Evening star., 1911-08-20
BY "CURLEY" BYRD.

A good article of ball Is being put up by
the teams taking part in the post-season
series. 1t is doubtful if any games ever
played for the amateur championship OF
the District have shown better class OF
play than those which are now under
way. While in a great many cases the
scores have been one-sided, owing to poor
pitching. the ball played by the men be-
hind the twirler hassnot suffered in COM
parison to any seen on the local lots
this year.
Every club engaged in playing for the
highest honor in amateur base ball is IN
dividually putting up the best game OF Its
career, much better than it showed at
any time during it's league season. with
the exception of one, the Cornell team of
the Capital City League, being about the
only nine which is at present playing pc
low it's usual standard. While some OF
the clubs have lost by one-sided taliies, IL
| is not because they have failed to play as
well as possible, but is due to the fact
that they have been up against teams
| composed of much oldeV and more ex-
perienced men.
The Sherwood team is an example OF
a team which has lost the majority OF It's
games. and yet has played good ball. Inat
club is made up of youngsters and that II
much higher is not saying that 1t has
failed to deliver the best that it has.
The Cornell team is the one club which
is not playing up to its standard. The
Paperhangers, because of a lack or com,
petent pitchers, and having their inf1eid
disrupted just before the series b. gan,
have failed to show either the offensive or
the defensive strength that characterized
their play during the league season.
It is immaterial as to which team wins
the championship in the post-season
series, as 1t is almost certain that II VIII
be able to give any amateur team tnat
Richmond can send up here .ongh
battle for the inter-city championship.
Richmond has decided its winner and by
all the facts that can be gathered as to
the strength of the organiza ion 1t VIII
not measure up to the standard set by
two or three of the teams now competing
in the series for the local honors. The
Battle Axe club is the one that has won
the right to represent Richmond In the
series, and judging from what those who
have seen the team play nave TO say II
is not any better than three or four teams
that might be picked from this city.
Austin Howard, who joined the Atlanta
Southern League team some time ago. is
playing great ball in the field, but so far
has shown lack of ability as hitter.
When Howard joined the Atlanta club
he was placed In the outfeld, but it was
! not long before he was holding down his
old position at third, where he lis making
good In easy fashion as a fielder.
HERMAN, the former Central High boy
who has been playing short for the Man
haitian club has been doing the best
work of his career. HERMAN does not
shine especially at the bat, but he has
reputation for hitting In the. pipches
more than any other man on his team.
In the game Friday. in which the Man
L. nJ,, he Aynn ifx,
and Trust Company, he came through
with hit that scored two runs.
There is rumor going the rounds that
the Aloysius club will lose Jack Hurley
In the remainder of its games. 1t is re-
ported that the crack second baseman is
going to leave town for the next month
or SO. If such is the case 1t will greatly
ing out first In the post-season Sc les
Hurley has played a mighty important
part in the winning of the games that
have been placed to the credit of the
Churchmen In the present series. his bat
driving in tallies in each of the three
contests at opportune times.
Overconfidence probably played great
part in the winning of the Manhattan
Bankers game for the former te am. There
is hardly anybody who would dispute the
assertion that the Bankers are the tet-
ter team, and that in the long run would
win from the Independence Leaguers.
The gritty fight that the Manhattan club
is putting UP against odds. though. is
certainly worth watching, as club with
the spirit shown by this team is not
one to lose out easily.
When the Post Office and Sherwood
teams meet again great deal of interes,
will be taken In the result, as 1t Is claim
ed in many quarters that the Sherwooi
team was lucky to win out. Many of
the followers of the amateur game do not
hesitate to say that the Maimen will be
the victors when the two clubs Inc up
for their next set-to. Whether this will
be the case is hard to say, but 1t never
theless Is fact that the Post Office team
had several chances to score In the
opening game which were not taken ad-
vantage of through carelessness or over
confidence. There is little doubt that