Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-17
Baltimore Has a Good Team
and May Play Here.
HICKMAN A FINE PITCHER
Has Played the Game and Struck
Out Fifteen Batsmen.
ANOTHER BOOST FOR JOHNSON
Upton Wants Ocean Race-Young
Roosevelt Favors Boxing.
Bowling Battles.

The notice in SUNDAYS Star about the
indoor base ball boom in the west created
lots of talk among the local professional
and Il is more than possible that a match
with a. team composed of Baltimore resi-
dents will take place after the first of the
year.
The splendid floor of Convention Hall
Is available. as the management OF the
skating rink will be willing to run the
game in as an added attraction to the
gliders or use the base ball as an all
evening feature. Joe Cummings OF the
Baltimore News claims to have great
team In the Oyster city and says the
Washington ggregation wouldn't be one.
two. three in nine innings game. Bal
tmore also has a splendid hall for in
door base ball. and 1t is now up to
nervy promoter to grab hold OF the
scheme and rake in baskettul Of coin.
Charley Hickman said this morning
that the team published in Sundays Star
was all right on paper. but that It had
to be rearranged. as he considered himself
one of the best twirlers in the business
at the indoor game. He played against
the Clevelands last winter and struck out
fifteen batsmen. This achievement will
surely place ''Hick' on the rubber il the
local team is organized. send Harry
White to the outfield and bring Jack Carr
into first base.
The veteran player and umpire, Tom
Brown, says that a manager should
never consider flrst-class pitcher in
trade Part with everybody else. says
ability like grim death. Brown says that
right now he wouldn't trade Walter john
son for any player in the country, and
Walsh Plank White, Donovan or Ma
thewson are not barred. Tom will never
forget his trade with Ned Hanlon while
he was managing for the Wagners, back
in the Dos. The Washington club had
had good season, being tied for sixth
place in the twelve-club league. and Earl
Wagner, growing ambitious. thought ne
saw a chance to push the team up higher
the next season. Jack Doyle had been
playing a great game for the Orioles. a.
had also Reitz. and 1t was decided 10
trade McJames, DeMontreville and Nc
Gam for this pair and one other man
whose name is not recalled at present.
The local players had not been taking
care OF themselves. and 1t was thought
the new men would carry Washington
into the first division But the three To-
cal players were practically saints COM
pared to Doyle and Reitz. and Wagner
admitted afterward that 1t was the only
time in his base ball experience that he
had been "eaten alive" McJames turned
out to be one of the best twirlers in the
country, and the playing of McGann and
DeMontreville practically carried the ORR
oles into the championship. McJames had
been Washington's star pitcher and had.
in fact. kept the local team up in the
championship race. This was discovered
the next year, when other pitchers tried
to fill his shoes
johnson right now" says Brown. els
the equal of McJames, and I would not
be surprised If hey hoisted the Nationals
20 the top of the second column or into
the first division next season. Never
part with johnson. Let out all the others,
but hold on to that younsster.
The trade of Charley Jones for Ollie
Pickering has been discussed kas though
tho latter was assuted of his job in the
Nati6htls;, outfield. while quite the con-
crary Il the case. | 1t all depends upon
CiymetA<bad ankle. If it comes around
all right Next spring, he will surely be in
right fieldA and Galley. Of course, in left
Then, combs center field with Clyde Milan
as first-c lass proposition to be discussed.
The Iitefe Tennessee lad demonstrated
f1ast season that he had all the require
pared with Pickering. everything shows
in his fayab/ He is certainly better
stiker as~the opposing fielders do not
know into what direction he will hit the
ball. a defect Pickering cannot get away
fromA In fielding he is Picks" equal
and also on the bases. Manager Cantil-
lon wes won over to Milans side by the
pluck he showed in playing with an In
jured hand. and it goes without saying
that Pickering will be the utility out
fielder. Milan is now at his home in Ten
nessee and writes that his hand has fully
recovered and also that he has gained
fifteen pounds since the season closed He
is sending Tennessee turkey as a Christ,
mas Rfk to a friend in this city and
wants the ne wspaper boys to be there TO
help demolish the bird
Jack Powell. the husky pitcher q the
St Louis Browns, has a decided aversion
10 work in a game in which spit pan
artist is tossing them up for the OPPOSE
ton. Big Jack, by the way, was pitch-
ing the greatest ball of his career during
the last two months of the 1907 campaign:
PowelTs dislike to work in games against
damp singers is based more on fact than
superstition. When the spit ball first came
into use, Powell received many drub-
bling when working against Vapor noat
artists The fact worried HIM, for it
made him think that he was going BACK
badly and that the successful pitcher OF
the present had to use the splitter. JACK
never could see the spit ball, and he de-
cided to quit rather than learn the nasty
habit. Then he made a discovery. On
days when working against pitcher
who didn't use the splitter. Powell would
have everything in his repertoire at his
command. Now Jacks best stock in trade
is his great curve bail. When working
against a spit ball pitcher his curve ball
would never break. Jack nnally discov-
cred that the excessive use of spit had a
bad effect on the horsehide that covers
the ball. causing 1t to stretch a great
deal and making the seam less promi-
nent. In throwing the curve it is neces-
sary to grasp the seam firmly. This he
was unable TO do. consequently the curve
wouldn't break, and it was pie for the
batters. Now when it's Powell's turn to
work and 4 splitter is slated to oppose him
he shifts Sis day to twirl.