Evening star., 1914-07-13
Several Former Stars of ANA
teur Ball Seem to Have
Dropped the Sport.
OXON HILL is DEFEATED
BY EASTERN'S FAST NINE
Latter Gets Stronger Hold on Top
Place in Potomac League by
the Victory.
BY n. G. BYRD.

Several of the stars of amateur base
ball are not playing regularly this year.
In fact, two or three of the very best
Performers in previous years are doing
practically nothing. as far as base ball
Is concerned. "Skeetz' Hayes, Mike"
Mcdonald. ICY" Mcdonald. Pearce Rid
die. 'Inky' Davis and Gill are some of
those who have been brilliant players in
the past and who could still do mighty
well If they so desired.
Hayes Mcdonald. Riddle and Davis
formed the infield Of the Bankers last
year, and there is no doubt about the
capabilities Of any Of these men, Hayes
probably is the best shortstop ever de-
veloped in the amateur leagues, and he
has had numerous offers to take up the
professional end Of the game Mcdonald
is the most capable all-round performer
In Washington, and that is said without
a single qualification. There is no posi-
ton on the infield he cannot play without
apparent effort. and he can hit better
than the average. Just as Hayes has
been recognized as the most capable
shortstop, so Davis has held that reputa-
ton as a third baseman. If Davis could
hit as well as field he would be
PLAYING third for some big league club
FOR the Bankers. and he had few su-
periors in the position, while Gill was
the star inf1elder for Pepco when that
club won the District title.
Whether attempts have been made by
any of the clubs now fighting for the
championship in the several leagues to
get these men is not known, but there Is
no doubt that they would add a lot of
strength to any nine in the city. There
is no combination near as formidable as
that of which they were a part a year
ago. and why they have not been pro-
cured to play with some club this season
is more or less of a mystery.
The Eastern club of the Potomac
League defeated Oxon Hill yesterday in
the contest which practically gives it the
championship of that circuit. The score
was to 3. The winner took the lead in
the first inning by scoring one run. but in
the third Oxon Hill got three talles and
held the margin until the first half of
the seventh, when Eastern tied things
UP. In the first half of the ninth East
ern got three runs. which gave it the
contest. as Oxon Hill did not get tally
in it's part of that period.
The pitching of Cole was the most note
worthy feature of the game. He struck
out fourteen men and allowed only four
scattered singles. Dixon and Carrico did
some pretty good work on the mound for
Oxon Hill.
Guy Zinn, former Yankee outfielder,
broke his leg yesterday in the game be-
and the Andrews nine, a local semi-pro-
fessional outfit Zinn received the injury
as result of a slide into third base. It
is reported that he probably will be out
of the game for the remainder of the
season.
The game was won by the Federal
League club by a score of 5 to 8.
A rather interesting sidelight on the re-
cent polo series between England and
America was brought out yesterday by an
article in New York paper. 1t was
peared to exist in England just prior to
the time the English quartet left for this
country was due more than anything else
to social squabbles. 1t seems that the
man who previously had the venture in
charge. during the three years the Eng
lish We're beaten in their attempts to win
back the cup. gave up the idea and an
! nounced that he would not bring over a
polo team this year because of the almost
hopeless nature Of the task. AS soon as
he dropped the matter it was taken up
by Lord Wimbourne. who stated that he
could get together quartet that would
bring the cup back to England. Now it
appears, that Lord Wimbourne was not
quite as high in the social world as his
predecessor. and his taking up of the
matter was laughed at. But he went
steadily ahead with his preparations.
though he was accused of doing it simply
to further his social ambitions
The greatest stumbling block encoun-
tered by Lord Wimbourne was the refusal
of Locksley and Cheape who We're the
stars of former teams to play. Associated
| with the former patron of such efforts.
they could not see their way clear to
step into a lower stratum of society. Lord
Wimbourne was in quandary. as these
two men were needed and needed badly.
He did not know what to do. but right
there is where the British government
stepped in. Locksley and Cheape hap
and one day they both received courteous