Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1886 — BASE-BALL. [ARTICLE]

BASE-BALL.

The Struggle for the Championship In the National League and the American Association. The Detroit and St. Louis Olubs Still in tha Lead Notes and Go isip of tha National Game. The League base-ball season opened the Ist of May. All the clubs, barring two, were thought to be evenly matched, and the predictions were many that none of the teams would win their first three games straight. How near these predictions came to being trne will be Keen: At the end of the first week's play the Chicagos were in the van. They had won five games and lost one, while One was postponed. New York came next, with five victories and two defeats. Detroit was third, with four games won, two lost, and One postponed. The Philadelphias were fourth, Washington fifth, St. Louis sixth, Boston seventh, and Kansas City last. At the end of the second week the Chi ’agos and Detroits were tied for first place, New York and St. Louis for third, while Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington followed, one ' game apart. Kansas City was still at the bottom of the list. Rain prevented all the clubs from playing the games scheduled for the third week except those played by the Detroits. The result was that the-Wolverine team gained a lead of two games over the champions. New York dropped to fourth place and St. Louis advanced to third. Philadelphia also Came up a peg, Boston stood sixth, and Washington and Kansas City were trailing. The close of the fourth week showed little chan e in the positions of the ihree leaders. In the American Association the St. Louis Browns lead the van, with Pittsburgh a close second, the Athletics one game behind for third, Brooklyn and Louisville a tie for fourth, Baltimore and Cincinnati also tied, and the Metropolitans bring up the rear. The following is the record of games won and lost, at the wind-up of the fourth week of the season’s play: LEAGUE SCHEDULE. . Clubs— 'Won. Lost. Chicago 17 4 New York. ............. 14 -—th Detroit 7/. .... 19 3 Philadelphia 9 11 St. Louis ..... 9 14 805t0n..... 5 16 Washington. ..... —A- 15 Kansas City 5 12 THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. Games Games Clubs— won. lost Athletic * 17 12 Baltimore 14 I 16 Brooklyn 15 12 Cincinnati..' 14 19 Louisville 15 17 Metropolitan 8 18 Pittsburg 18 15 St. Louis 21 13

I DIAMOND DUST. ... The Philadelphia League club players all wear high plug hats. Chicago was the first club to play an errorless game this season. IT is claimed that it will take 5,000,000 base-balls to supply the diamond this year. Houck, of the Baltimores, fouled a ball in his. own face, and knocked out two of his teeth. - The only thing gigantic about the New York Club is the big’head.— Philadelphia Herald. It required fourteen innings for Leavenworth to beat St. Joseph, at Leavenworth, May 18, by a score of 11 to 10. N. K. Noyes, right fielder of Dartmouth’s freshman ball team, broke his leg by catching his foot in first base while running. While playing in a game near Kankakee, 111., William Studeman was struck on the side of his head by a pitched ball, and died in ten minutes. Buck Ewing says: “Detroit is going at a great pace, but the whole fabric hinges on one man—Bennett.” Buck thinks if he should be disabled the club would be nowhere in the race.

Out in Kansas City, it is said, they have devised a new scheme to worry batters. A small boy perches on a roof outside the grounds, and, with a piece of looking glass, casts reflections in the eyes of the batsman at the critical moment. This idea could be worked to better advantage in some place where they have had more sunshine than Kansas City has enjoyed recently. The great amount of bragging done by the “New York Giants,” as they were pleased to dub the League nine from that city, has lessened the popularity of that team away from home. Brag did not win the championship for them last year, and will not do it this. If one must crow when on top, it is advisable to always keep an eye open for a soft spot to fall on when one’s turn comes to go under. The Philadelphia Sporting Life “The St. Louis Brows have a new trick to worry pitchers and deceive the umpire, and worked it several times in Brooklyn last week. The wrinkle is to hug the plate closely and lean away over it, thus making the pitcher deliver wildly or else hit them. In the latter case the Browns have a knack of stopping the balls against their bodies with their hands, so as to escape injury. Anything to get on base is their motto. The first game played this season in the East by the Chicago Club was at Washington, and the Western giants were slaughtered to the tune of 7to 0. The Washington people went wild over the famous victory, and President Scanlan, of the home olub, immediately telegraphed President Spalding, of the Chicago aggregation: “Send on a club that can play ball.” The following day the two clubs met again, and the Westen) lads came off victorious by the one-sided score of 20 to 0. Spalding thereupon wired Scanlan: “How much ball do you want, anyway?” William Salentine, aged about 25 years, and a member of a prominent South Side family, died from apoplexy induced by over-exertion while engaged in a game of base-ball to-day. Upon crossing the homeplate in a “hbme-run” the young man reeled and fell to the ground in great pain. This soon passed away, however, and, contrary to the advice of his friends, he insisted upon resuming his play, taking his appointed position in the field. A few moments later he started to run in the direction of a batted ball, when he again fell to the ground and soon expired, with every symptom of apoplexy.— Milwaukee special.

The official figures showing the batting and fielding averages of the League clubs for the first month's work have been issued. The leading pitchers are Ca«ey of Philadelphia and McCormick of Chicago. The best ranking catchers are Hackett and Briody, both of the Kansas City Club. Start of Washington leads the first basemen in fielding; Richardson of Detroit the second basemen; Sutton of Boston the third basemen; Glasscock of St. Louis the short stops; Hornung of Boston the left fielders; O’Rourke of New York the center fielders; and Fogarty and Thompson are tied for first place among the right fielders.