Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1887 — OUR NATIONAL GAME. [ARTICLE]

OUR NATIONAL GAME.

The Unprecedented Interest That Is Being Taken in BaseBall. The Race for the Pennants—A Veteran’s Advice to Amateur Ball Players. [CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.} In no past year has the national game of base-ball aroused such, interest as seems to have taken hold of the people in every League and American Association city since the championship seasons of these two big organizations have been inaugurated. In Chicago more interest is taken in the League struggle than in the Association, presumably from the fact that this city is exclusively a League city and that no other professional organization supports a club here. General surprise and disappointment are being manifested in Chicago over the poor showing made by the Chicago champions thus far in the race. Their defeat m the opening game of the season, followed by defeat in two of the three games played at Indianapolis, and in the first two games played upon the home grounds, has had the effect of bearing Chicago club stock, so far as its playing strength is concerned, more than anything else that has happened; and with the impulsiveness usually exhibited under such circumstances, many anmirers of the game, who should know better, have expressed a slighting estimate of the team’s strength as compared with other clubs that it will be compelled to meet in the struggle for championship honors this season. Among the older heads, however, the hope prevails that Chicago is strong enough to give the most likely clubs in the League a hard race before the finish is reached. Anson has expressed the opinion upon more than one occasion that New York will be the only club that Chicago will have to fear this season, and while one should have every regard for the big Captain’s views in in such matters, many differ with him to the extent of believing that Detroit, and not New York, will prove Chicago’s most formidable adversary in this race. The race for the league pennant shows the Detroit club still holding on to the lead, with New York a fair second, and Boston close upon the heels of the “Giants.” Chicago is fighting nobly for last place, and may succeed in gaining the proud (?) dstinction of becoming the tail-enders of the string. Pittsburgh is playing a remarkably pretty game, and playing it in a style, too, that would indicate its ability—barring accidents, of course—to hold to the place indefinitely. The following table will show the work of the League clubs to date:

dubs. f Detroit 00020507181 Chicago 0.. 0000101457 New York 00.. 102025 2 72 Boston 0 0 0.. 0 2 0 2 4 2 6 8 Pittsburgh 1200.. 0003254 Philadelphia 00110..013475 Indianapolis 02 0)000.. 02086 Washington 0 0 0| 0 0 0 0.. 1[ 5 6 8

The Chicago Club is badly off for pitchers, and herein lies the trouble. Clarkson is the club's only thoroughly conditioned pitcher at present, and, disagreeable as it may be, it is, nevertheless, true that, with Flynn in his present crippled condition and Ryan firm in his determination not to pitch, there is but little, if any, probability that Chicago will play well enough to win a majority of the games in their series with any of the clubs they may meet until this weakness is remedied. This condition of things, however, can not last for long. Neither Anson nor Spalding will approve a team that has shown its inability to play better ball than Chicago has played thus far this season; and if Van Haltren does not join the team at an early day it may be depended upon that Chicago will go out upon its first Eastern tour next week with two, or at least one, able, experienced, and thoroughly conditioned pitcher to relieve Clarkson in future. The fact that the box is the very dangerously weak point in the Chicago team, Anson long ago recognized, and that the gap in the team’s ranks made by this shortcoming will be soon filled is a foregone conclusion. Not for many seasons past has amateur base-ball enjoyed so great a boom in Chicago as it is now experiencing. Every Saturday afternoon the great open lots upon the prairies, as well as the lawns of many of the public parks, are covered with amateur teams and their friends. With few exceptions the new rules of the League and Association, as given in “Spaldings Guide,” are adhered to. For the benefit of young players it may be well to quote that veteran in base-ball efforts, Bob Ferguson, of the Metropolitans, who says in reference to the work and style of a player in the field: “To stop a ball well requires practice. An infielder should have agility and a quick eye. Little more is required. The dead ball is much easier to stop than the lively ball that was in use when I played third base. In those days the balls came to you red hot, and it was a* frequent occurrence to see a player knocked off his feet by them. The dead ball as used now comes to you without any lie, and the only thing is to have hard enough hands to hold it I could describe a number of ways in which the ball is stopped. Some players will shin the ball; that is, they will stop it with their shins with the intention of picking it up quickly, but in doing this the ball is apt to bound away from them. Again, some players will ‘crowd' a ball by dropping on it with their hands and knees, but unless they are very quick they are not able to recover themselves in time. Then I have seen players ‘ draw the ball,’ as it is called, by standing in front of it with legs close together, and let the ball run up to their bands. This is the worst of the lot, for if the ground is in any way rough the ball is sure to bound away to one side. The perfect plan, according to my idea, is the one which I always used, and I found it to be the most effective, and that is to scoop the ball as it comes to yon. This I do by holding the hands close together and give the arms full play. As the ball comes up let the hands go back between the legs slightly, and when the ball is about a foot from you, suddenly bring the hands forward and run the fingers under the ball. It is easy and sure.”