Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14
BASE BALL PIONEERS

mounted rapidly above the hundred
mark.
THE Capitals amateur teams de-
l. yeloped somewhat later than the
semi-professionals, but they had large
| nd enthusiastic followings during the
seventies. Perhaps the earliest and
most notable of these were the
Creightons who played at Tenth and
G. streets near the site of the First
Conversational Church on what
then was the Asylum hill" lot They
represented the downtown section.
Their chief rivals were the Capitol
Hills, described as rather aristOcratic
team: the Junior Nationals, composed
of players who had been developed
| under the tutelage of the semi-pro
club, but who could not quite make
the professional grade; the Pythians of
South Washington; the Astorias, rep
represented the downtown section.
and the Hibernians, who represented
both the northeast section and the
Irish population Of the city. Rivalry
was bitter, particularly between the
Creightons and the Hibernians. Most
Of the Creighton players were Irish.
| but there was sprinkling OF other
game usually ended in a free -for-all
Several Of the Hibernian players were
milkmen. They used to deliver from
door to door from eight-quart cans,
pouring the required amount into the
| container left on the doorsteps. The
| players found these empty cans were
excellent weapons and welded them
| Justify on the skulls of the CreightOns.
| One Summer the Creightons had
| beaten the Hbernians twice on the
downtown grounds, but had been bat
tered up badly at the end of both
| games. The time came for the return
engagement-an invasion of the solid
| ly Irish section which the Hibernians
represented. The latter team smacked
it's collective lips at the prospect of
the slaughter which would follow.
But the Creightons forestalled them,
one Of the players informs me, by ap-
pearing on the field in new uniforms
shirts, pants, caps and stockings solid
| green. This expedient took the fancy
| Of the northeast fans, and the visitors
from the first were obviously favor.
ties. The fans were solidly behind
them, both with cheers and fists. The
outwitted Hibernians. however, turned
the tables by winning the game.
1t remained for the Astorias to in.
troduce the first curve ball pitcher to
! Washington. one Tramp" Delaney,
who was picked up in a downtown
saloon and put into a base ball uni
form. Delaney was the sensation of
a season. His offerings were abso-
lutely unhittable and the Astorias
were progressing easily toward the
city championship when the Junior
Nationals turned the tables by import.
n
pitcher who was as superior to Dc.
laney as the latter was to the former
straight ball tossers.
The Creightons developed at least
four big league stars: Charlie Snyder
afterward with Boston for 10 years;
Gerhardt. second baseman of the
Giants for 12 years; Paul Hines, after.
ward with Providence, who is credited
with having made the first unasssted
triple play in the history Of base ball
and Sadie" Houck, afterward short
stop with New York Boston and Phil
adelphia.
In closing we may give what is
| probably the original source of a
, whiskered base bah story. CLEANED
from the pages of the Washington
, Sunday Capital OF August >. 1874:
. THURSDAY evening n match game OF
base ball came off between the Creigh
ton and the Comique mines. Owing to
the absence of beer, the Comiques
were defeated by a score of % to 81
/ They owed their defeat to the supe
. rior playing of their opponents Jen
kins Of the Comiques and Valence OF
) the Creightons played noticeably well
? but in the sixth inning the young salt
Jenkins. feeling diffident of his catch
[ ing ability. procured a bottle of muci
. lage and anointed his hands.
{ Three were on bases and Jone.
! came to bat Jenkins had changed
t from first base to left field. Jone:
e struck with all his strength and the
\ ball sailed gracefully toward Jenkins
] He caught it. and the three Creigh
tons started for home. He essayed Il
I throw the ball to third base, but t.
@ his chagrn found his hands claspe'
t. 10 il by the action of the mucilage be
d yond all escape. 1t was only when ;
). bucket OF boiling water had been pro
| he could -