Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1887 — THE BASE-BALL RECORD [ARTICLE]

THE BASE-BALL RECORD

The Fight Between the Chicago and Detroit Tearns Now Hotter than Ever. Boston’s Anxiety to Win the Pennant— President Soden’s Generous Offer to the Team. [CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.] What a fight the League clubs are having, and what a magnificent race they are enjoying for the League pennant of 1887. When they started out at the commencement of the season the indications for a race after the procession order seemed plainly descernible. Chicago, the champions of other years, seemed to have gone to pieces, and an assertion that they would be in the race at this stage of the struggle would have received the laugh from nine out of ten lovers of the national game. The end of the seventeenth week of the season, however, finds Detroit (the present leaders) and Chicago neck and neck in the most remarkable pennant fight the League has vet known, while Boston and New York, although a bit lower down in the string than are Chicago and Detroit, are still in the race, and either of them may go to the front before the season closes. Both are being whipped and spurred to their supremest efforts by their respective officers, and the following circular issued to the members of the Boston team by President Soden upon the return of the team from its last Western trip, shows how much the championship is wanted at Boston. President Soden’s circular reads as follows: To the Members of the Boston Base-Ball Club: Gentlemen—You have returned after a disastrous trip, unsatisfactory alike to the management and public. Various reasons have been advanced by lovers of the game for the poor showing made, none of which we feel justified in accepting as the true explanation, and we therefore await the result of our observance during the coming games to lead us to a satisfactory conclusion. The Boston public, who generously and enthusiastically patronize the game, justly demand better ball-playing, and the management insist upon a better showing for the future. The management feel that you are very liberally compensated for your services, that a generous policy has been shown toward you, and that there is no ground for dissatisfaction or complaint, and in return they feel that they are justified in demanding your most skillful services. We are verydesirous that the championship pennant shall again be brought to Boston, and as an incentive to you to redouble your efforts to bring about that much-desired result we submit to you the following proposition: Should you win the championship the present season the management hereby agrees to divide among you the sum of $2,500, and in addition thereto to arrange for a complimentary benefit game, the entire receipts to be divided among the players. We hope and expect that each member of the team will do h s utmost to win the coveted prize, that each will play as if the result depended on his individual efforts, and that with a “strong pull, and a pull altogether,” success may crown your efforts, and our most sanguine expectations be realized. Very truly yours, for the management. A. H. Soden, President. DETROIT AND CHICAGO.

The series of games just played in Chicago between the champions and the Wolverines have been of absorbing interest to lovers of base-ball everywhere. When the Wolverines arrived here the standing of the teams was such that Chicago, by winning the three games, might take “ the lead in the race which Detroit had so long held. Both teams went upon the ball field Saturday afternoon “for blood,” and a more intensely exciting game has never been witnessed upon the Chicago Base-ball Grounds. But seven innings were played, owing to the heavy clouds, which shut out the daylight; but the 15,000 people present tbe largest crowd present at any one game this season—went home just as well satisfied as though nine innings had been*played. The game stood three to two at the end of the sixth inning, when Chicago suddenly dropped onto Getzein’s delivery, and entered into a batting streak that raised that great crowd onto their feet in many and many a cheer that fairly shook the grand stand. The game was in many respects one of the most remarkable yet played on the home grounds. Clarkson, whom the Detroits dread as they do no other man in the National League, was in the points. His work outgrew the descriptive power conveyed in the adjectives, and became simply phenomenal. Pitching with wonderful accuracy and coolness, he completely baffled the great sluggers from the Straits Brouthers alone of all the team was able to gauge the wizard’s delivery. Besides striking out six of the Michigan men Clarkson fielded six grounders to Anson. Three of these were red hot, and one was pulled down with one hand on a jump. The great pitcher, besides pitching an extraordinary game, made two home runs—one over the Harrison street wall and the other a low, hard drive over the grass in left field. Flint handled the delivery of his old colleague in splendid form. Vhen the game was called at the commencement of the eighth inning the score stood 8 to 2 in favor of Chicago. The two clubs crossed bats again on Monday, and again the Wolverines were downed, after a magnifi ent contest, by a score of G to 4. This produced a tie for first place between the two clubs, and when the contestants met on Tuesday for the third game of the present series, excitement among base-ball enthusiasts ran high. Another enormous crowd assembled at the ball park to witness the battle of the giants of the League, and were rewarded by another splendid exhibition of the science of the national game, For a third time in succession Clarkson, the crack pitcher of the Chicago team, faced the Detroit sluggers, and he held them down to five base-hits. Four of these, however, were bunched in one inning, which, aided by an error and a base on balls, netted them five runs and gave them the game by a score of sto 3. In the other eight innings but one solitary base-hit was made off John Clarkson’s deceptive curves. In the three games the heavy hitters of the Detroit nine hit him safely just eighteen times, an average of six hits to a game. Verily is Clarkson a wizard. THE WESTERN CLUBS IN THE EAST. The Chic.igos, who are still second in the race, are in prime condition. Upon the result of their playing during the next three weeks will depend their chances of winning the pennant. 1 The New York club is now in fine form, and with Keefe and Welch on their mettle there is certain to be some fun on Manhattan Island during the next three weeks. The feature of the Philadelphia’s play, recently, has been the phenomenal pitching of Buffinton, who in two games retired the Chicagos with a total of five dean hits.