Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-17

dlSO were Ill dQuIbloH W Tile game
Pop Ansons famous Chicago team
was at the end Of its reign in winning
the pennant in 1886. The equivalent
Of the world series that year was
played with the ST. Louis club of the
American Association, managed by
Charles A. ComiSkey, famous later as
the Old Roman and owner of the Chi
cago White Sox when the American
League came into being
St Louis won the series, games to
2, with a team featuring such famous
figures as Comiskey at first base.
Latham, Gleason, WEIGH, Foutz ard
Hudson. Anson's Chicago array in
cluded besides himself at first, Pfeffer,
Michael J (King) Kelly behind the bat
and John Clarkson, the National
Leagues foremost pitcher, doing most
of the bcx duty.
1.-THE same year established Matt Kill
i roy of the Baltimore club as
strikeout king With sos victims
Of his fast ball Harry Stovey of the
original Athletics stole SO bases and
was leader in this speciality. King
Kelly. originator of the famous kelly
slide" also was the batting champion
Of 1886 But the records show no
horne run monarch worthy of the name,
although it was an age of much heavy
hitting
Mack. purchased late in the Sum-
n1er with four other players from Hart
ford, played his first game September
16. 1886. It also was the debut for
Gilmore. pitcher, who went to the Capt.
tai in the same deal. Known as the
shadow battery" because of their slim
build, Gilmore and Mack celebrated
t4r Noff -
hold the strong New York team to
III tie in eight innings
Mack got one of the five iIits made
of the famous Tim Keefe, New York
hurler. He started the only double
play Of the game being credited With
nine putouts and two assists.
Mack caught 10 games altogether
before the close of the season. One
of the pitchers he worked with was
Hank ODay, later great umpire.
For the next three years he did more
than half the backstopping for Wash
ington, working in an average Of about
80 games each season and distinguish
ing himself more by his smart, alert
work than by any spectacular hitting
He was a timely batsman, dangerous IN
pinch, but his best average was .292
for 81 games IN 1889.
AS a matter of fact. Mack bat!ed
over .oOO olllS Twice. III ms career ana
his lifetime mark, for IL years, was
only PSI.
WEARS later, in a speech, Febru-
i airy -. 1880, Mack recalled the
first Southern training trip he took
with the Washington club of 1888 and
drew the marked contrast between
conditions then and nearly a half
century later.
sfOftr fo,,.O,,e 81,
ter. Ted Sullivan" said Mack He
had been ell over the world On the
trip to camp, he took us down in Sui
Ivan sleepers' is, day coaches
There were IA members of the team
Ten were on the verge of being drunk
ards
sullivan put us up in what we
called shacks, at 81 a day, American
plan. 1t was difficult to get into first
class hotels. At Charleston, S. G.. Sui
Ivan made arrangements for us to stop
at thlrd-class hotel. On the last
day, when the walters expected to get
their real tip, Sullivan, as we sat down,
reached into his pocket, pulled out a
silver dollar and laid it significantly
beside his plate. The food had not
been any too good and he said, Go
ahead mad feed the boys up
THAT night we had a real dinner.
picked up the silver dollar and put it
back in his pocket.
And we moved on to Washington.
THE game was far different in those
l. days from what it is today. The
boys as / say, dissipated, had
no idea Of taking care of themselves
and received small salaries. Year after
year, however, the game was getting
better.
To-day if a player drinks at all the
club immediately looks for a man to
take his place. The boys who are play
irg today are real business men. They
are drawing big salaries, saving their
money, and good hotels now look for
our patronage.
Base ball has improved 100 per cent
over the old days. OF the members of
a team Of IS players now maybe half
OF them viii take a glass of beer, prob
ably two-thirds OF them will not smoke.
College boys have had a great deal to
do with this change and advance
ment"
copyright, 1880. the Associated Press)