again.
There is not a city in our Union that has
been as steadfast to the great sport as the
capital. A man that is a good loser we
all look up to and admire. He is social
giant among lot of mental pigmies. Any
lightweight can be a good winner, but it
takes different kinds of brains to be good
loser.
The same merit in the individual is some
times illustrated in Il city. Washington for
twelve or thirteen years has borne up with
tail-end team without a whimper, and
came back last year with immense crowds
to show It's club that 1t appreciated its
going to the top the first few weeks of the
year. 1t banqueted the club for it's vic
tories achieved on the first eastern trip.
Most cities, especially In major leagues,
before they would exult over the success of
lheir club, but the Washington public
wanted to show its appreciation of what
little its club did, although it was but for a
short time.
The gentlemen at the head of the Wash
ington club are public spirited and well
disposed but | will kindly say to them
that the Washington management OF the
past has been guilty of fragrant mistakes
in the dismissal of famous star players. 1t
has let more star players go than all the
major league teams in the country. The
new management must not let amateur,
narrow-rninded and prejudiced counsels
dominate it's club. If a star catcher or
other man can be had from a minor, it
must not consult the very man on its team
that is to be displaced, as it Is not to his
interest to see any man enter the club
who is likely to outclass him on the hall
field. l will state boldly and without fear
of contradiction that many club owner has
been robbed and prevented from building
up team by inner door scheming of men
who hold their positions in the club by
keeping out players who are likely to take
hair nj iS only the aggressive and
circumspect owners who can see the motive
of players of that class There is where
the bench manager is a better man than
the playing one, he has to hold his job
by building up his team, and the playing
manager keeps his position solely on his
skill as player
AS a little pastry to follow dish of solid
base ball ethics 1 will give the account of
the ghost base runner of the SOUTH Some
years back a swell winter resort in Flor
ida contained two rival hotels, and those
two hotels employed nothing but negro
walters So bitter was the rivalry between
the two hotels that the walters of both
challenged each other to ball game, which
was finally arranged. OF the many UNI
pires suggested to officiate in this contest
they finally decided on a celebrated charac-
ter by the name of Cotton HOOK Ike OF
Memphis, who had seen all the umpires of
the north and south. Among all the UNI
pires of the big league Tim Hurst was this
mans model. When the game began Ike
came on the Held In a pOmpOuS manner.
The first man who hit the ball ran down to
first base, when Ike called out, 1.-THE run
ner is Cancelled, meaning, of course, that
the man was out. The runner paid no at
tention to Ike, nor did the opposing team,
but began to coach the man, and funny
indeed was the coaching. 1t began: Come
Bill, distant yourself from this base. You
should have no love for it. Consider this
base a yellow fever spot and consider it
pestilence-so man, move on. Yoh gin and
chicken is on second base waitin' for you
Move on or some one else will have it,
Finally the first baseman said to both
coacher and runner. II amt payin' no at
tention to this man. He's Cancelled"
The coacher asked, Who's canceled?'
The baseman says. Ike Cancelled him"
The runner said, II amt pain no atten-
ton to Ike"
The baseman calls out to Ike, This man
won't vacate the base"
Ike walks over to first base and asked
loudly: Say, people, why do you annoy
and fret yourself when you don't see
ripple on my face or a tremor in my hand?
That base runner is not on my books.
Cancelled that man some moments back,
The baseman remarked: Supposed this
man won't vacate the bag and runs around
the bases?'
IF he does that" Ike replied Consider