Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1887 — THE NATIONAL GAME. [ARTICLE]

THE NATIONAL GAME.

Standing of the Clubs in the Race for the Base*Bali Champion* ship. A Nip-and-Tuck Tight Between Detroit and Boston— Chicago’s Chances Improving. [CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.] Chicago, June 21.—The eighth week of the League championship games has come jmd gone, and the teams in the race have settled down to their work in a style that presages one of the greatest struggles for championship honors ever recorded in the history of the game professionally. Beyond all question last week's games with Detroit were the most interesting ever seen at White Stocking Park, and the magnificent batting of both teams during the series gave the fielders work enough to make every game lively beyond description from start to finish. On leaving the grand stand after Fridav’s game your correspondent met a base-ball enthusiast, who boasts of not having missed a game upon the home grounds in seven years. “Well, what do you think of Detroit?” I aeked him. “Thus far,” said he, “Detroit has done the best ball playing we have seen in Chicago this season. It may not be considered by some the acme of skillfnl ball playing, but it has suited the people a deal better, just the same. A Ito 0 game must necessarily be a close and prettily contested affair, but there is something in the game in which runs are being scored at the rate of two or three an inning, as tbe result of good hard work with the stick, that the rank and file of those who attend the games like, and when yon hear of a game in which the batting has been brisk and timely you are pretty safe in assuming that the grand stand and opens held an interested and enthusiastic crowd. If there is any pleasure in watching a pitcher strike out five or six men in two successive innings and then see him retire as many more on foul tips, pop-up flies or short hits to the infield in the next two innings, I myself have not yet discovered the meat in that kind of a game. Why, tako Thursday's game for instance. Could anything have put more life into that crowd than did the heavy batting work of the Chicago boys in the fourth inning? It caught the people, because it kept them in a high state of expectation until the innings ended, aira because it gave ample opportunity for quick movement and fielding and baserunning ability. I will .bet there was not a man present at game who loft the grand stand dissatisfied with the exhibition he had seen, unless of course he may have been one of tho.-e fellows who happened to have a case note or two upon Detroit. You can always expect lots of fun and an interesting game when you get together a couple of hard-hitting teams like Chicago and Detroit.” It will be remembered that when Baldwin first made Bis appearance here he w'as very wild in his delivery. This was owing to his fear that he would hit the batsman. Baldwin broke one of Jevne’s ribs in a Northwestern League game last year, and it has taken him. until now to recover from the fright which he suffered that day. When at his best Baldwin pitches with tremendous speed, and it is little wonder that he sometimes gets alarmed at the risk batsmen take when they face him. The Philadelphia team is playing about the same game it played last yoar—just good enough to be bothersome, but not of sufficient steadiness to carry the train to the front. Ferguson continues to pitch superb ball, but his support is often weak and discouraging. Nobody can foretell what the Washingtons are going to'do when they step into the diamond. They are more erratic than the Phillies in their play, and fully as troublesome. The following table shows the standing of the League clubs up to date: THE LEAGUE. •a 0 . i* #I! I Clubs. ®Sl32g.*'23 ft « « o Ps Zi > £0 Detroit aJ 1 3 4 5 5 928 Boston 2 .71 3 2 8 3 7 328 New York 24.. 1630325 Chicago, 5 1 2.. 2 2 1 821 Philadelphia 4 5 2.. 2 4 320 Pittsburgh 2 1 1 4 1.. 1 515 Washington 1 2i 6 3 1 .. .. 114 Indianapolis.. l| 1 3 .. 4 1 .. 10 Games lost 12114119 IHj 2-3119125132 ..

In the Association race St. Louis leads, as it has done for six weeks past, and in a style which shows it to be away out of its class in that organization. St. Louis should play in the League; it will probably do so next season. Following is the record of the Association teams to Tuesday, June 21: ASSOCIATION. •I |.-l • g • ©Ls I * 3 \rS ®i - . ° • Isl j aS! 3=2 i-T «t? Clubs. I | - 2 | V & s « ® .9 * -9 ■ ® « P S 2 ~228i2 >3 -5 9 3 «sj2 S 3 * < aln lulu « 2 J. o Athletic 1 2 til 0 sj 4 325 Baltimore 6 1 41 0 5i 41 127 Brooklyn 1 3 Cincinnati 2 3 5 6 1 li| 225 Cleveland 2.. 21— 2 4..|1l Louisville 5 2 4 4 3 Metropolitan 1 .. 1 1 2 4 2|ll St. Louis 5673466—| .7 Games lost 22j15 22 26 33 24 33 li)|.. The clubs of the Northwestern League are playing some very fine ball this season, and the prospects for that association becoming one of the most prosperous of our professional base-bail organizations seems assured. Following is the record of the teams to date: • 5! m . ri l S'B I • e • i ' Clubs. g A gj2 '§ g m » a w,® Milwaukee ..4 3 5 3 5 2 022 Duluth 0.. 2 3 4 1 1 ojll Minneapolis 1 2 .. 1 2 I 3 111 Dea Moines 1 2 2.. 4 2| 4 318 Eau Claire 0 1 2 1.. 0 2 0,6 Oshkosh 1 2 2 4 4.. 2 318 LaCroase 2 3 0 2 3 3.. 114 Stt Paul. 4 1 1 1 3 2 2 .. 14 Games loat 1.... 9 1512 17 2314 16 s|,. Con Cregan.