The Washington times., 1906-04-15
Gallant Rally
Hinted at Better Times
Displayed Old Fighting Spirit of Last Year
and Nearly Tied With AthIetiCs-Some
Poor StiCkWOrk

Did you ever sit down in quiet little
came when everything looked good and
you had a winning-streak feeling and
gathered in the first pot and put your
self to the good right away Then did
you strike a tobo9gan where the luck
ran so hard against you that you
couldn't get even a small pair to draw
TO on a flier? Did this keep I'D until
late in the wee Sma' hours when all of
sudden they began coming your way
and you pulled down a couple of pots
which made up about SIS Of that $40 or
so you were in the hole? Then did the
winners decide that they had enough for
the session and quit cold. leaving you
glad that you got those last two fat
ones. but dead sore because you were
still loser and needed ths money?
You Know the Feeling.
II you have had this experience-and
there is little use denying that you have
then. fellow-sufferer. you know how
the Washington ball team felt yester-
day when It rallied in the ninth inning
and came within one run Of tieing the
score with the Athletics in the opening
game of the American League season.
AS a baseball exhibition the game was
not a world beater. Bender was IN good
form. but did nothing startling. while
Tom Hughes was wild, and in the eighth
inning allowed the two doubles and a
single which proved the undoing OF the
Nationals Both gave bases on balls
which eventuated into runs, and neither
was astonishingly reliable IN a crisis.
Determination Encouraging.
Still, it was the opening day of the
season and the crowd was keyed TO a
pitch which made il take kindly to any
old thing in the way of baseball. An en-
couraging sign was the determination
with which the Nationals and the home
rooters went after everything in sight.
no matter how hopeless. when the grand
rally came In the ninth inning. There
was no inclination to quit. and the team
displayed much of the spirit which
caused it 10 hop to the front al the be-
ginning of last year and stay thece long
after the time when. on form. 1t should
have been roofing around in the second
division.
If the team gets the old rallylng habit
and acquires its one-time knaci OF land
irg on the ball Just when the outlook is
darkest there is going to be some lively
baseball at National Park and every
where else the Nationals play this sum-
meT.
Lacking In Sticking.
The great trouble with our brave boys
was Of course. that they were not
there with the stick. They are credited
with seven hits, but three of them were
scratchy, and one. gotten by Stahl,
should be ashamed to claim kin with
sure enough hit. II was evolved in the
seventh inning. when he bit a teaser
to Bender. who was afraid to throw to
first because he might hit the runner.
Stahl distinguished himself by allow
ing Brouthers to make a hit as little
like the real thing as his own. Also, 1t
was one of the most glaring cases of
a player being woolgathered that ever
happened. In the seventh inning. with
Hoffman on first, Brouthers dropped
rather swift bunt to Stahl The boy
manager gathered IL in without trouble.
but TO the amazement Of the crowd
made absolutely no effort to touch
Brouthers or the bag. Instead. he as
sumed the attitude of a man who sees
visions and hears voices. and what lit
tie attention he paid to things on this
mundane sphere was TO Hoffman. who
was scooting for second like a man GO
ing for the doctor, wondering whether
or not he would be assistant victim
in a double play. He didn't try to throw
Hoffman out. but held the ball. pinched
himself out Of his dream when hs hsa<d