Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1889 — THE NATIONAL GAME. [ARTICLE]

THE NATIONAL GAME.

GOSSIP ABOUT BASE-BALD CLUBSAND PDAYERS. Boiton Still Leading in the Race for theLeague Pennant—Chicago Takes Fourth Place What the Other Teams Are Doing. [CHICAGO COBBESPONDENCE.] The Chicago club is now on its third and last Eastern tour, and will not be seen on the home grounds for nearly three ■weeks. The games of the past week between the league teams have partiaUy remolded the percentage column. The Bostons have pushed themselves back into the lead again and are comparatively safe for some time to come. The lubberly game they played on their Western trip has been braced up into good champion base-ball. Their batteries are in good shape again and the whole team is hitting the ball with something like its old vigor. The New Yorks have taken a great tumble and their great work of the previous week has degenerated into sluggish town ball. They took something like a bracer against the Phillies, but the Boston games set them back so far that any of their present designs on first place are entirely unwarranted. The Phillies are still in third place, but are being dangerously pressed by the Chicagos. Anson and the colts have not been idle, but have chased themselves up beyond the Clevelands aud into fourth place. The “old man’s" boast that his clup was out for the pennant seems by no means so ridiculous as when it was first made. Fourth place is practically assured him, and the Quakers are but two games in the lead for the third. The trip East places the team under a temporary disadvantage, but this will be more than counterbalanced by the long series on the home grounds at the end of the season. The “Babies” are still slipping down the list in spite of occasional good ball playing, and none of the twigs they hang to seem sufficient to hold them up. The team wasted its wind in its too lively spurt at the beginning of the season and is now lagging along with its hands on its sides watching one after another of its competitors pass into the homestretch. The Pittsburgs were in town last week long enough to take a good series from “Old Anse” and seriously trample on his good nature. The Jonahs of last year are Jonahs still, and they pluck off a game here and there where no one else is able to find one. The Hoosiers and the Senators still keep close guard over the rear end of the League and occasionally sally out upon some supposed usurper of their position.

Good judges of the game in Chicago begin to believe that had Clarkson not been sold the Chicagos would now be into the pennant fight. What the team needsis one good pitcher and less in-and-outers. Its batting, fielding, and baserunning are good enough. Tim Keefe, the famous pitcher of the New Yorks, has turned Benedict. He was married a few days ago at Worcester, Mass., to Mrs Helm, a sister of Mrs. Helen Dauvray Ward. Arlie Latham is back in his old place on the St Louis Browns, after a suspension of two weeks. Latham said that he wouldlnever again give the club management any cause for complaint, and it was on these conditions that he again enters the clubs ranks. He loses his salary during suspension. It is reported that President Brush, of Indianapolis, is urging the adoption of a plan to get the Cleveland, Indianapolis, Columbus and Cincinnati clubs into a contest after the championship season closes. He proposes that each of these four clubs put up $250, and that the purse of SI,OOO thus obtained shall be divided into two prizes, the first of $750 and the second of $250, to be played for by the two Association and two League clubs, the xeries to consist of two games in each city by each club, to be played between Oct. 14 and 28; the winner to be awarded first prize and a pennant emblematic of the interstate championship. The Indianapolis directors have not considered the matter fully, but will likely decide in favor of it. Cincinnati is said to favor the proposition. Manager Mutrie tells a story of how, in order to avoid a game with the Giants on a wet day, to make things worse, the Hoosier groundkeeper had brought out a hose and sprinkled the base lines, pitcher’s box, and home plate to such an extent as to make a game wholly impossible. Jim insisted on a game, as it was not raining. The Hoosier people hummed and hawed, and finally agreed to play at 4:30. They did play and defeated the Giants, much to Mutrie’s chagrin. The Association has another club fight on its hands. Louisville opened negotiations for the purchase of Catcher Doyle of the Cantons and had him at Louisville, when Columbus stepped in, outbid Louisville, and got the man. The row over him will be a spectacle for civilization. Pitcher Krock, formerly of the Chicagos, has been signed by the Milwaukees. Earl will catch him. The plan of equally dividing the gate receipts to future league championship games is being quietly discussed by the clubs. Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburg, Washington, and Indianapolis are said to favor such a division, and New York, Boston, and Philadelphia to oppose it. Hallman of the Philadelphia team is playing the most phenomenal game that any new man has ever played out of position in a league championship club. Tom Esterbrook, who has played in ten. clubs this season and quarreled with the directors of each, now threatens to sue London, Ont., for his season’s salary. Pittsburg would sell the once brilliant Dunlap if it could find a club foolish 1 enough to buy. - Dunlap cost $5,000 and will not bring SI,OOO. His $5,00.0 salary is one of his unpopular attachments. It seems as though the double-umpire system was destined to have a thorough trial next season. It deserves one. All other systems have failed. Arthur Clarkson, John’s brother, who has been promising for three or four seasons, will not “do.” Buffalo tried and has released him. Pat Tebeau, another of Chicago’s cgst--offs, is playing the most regular firstclass game of the season on Cleveland’s third base. “Buck" Ewing is the heart and head of the New York team, and if he is ever disabled the so-called Giants will descend l the championship chute faster than th* ■ Clevelands.