Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1889 — BATTLING FOR A FLAG. [ARTICLE]

BATTLING FOR A FLAG.

A LIVELY RACE FOR THE BASE-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP. The Work of the Various League T ianis— The Cleveland Baby Astonishing th* Veterans by Its Vim and Dash—Harry Palmer’s Views. [SPECIAL WASHINGTON COIIBESPONDENCE.] What a pretty race the League teams are putting up this season. The fourth week uijhe champion light finds ovary team “in it," with tue single exception, perhaps, of Washington, with Boston. Puiladelpuia and New York making a great tight, Chicago and Pittsburg playing a gritty, determined game, and Cleveland—the League baby—making a bid for pennant honors against the big teams Uiut is delighting lovers of base-bnll in the Forest City, and astonishing every other club in the League. From present indications the flag of 1889 docs not seem to be beyond the reach of any one of the six leading teams, although, of course, there is sure to be many a change in the standing of the contestants before the conclu- t sion of the race next foil. Just at present Philadelphia seems to possess the strongest of tue four Eastirn league teams. This maybe laughed at by those readers who have supreme faith in Boston’s great aggregation of talent, or those who think because New York won the championship last year it can do it this. Clarkson and Keefe are great pitchers, to be sure; but Clarkson can not pitch all of Boston's games any more than Keefe can do all of the work for New York, and, aside from thesi two men. neither Boston nor New York at present has a winning pitchei in condition. New York, moreover, has no such lot of base-* runners as Philadelphia lias, and neither Boston nor New York is hitting the ball as Chicago has been hitting it ever since the season opened. Argument—based upqn the make-up of a team, however—as to*' which city will probably fly the pennant, is oftener time lost than otherwise; lor without regard to talent, the team which’ sticks together longest, does the best team work, keeps in the best condition, and is handled with the best judgment, generally gets there, and sueh will probably prove the cose this season.' Indeed, all Indications point to this end. Washington and Indianapolis started out in the race with some of the best bull-play-ing talent in the country in rank, and yet one has gone to pieces, and the other is failing to hold its own in the iace, not through lack of ability, but simply through loose work in the field, us the result of poor captaincy and indifference to team work. Boston, on the other hand, has up to the present time played a smooth, machine-like game, and New York is doing likewise. How long they may do so after the strain of continued work begins to tell upon their pitchers is a question. It Uadbourn and Welch recover their old form at an early day, so as to relieve Clarkson and Keefe in the box, Boston and New York should both continue very formidable so long as they stick to their present grade of team work. Philadelphia and Chicago, on the other hand, are both doing admirably in this respect. Chicago, though cripplea by the loss of Williamson, is still playing brilliant ball, and this iact Is due more than anything else to Its good stick work and to its undeniably fine team work, the latter being the result, in a great measure, of Anson’s careful and effective training. When my last letter was written, the Chi- Z eago team was on Its way East to play its first series of games upon Eastern soil. It opened its campaign in Philadelphia, and of the four games played with Harry Wright's boys, won but one of them. The first game—that of eleven innings—was, without question taken from Chicago by Umpire McQuade; for a rank decision at first-base in the fourth Inning, with two' men out, enabled the Quakers to score the three runs which tied the game, and eventually gave the victory to the home team. But for this decision the teams would have broken oven on the series. In thred of these games the fielding of both Chicago’ and Philadelphia was grand. Wood and Fogarty, and indeed big Bam Thompson as' well, did some outfield work for Harry Wright during the series that was simply while Gumbert in left. Van Hultren in center, and Hugh Duffy in right for Chicago made an equally pretty record. Gumbert is not an outfielder, cither. He is a pitcher, but Williamson’s absence compelling Anson to send Ryan to short, Gumbert is utilized in the outfield, and despite a severe attack of charley-horse, he is acquitting himself with great credit. At no time since; the great batting season of Gore and Dalrymple, and Kelly and Anson and Pfeffer and Williamson and Burns made Chicago the greatest batting aggregation in the country has Anson got so formidable a team of hitters together. With the exception of "Old Silver” Flint, whose days as a great batsman (but not as a great catcher) have probably gone, all of the men are hitting in a style that promises to easily give them first place again this season in tne batting list. Anson thinks so. at least, and his judgment in such things is generally correct. SHOBT HITS. Williamson is with his team again, but is not playing. He will probably go to Hot Springs next week for a month’s rest. George Wood, the Phillies' out-fielder, is playing the game of his life this season. He is scoring game after game for his team by his great stick work and fine fielding. Arthur Irwin, captain of the Phillies, is still taking a rest. Fogarty captains the team meanwhile. Washington has a good infield, and that is about all. It cannot bit, it has no regular outfield, no catchers, and not much in the way of pitching talent. Anson thinks Philadelphia the strongest club in the league, aside from Chicago. The old man. by the way, was never more confident of getting there than he is this season. Watch the Chicago team's batting record from this time on. Brouthers, of Boston, Is giving Anson a great race in the batting record. Indeed, Brouthers leads the old man a little at this writing. Each and every player (now at work in the League or Association) who made the tour of the world with Mr. Spalding last winter is playing in great form this season. Any one who does not believe this should 1 look at the records of Tom Brown of Bos-' ton. Carroll and Hanlon of Pittsburg. Wood and Fogarty of Philadelphia, Manning of Kansas City. Earle of Cincinnati, and of Pfeffer. Burns. Tener. Anson and the balance of the globe-trotters. Dwyer, Gumbert, and Tener have thus far shown better form than any of the Chicago pitchers. Farrell is catching a fine game for Anson’s gentlemen. Chicago opens the next series on the Chicago grounds June 1. Rakby Palmeb.