Year: 1872




The pitcher for the summer Of
1872 has been practising for sever
al weeks outside of the city limits,
and, though not feeling well, can
now throw a regulation ball with
such sWiftness that it cannot be seen
unless covered with phosphorous;
often the friction occasioned by its
passage through the air causes a
heat so great as to burn the ball to
ashes before it reaches the catcher,
who only finds mass of cinders in
his hand. The assistant or reserve
pither has been practising but few
weeks, but he can throw a ball
through eighteen inches Of oak plank
now; and, if he keeps on, the man
on deck will be compelled to enease
his stomach in a monitor turret and
other armor, or suffer the consequen-
ces.


The catcher has been for three
weeks past engaged in breaking up
pig-iron at the NeWburg rolling
mills, and to still further tougher his
hands he allows the big twenty-ton
triphammer to drop on them two
hours each day; they are now about
the size of a windmill, and if a ball
gets by them it will be by traversing
the atmosphere Of an adjoining
county. The reader can gamble on
this. -E


The first baseman is trying the
diet system, to steady his nerves,and
can let government mule kick him
with both feet all day in the abdomen
without winking. He will never
move his foot from a sand bag unless
in the line of his duty, and q runner
for the first base may light on him
like a night-hawk on a JUne-bug
without making him sWerve q hair.


The second baseman has develop
ed himself more especially for mis-
cellaneous and active service. He
can stand on his head, catch a ball
with his feet, reverse his position,
and knock a grasshopper off from a
mullen stalk at eighty rods, nine
times out of ten. There will be no
use in a runner trying to dodge him,
for he has globe-sights on his nose
and can plumb man in the hull OF
rigging, just as he chooses.


The short-stop is probably the best
man for this position that can be
found this side Of the Suez Canal.
He is short himself, and has lived on
pie-erust all winter; can turn thirteen
somersaults without splitting on his
hanGs, and catch ball with equal
facility in either hand or his teeth.


The third baseman has been max
ing sauerkraut and riding a veloei-
pede all winter, to develop the mus
cles of his lower limbs, which are
immense, and give him the appear
ance of being troubled with elephsn-
tiasis. But don't fool yourself; he
can run down a giraffe in three min
utes, and can bat ball so far that
his opponent never think Of chasing
IL the same uay IL IS ntI.


The three fielders have been frisk-
ing about in the country all winter,
and drinking angle-worm oil to give
suppleness to their limbs. They 90
on aIl-fours faster than many profes-
sionals can run, and are 80 timber
that circus men die off like sheen
after seeing them perform once.


We do not forget our club mana
ger, who is all that father could be
to the boys, and who does much
more than his name would indicate
to make the season and its matches
successful. The scorer for the pres
ent year has been selected as the
champion whittier Of the State. He
has purchased q bran new iacknife
two thousand shingles,and will keen
his notches on the double-entry plan ;
that is, one entry for the other side
and two cuts for his own. ~ olevslgnd
Leader, ,te 5-ffl