Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-24

Exciting Contest in Which the
Local Team DoWned Famous
Philadelphia Experts.

After the southern championship had been
won by the Olympics in the year 1869 that
organization began to do great things. In
1870 it accomplished what the Nationals
had signally failed to do. and that was to
defeat the famous Athletics Of Philadel-
phia.
For five years the National club had
striven hard to wrest one game from the
doughty Athletics, but without success: for
in spite Of the fact that they could get the
top score from the Atlantics Of Brooklyn
and Mutuals, Haymakers and Eckfords Of
New York. all on a par with the Philadel-
phia team these ball tossers from the city
Of brotherly love would come along and
the way they would wallop the locals was
a caution-Ss to II. 81 to and A to 10
being three of their scores.
In 1870 the aim of the Olympics was to
defeat the Athletics. and thereby more firm
ly establish their wonted title. the best
team the city ever possessed The first
meeting resulted In a sort Of scandal. for
though the Athletics won by a score Of 20
to 13, 1t was openly charged that the game
was thrown by one Of the local players.
In detailing the game Chadwicks Chroni-
Gle said: THE previous defeat was directly
attributed to one Of the Olympic players,
who found 1t convenient to drop fly balls
Just when the third should be out, and to
go out on strikes every time he came to the
bat. So careless was his play. and so ap-
parent to all that he intended it, that he
was unanimously dismissed from the nine
at the close Of the game. Without him the
Olympics determined to go in and retrieve
the laurels lost that day, and If possible
win a ball from the Athletics, a thing they
have been trying to do down in Washing
ton for the past five years. Miley Robinson.
fine local player: was selected to take
hA- oil hv 10
great and excellent general play in all
branches of the game.
An Enormous Attendance.
The game attracted wide attention from
the fact that the Olympic outfit had cor
rallied a very fair team of players many
of whom had the game down to a scientific
standpoint; and the local "enthusasts'
there were no fans in those days. were
sanguine that the boys from the banks OF
the Schuylkill would run up against the
most difficult combination they had yet met.
When the day of the contest arrived the
crowd on hand was enormous. and the
cheering more resembled that of the modern
foot ball crowds than any of the base ball
gatherings. Philadelphia sent down large
contingent Of deep-voiced rooters, who We'd
with the local thousands all the way
through a most exciting contest.
An interesting feature Of this game was
the style of ball used Instead OF being
red, the inventor of the idea claiming that
it was advantageous to the men fielding
batted balls. 1t had run for about a
season and a half. when it was discarded
never to be recalled into use, seldom into
memory. Many Of the older ball players
of today remember the famous red dead
ball
The score was close all the way. At the
sixth inning the olympics were leading
with the small score Of to 4. After this
inning the Athletics began to crawl up
until at the beginning of the ninth they
were but three points behind the Olympics
with the score of II to g. Three to tie and
four to win was the slogan of the visiting
rooters as the players took their places.
ment Of the hour, and few retained their
seats. but were standing, jumping and
bowling.
Exciting Ninth Inning.
The ninth inning is thus described
Radcliffe went to first on badly judged
ball by Holly. Bechtel batted himself out
at first. Pratt walked to first on seven bad
balls, Leetch being nervous and pitching
wild Holly captured Reach on a fly. Nc
Bride came up cool and easy, watching his
chances. He made a second base hit. to
the left field, sending Pratt home. Nc
Bride stole third, and then set the Phila-
delphia people almost crazy by making a
great steal Of home. while Ewell was re-
turning the ball to Pitcher Leetch. This
l&eu the SCOTe MdlOHe MT d nhTu one DOWN
to Hurley. who made fine stop and put
him out at first.
amid great excitement the Olympics
went into the last inning, Kups foul fly
being caught by Malone on a fast run.
Bechtel muffed Ewells fly and the runner
was safe. Holly made third base hit to
right field. sending Ewell home all due to
BechtePs muff. A scene Of widest excite
ment ensued, hats were sent into the air.
men shouted themselves hoarse and play
had to be suspended several minutes, which
was continued as Gibney hit to center field
for a single. 'Sensey' failed to stop 1t and
Holly scored, Gibney reaching third. Rob-
inson went out on a foul to Malone. Force
sent q bounder over Radcliffe's head. scor-
ing Gibney. Hurley finished the game by
batting himself out ut drst. The umpiring