Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-01
SPORTS.
Base Ball.

odSC Dull.
With the prestige of having finished the
season in seventh place in the American
League race In 1905, the local ball club
in the opinion of the Washington fans,
gave promise of a great season in 1879
But bad luck, or whatever you might call
il, once more came to the front and the
Nationals dropped back to their old rest
ing place in the eighth hole.
The Washingtons finished so strong In
1905 and Manager Canti,lon picked up So
many good players in the winter follow
ing, that many of the shrewdest men in
base ball predicted unusual prominence
for the Washington club in 1909. Pitchers
Groom and Gray were secured from the
California League. Cliff Blankenship was
called back from the same district TO
help out Charley Street, and Wild" Con
roy was bought from the New York
Highlanders to cover third base. This
quartet, it was thought. would just about
round out the Nationals and make them
strong enough to head the second division
at least.
But a poor start played havoc with all
these nice dreams. After three weeks
practice at Galveston. the Nationals
started home, and at the first jump. Kan
sas City, butted into snow storm AS
result of the cold weather. Walter
Johnson was laid up for nearly month
with what threatened to be pneumonia.
and when the rest OF the team reached
Washington several other players were
In bad shape. With the team having
almost a continuous streak of defeats,
Manager Cantillon resorted to trades.
purchases and releases, until at the end
of the season twelve of the players who
were on the 1908 team were absent. or
this number, Kelley, shipke. Gates. Tan
Hughes and Clymer were released, and
Charley Smith. Bill Burns and Delehanty
figured in trades. Smith went to Boston
in exchange for Gessler. Burns to Chi
cago for Donohue, Altrock and Cravath.
while Deli was turned over to Detroit
for Shaefer and Killifer. BY the time
all these trades and sales were complet-
ed, however, the team was safely an
chored In last place.
or the new men secured Lelivelt. who
replaced Ganley in left field. looked very
good. as did Gessler and Browne in right.
Schaefer got back into good form and
Killifer demonstrated that he is a valua-
BILE man both In the outfield and the in
field. Pitchers Walker and Foreman
| were picked up before the close Of the
season. along with Tom Crooks, a Wash
ington boy. and Manager Cantillon felt
more confident than ever that he had at
| last whipped winning ball club into
shape.
Then came the meeting of the directors
of the club a few days before the end
ing of the season. Manager Cantillon
| was allowed to 60. as his three-year
contract had run out, and Manager Nc
Aleer, OF the st. Louis Browns, was
signed in his place. The securing of Nc
Aleer was a ten-strike, the exBrownie
being very popular in Washington.
At the annual December meeting Of the
American League McAleer made a bril-
liant start by purchasing Norman Elber-
field from the New Yorks. and has given
1t out that the Kid will guard third
base the coming season. Another popu-
lar move was the decision of President
Noyes and Manager McAleer to have the
club take Its spring practice at Norfolk
instead of going away down to Texas.
Bad colds and other ailments will prob
ably be avoided, and it is hoped the team
will secure a good start. something that
hasn't happened for several years.
One death occurred in the Washing
ton club during 1909. Jimmy Sebring,
signed in the final month of the season
as an experiment, passing away at his
home in Wiliamsport, Pa. OF pneu-
monia.
The bright spots OF the season Of 1909
We're the catching of Charley Street and
the shortstop work of George Mcbride
Street caught 137 games. thereby earn
ing a nice bonus, but it nearly played
a wreck at the close. Mcbride played in
every game. and led the shortstops OF
the American League. an honor to be
proud Of
Amateur Base Ball.
Amateur base ball was on the boom
last season in the District. and as a
result there were fourteen leagues. COM
posed of lightweight teams. The post
season championship games were fought
between the Brentwood team of class A
and Parkview team OF class B, and top
honors were won by the Brentwood team
of the Capital City League.
The champion team of each league
were: Capital City. Brentwood: Depart
mental, Agriculture: Marquette, Pension
Office; Sunday School, Bethany; Sub
urban, ParkvieV: Independence. Agricul-
ture; Railroad Young Mems Christian
Association. Station; Bankers, American
Security and Trust Company: National
Base Ball Association. Woodside: George
town, Georgetown Outing Club: Prince
George County. Brentwood; Southeast,
and Colored Departmental, Government
Printing ONCE.
Aside from the various league contests
O. number Of the teams played independ-
of the High School League was the Bust
ness team, which won five and lost but
one game. Technical. which looked like a
champion in the early season, was
downed by the Stenographers for top hon.
ors.
The Georgetown University team had a
very successful season. scoring 132 runs to
is opponents %. Twenty-Five games were
played fifteen being victories and ten de-
feats The team started out with four
successive victories one OF which was
over Yale. Cornell however. took the
first game of their series by score of u
to 81 GEORGETOWN won the second game
by score of 5 to 4. Notable victories
were those scored over Fordham. Prince
ton. Yale and Holy Cross. Pennsylvania
took two Of the three games with George
town, while Virginia took the nrst anc
lost the second of the series.
Cantwell proved the best pitcher or the
season. getting four victories in SIX games
pitched Balzer was close behind WITH
five victories I'm eight games. Mayock
who covered the second sack. WAS the
leading batter of the season. with an av-
eraxe .of .a51. Murphy, who held down
the centertield garden. was next best hit
ter. with an average OF .:27 Schlaf1y
doomed up in third place with an average
of BIS Murphy led the team In home
runs, having three to his credit. McDon-
aid and Mayock each got one. Mayock
was the king two-base hitter. having four.
while Mcdonald. with a total OF three,
led the three base hitters.
The George Washington University DID
not have a team in the field during the
season. The Gallaudet College boys had
q strong team and won several hard bat
ties. The Catholic Un've: sity team also
has a number of 1863 victories to its
credit
Golf.
The golf season of 1909 will mark the
In