Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1889 — THE NATIONAL GAME. [ARTICLE]

THE NATIONAL GAME.

MARRY PALMER 8 WEEKLY BASEBALL LETTER. The Chicago Club Flaying in Hard Lack —Boston Leading All Rival* in the Race for the League Championship—Cleveland the Surprise of the Y'ear. [CHICAGO COEBESPONDENCE.] Despite the continued rainy weather which has prevailed throughout the country during the past fortnight, the pennant race between the teams of the National , League has gone merrily along and eni thusiasm over the national game was ! never at higher tiue than at present in ; Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia, the ■ homes of the three leading League teams, j Boston is still going ahead in the race and without doubt that team is playing a ! very lucky game. The men from the rei gions of culture, however, will soon beon i the road, and then, if all goes well, they I will be tested. I won’t be surprised if | Clarkson and Badbourne get a drubbing : when they come West. Philadelphia j still keeps in line and is playing a good j and steady game. The Giants are sadly ' out of form, but they are no worse than they were last year at this lime. Cleveland is proving the surprise of the baseball year, and if it should continue its present rate of speed lovers of the game will be very apt to witness the spectacle | of the “League baby” giving Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Chicago a battle for the pennant during the closing games of the season. As for the Chicago team, it continues to ■ play a clean, determined game of ball, but for some reason has not yet struck a winning gait. Talking with a member of the team the other day I said: “What is the matter with Chicago any way. Are we really missing any of the players we sold to Boston and Pittsburgh? If we had them back would the team have won any more games this season than it has thus far?” ‘ No, hardly. We should do better if wc Itad Clarkson back, I have no doubt, and maybe Kelly would help us some, but I don’t see where. Chicago has men that can catch and field nil around and can bat better than Kelly has this season.” “Where is the trembler then?” “I don’t know. The team has clayed fewer bad games this year than Boston, yet Boston wins right along, while Chicago loses. Luck has a good deal to do with it, and Chicago is just now pi tying in hard luck. She got a long way the worst of the umpiring down East, and since its return the team has lost games that it had every right to wip. Take that first game with Cleveland last Wednesday. Duffy appeared to win it by a single home run hit in the first half of"the tenth, and then Cleveland won it by duplicating Duffy’s work with a man on first in the last half. Some people mav call that ballplaying. I call it luck. Then, again, look at Frank Dwyer’s record in the box this season. Every game he has lost, with one exception, has been lost by just one run. The exception was the 9to 7 game at New York, and that was lost simply because Jimmy By an lost his footing on that tough board outfield of the St. George grounds and failed to get under Ward’s fly. Ward would have been the third man out, but O’Rourke's two-bagger to left field with the bases full sent in three runs. I say it’s tough luck more than poor playing that has kept Chicagodown in the race thus far, and I’m looking for the luck to change just about the time Boston and New York get here, after the Chicagos return from Cleveland. Boston is playing above its speed and when she commences to tumble she’ll drop just as she did last year. Keep your eye on her and see if I am not right.” I met Clarence Duval the other day, the little Ethiopian whom the Spalding tourists carried with them around the world. He deserted the team soon after its return to Chicago, and hgs been seen but once or twice by any of the boys. He still wears the cap" blue suit and brass buttons that denoted hie connection with the Spalding party abroad, but the buttons are tarnished, the rim of the cap broken, and altogether his appearance is in strong contrast to that which he presented in the banquet hall the night of the party’s arrival. “Well, Clarence,” I said, “what do you. think of the Chicago team this season?” “Dev’s no good.” “No? Why not?” “Jist ’cause I’se hoodooed ’em. Jist dat, an’nuffin else. I tole ’em,” he continued, “I tole ’em afore ever we got half way home dat I’d queer ’em when dev got back.” “Told who?” “Dat ole Baldwin, and Daly, and Pettit, and de rest ob dem aih fellahs wot trun me down de steps and held me undah de hydrant on de ship. I tole ’em I’d get even wid ’em; an’ now I’m doin’ it. You know wot I went and done afore dem fellahs got to New Yorak? Well, I jist put de rabbit fut on ’em, and ebery one ob ’em got de bounce wen dey got back.” “But these men are not with the team now. Why are you continuing to ‘hoodo’ the club?” “Well, I’ll tell yo’, sah. W’en we done got back heah I ask Cap’u Anson to let me take de team on de field und hawouldn’t hab it at all. Dat made me mad an’ I jes’ sock de rabbit fut to de hull crowd. De newspapers keep on a askin* every day, ‘How come it Chicago’s playin’ sich poah ball?’ Well, dey’s ‘hoodooed,’ and dey’s gwine ter stay ‘hoodooed’ till I. gets ready ter take tie cnawm off.” Clarence is now posing and swinging his baton among his acquaintances in the vicinity of Third tfYenue and Harrison street. He never fails to express his contempt for a team “that would let dem—selves get done ‘foah straight’ by sich a ‘no count’ team as Boston.” But it is veryprobable that he will come around again when Chicago strikes its gait and Boston begins to lose its feet—two things which Anson declares will happen between now • and July. It is said that Capt. Arthur Irwin, of the Philadelphia ball team, will hereafter play with the Washington club, probably as shortstop. It is said that Manager Hart has given the Boston players to understand that winning the League pennant moans at least SI,OOO each to the men in the games for the world’s championship and other money tfcat they are sure to get out of it. Besides this, Hart has offered the boys agood round sum to go with him to Cali- - fornia next winter, should they pull off the coveted piece of bunting.