Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1888 — THE GREEN DIAMOND. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE GREEN DIAMOND.

The C.ubs Preparing for the Battle of 1888—The Clarkson Deal. ‘ The Veteran Catcher of the Chicago Team—Spalding’s Australian Tour. [CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.] The time in which the bells will sound for inaugural games upon every ball park in the country is not now far distant. Ere another fortnight has passed the teams of all our crack professional leagues and associations will have entered upon their pennant race’, while commercial leagues, country leagues, and city leagues will be striving hard for the honor of victory in their respective organizations. Never before has public interest in the national game of the Americans been so widespread, and, judging from the makeup of the great teams in the League, American Association, and Western Assoc ation, the struggles of 1888 will be of a character well calculated to lay a foundation for increased interest one year later. The manner in which the young blood of the big league team's has shown up in practice this spring is certainly most encouraging. Crane, Slattery, Foster, Hatfield, and Cleveland, of the New Yorks, have more than surpassed the expectations of their club managers. Hoy and Gardiner, of Washington, have proven good ones, while Anson writes in the very highest terms of Clark, Farrell, Krock, Duffy, Hoover, and the balance of the colts now with him upon the Western and Southern trip. Baldwin and Van Haltren are showing up splendidly, their improvement over last year’s work being very noticeable.

“Old Hoss” Flint, the veteran catcher of the Chicago team, has a pair of hands that would make a street-car driver envious. Covered with knots and lumps, the result of foul tips and hard catching, they are things which when once seen can never be forgotten. “Larry Corcoran gave me most of these crooked digits,” said Silver, as he looked at his big paws. “This battered finger” (pointing to the great finger of his right band) “I got in Pittsburg It was in that famous fourteen-inning game, when Clarkson and Galvin were pitching like ‘a house on fire.’ The Pittsburgs had a man on third, with one man out. A desperate play had to be made. Carroll, who was at bat, knocked a still ground ball to Burns, and the man c»n third made a dash for home. With one of his terrific wrist throws Burns sent the ball toward the plate in a straight line. I thought I could eat it up, it came so straight and pretty. By some inadvertence I thrust my fingers instead of my palms toward the ball, which struck squarely on the end of this big finger. Of course, I dropped the ball, and Pittsburg won the game by one run. That crook laid me up for two weeks. It shattered the bone and crushed the flesh so that blood flowed freely. “I have but one straight finger—the great finger of my left hand. Two of my fingers were knocked out before I began to play professionally. The rest of the knots, with the exception of the one I got in Pittsburg, were given me by Corcoran. He was the worst pitcher I ever caught. I mean by that that he was the hardest on my fingers. I did not wear- a glove in those days, and this accounts for a great many of the knocks I received. Corcoran gave Goldsmith a ‘finger,’ too.” The biggest transaction of the present month has been the transfer of John Clarkson’s services to the Boston Club. The deal had been long anticipated and therefore surprised no one, although it has caused an endless amount of discussion in every base-ball center of the country. President Spalding, for the Chicago Club, last week received thq check of the Boston Club for SIO,OOO, the amount paid for Clarkson's release by Boston. The Spalding Base-Bull Guide for 1888 has been placed on sale. This is the twelfth annual edition of a work which is generally recognized as an authority on all matters pertaining to the National League, containing, as it alone does, its official statistics. In addition there are several new and interesting features, prominent among which are the explanatory appendix to the newly revised code of playing ruJies, and special statistics of the series of contests for the world's championship. This is by far the best edition of the work that has yet been published, and its variety of information makes it both useful and interesting’to professionals and amateurs alike. The Australian tour projected by President Spalding and Captain Anson is still an interesting theme in ball circles here, as it doubtless is elsewhere. Considered from every point of view the project is a stupendous enterprise, quite in keeping with the character of the man who has so boldly and resolutely taken it in hand; and for his pluck alone every base-ball lover must wish Mr. Spalding all possible success. Softer than the rustle of an angel’s wing, sweeter than the music of Apollo’s lute, more entrancing far than note from Orpheus’ lyre, is the voice of him who says: “Put me down for a year’s subscription,"-—Anniston Hot Blast.

FRANK FLINT.