THE CINCINNATI TIMES-STAR
May 11, 1904
SPORTS
scans from newspaper collection
of
Ruth
Adams-Battle
Transcribed by Dorothy
Wiland
NEW YORK, SMARTING UNDER THE FIRST
DEFEAT
THAT HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED TO THE
TEAM IN
A LONG WHILE, WAS EAGER TO REGAIN
ITS PRESTIGE
Kelley's Men, Who Have Been Climbing
Under Circumstances
That Have Won Them the Highest Praise,
Were
Determined to Dislodge Their Opponents
and Assume the Topmost Place—News of the Game
BY C. H. ZUBER
The most interesting of
the spring series of games in the National league begins Wednesday
afternoon
on the Cincinnati grounds. In every city, town or hamlet where base
ball
is known, the present series between the Reds and the Giants will be
watched
with interest, for they represent the meeting of the two leading teams
in the National league. One team—the New Yorks—have been chosen by
themselves
to lead the National league race at the finish, while some of the
enthusiastic
friends of the other –the Reds—have made a prediction that the
prospects
of the aggregation for finishing in a high position were never better
than
they are this year. Under these circumstances the games will be hard
fought,
with each manager striving to have his best team in the field daily,
and
the individual working as though the result of every contest depended
upon
him. Last season the Reds had the extreme pleasure of
WINNING THE SERIES FROM
THE NEW YORKS,
Despite the fact that McGraw's
men finished ahead of them in the game. This gives some idea of the
strength
of the two teams last year. From all indications the Giants have been
materially
strengthened by the addition of Bill Dabien at short, Devlin at third,
and McCormick in center field. They still have their famous pitching
staff
of last season in McGinnity, Mathewson, Taylor and Ames, with Milligan,
a left-hander, as extra man. The reds, it is known also have added to
their
playing powers for 1904,. So that the clash between the two teams ought
to be on nearly the same footing as last season. The absence of
Steinfeldt
and Seymour will be felt in these games, but as both Woodruff and
Odwell
have been playing excellent ball, the handicap that the Reds take on by
having these two men out of the game will not be so great as
to allow
of
much excuse for defeat—when it comes—on the score of their absence. The
Giants will be seen here for four games—Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday
and
Sunday.
There were no cries of
"home run" when Miller Huggins stepped to the plate in the second
inning
of the Tuesday game, while Odewell, Schlei and Hahn, all under a
nervous
strain, waited near the respective bags for some sort of a little hit
that
would send a run across the plate and allow the locals to tie the score
with the Brooklyns. "Stop a double," cautioned Manager Kelley, meaning
that the base runners should do all in their power to prevent a double
play being made in case Huggins hit the ball to an infielder, for a
double
play at this stage would have meant the retirement of the side, with
only
one run across the plate.
"JUST A LITTLE SINGLE,"
pleaded the fans in Rooters'
Row, for they knew that Huggins has no reputation for being a slugger,
and that a tap over the infield would be about as much as might be
expected
from him. After the passage of a ball or two, Poole served one that was
entirely to the liking of the little fellow. He met it fairly with a
left-hand
swing and out it sailed toward the right field. Both Dobbs and Lumley
gave
chase, the bell, still traveling in the air, just eluding the grasp of
the latter, and then going by swift bounds to the fence that prevents
the
right-field bleachers from falling in on the turf. As soon as the trio
on the bases saw that the ball would go safe, there was a scampering of
feet such as is seen only when a crowd of mischievous boys is alarmed
by
the cry of
"CHEESE IT, THE
COPS!"
Before the Ball could reach
the diamond Huggins had crossed the rubber, and the greatest batting
and
run-getting feat of the season on the local grounds had been
accomplished.
Hahn, whose only performance this season had been three innings of
mediocre
work in Pittsburg in April, was on the rubber for the Reds. From the
very
start he showed that he still was weak in his pitching arm, and there
was
much comment that Manager Kelley slowed him to remain on the rubber. At
several stages of the game, especially after the Reds had made errors,
the Brooklyns looked dangerous, but the locals managed to get just
enough
runs to prevent their being overtaken, and the fourth consecutive
victory
over Brooklyn was recorded.
REDS PREPARED FOR ANY UNFAIR TACTICS
During their stay in the
city the members of the Brooklyn team were busier warning the Reds
against
the alleged unfair tactics that the New Yorks are said to employ in
their
games than they were in winning games. These reports of trickery on the
part of the Giants do not worry the local aggregation in the least and,
while they do not fear anything of the kind from McGraw's men, they
will
be on the alert to see that they do not get the worst of any deals of
the
kind that may be introduced into the games. "We have been playing clean
base ball all season," said a member of the Cincinnati team, "and are
anxious
to continue in that line. But if any team comes along and that tries
tactics
with us that are not in strict accordance with clean sport, we can give
them as good as we receive, and perhaps a few degrees better. The fact
that we do not practice what is known as "dirty ball" is no evidence
that
we are deficient in that sort of work, and we will not hesitate to
retaliate
if any other team tries to gain an advantage over us by resorting to
unfair
tactics. In the matter of strong players, we have more large men on the
team than have the New Yorks, and from that point of view we need not
fear
them, either. All of us are in hopes that the reports that the
Brooklyns
bring concerning the New Yorks are untrue; but if they are founded on
facts,
and the Giants try the game on us, they will find us ready with as good
a box of tricks as they can possibly try to work off on us."
BATH OF INQUIRIES FOR REDS' PITCHERS
Within the past few days
Manager Kelley has been deluged with telegrams from all portions of the
country, and largely from big league clubs, asking him to set prices on
various members of his pitching staff. The outside clubs that are short
on twirling material have arrived at the conclusion that the Reds are
longer
on good pitchers than any team in either of the big leagues; and as it
is quite certain that no such number as seven men will be carried for
box
work by the local management, the demand for the man or two who
eventually
will be let out by the Cincinnati club is wide and insistent. The fact
all the men on the staff have been winning with some degree of
regularity
has not had the effect of making Manager Kelley easier in his mind as
to
what he will do when the time comes for cutting down. The fact is that
the Reds' leader would not object to carrying all the pitchers that now
are under contract, provided they can continue to show the form they
have
developed so far this season. "I am not thinking of cutting down on my
pitching staff." Said Manager Kelley, "and these requests that are
pouring
in for our 'extra men' are receiving no attention further than a reply
to the effect that we have no men for sale. At present there is no
pitcher
on the team who was a call over any of the others. All are working
well,
and I have hopes that they will do even better as the weather gets
right
for fast base ball. There is no telling when anything will be done in
the
matter of making any changes—in fact, it is possible that no changes
will
be made. It sometimes pays to have good extra men, and one can not tell
how soon such a period will strike the Reds; so in order to be prepared
for any emergency, it is just possible that no reduction of our force
will
take place."
*Note, the scan includes
statistical lists which have not been included in the transcription.
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May 11, 1904
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