BASEBALL IN AUSTRALIA.

Voyage to AustraliaBASEBALL IN AUSTRALIA.BY HARRY PALMER.NOTE.—OUTINGgladly places at the head of this article the portrait of Mr. A. G. Spalding, the projector and promoter of the American Baseball Tour to Australia.—EDITOR.Mr. A. G. Spalding“HO, for Australia!”What a world of pleasant memories the thought must awaken in the heart of every one who has plowed the depths of the broad Pacific; past the land of the Kanakas and the dominion of King Kalakaua; on through the Samoan group, to the shores of New Zealand; finally, under the light of the Southern Cross, to drop anchor in the harbor of Sydney, the most wonderful natural harbor in the world.Just at present Australia and the Australians are objects of special interest to a large majority of Americans. Next to home, young America loves nothing so well as the national game of baseball. Popular enthusiasm aroused by the game is a matter for wonder to all people not Americans. This arises from the fact that in no other country is baseball so thoroughly practised or understood. The probable reason why England, Canada, Australia, and other countries, with their innate love for sports and athletics, have not become enamored of the game, is that our best exponents find America too attractive and profitable a field, from a professional standpoint, to find time or opportunity for introducing the pastime into other lands. Other considerations operate against the scheme of a mission of instruction. The expense of taking two selected teams abroad, the possibility of meeting unfavorable weather, accidents to players, and numberless other obstacles, would occur to the mind of any ambitious baseball manager who might contemplate such a scheme.An invasion of foreign territory was, however, made in 1875. The Boston and Athletic teams, embracing many of the leading players of that period, went to show the Englishmen the game of baseball as played in America, and to play cricket with them.In connection with that tour of ’75 Mr. A. G. Spalding, then the hard-working young pitcher of the Boston Club, was a prominent figure. Now, the same man, having become the head of the great mercantile house that bears his name, is, with the same spirit, about to introduce the game into a land ten thousand miles away. Bold as is the enterprise, the man who has undertaken it has not only the nerve and courage to carry it out, but also the ability to make the venture successful in every sense of the word. That the Australians will be afforded the opportunity to see the attractive features of the game demonstrated to the best possible advantage, is assured by the make-up of the visiting teams. If the Australian people admire a game in which skill, training, enduranceand daring are requisite qualifications, they will be staunch admirers of America’s national game before the teams have half finished their tour.Twelve months ago no plan of the tour had been formulated. In January of the present year it was for the first time seriously contemplated. At that time Leigh S. Lynch, a gentleman widely known, and of long experience in amusement enterprises, met Mr. Spalding, and the subject of an Australian baseball tour, once broached, was seriously and fully discussed. The greatest obstacle that had heretofore existed, viz., the want of a capable and experienced associate in the venture, was, to Mr. Spalding’s mind, overcome by the advent of Mr. Lynch. Almost immediately the two began to make arrangements for the tour, on which they had with little hesitation decided. Captain Anson was interested in the project, and together with Messrs. Lynch and Spalding, entertained the view that there was but one policy to adopt if success was to be attained. It must be an undertaking on a large scale. Money would have to be expended without stint, and all chances taken of the venture proving financially successful. In spite of their broad-minded view of the case, and though the limit of expense for the trip was placed at the liberal figure of $30,000, the venture has grown with each month since its inception until it has attracted the attention and awakened the interest of every lover of sport in England, America and Australia by its magnitude.In February Mr. Lynch started for Australia, and on his arrival promptly secured the sole right to use the cricket grounds at Sydney and Melbourne for baseball games during the winter of 1888–9. Before returning to America he announced the contemplated tour to the press of these cities. Much to his gratification, the news awakened marked interest.JOHN M. WARD.LEIGH S. LYNCH.A. C. ANSON.Hitherto baseball has never been introduced in Australia in such a form as Americans know. Some few of the American residents in the larger cities have played it in amateur fashion, but never have two professional teams, such as these comprising the National League, crossed bats upon Australian soil. It is, therefore, evident that the tour will be watched with interest in America, while the reputation of the Australians as lovers of all kinds of sport, together with the attractive character of baseball, seem to promise the awakening of no small degree of enthusiasm among them.In America baseball has surpassed in public favor horse-racing, aquatic and field sports of every character. Its growth has been one of nearly twenty years, and with each succeeding year it has commanded an increase in public patronage, until it has beyond all question become the national game of Americans.THE CHICAGO TEAM.MARTIN SULLIVAN.F. N. PFEFFER.JOHN K. TENER.MARK BALDWIN.ROB’T PETTITT.THOS. P. DALY.JAMES RYAN.E. N. WILLIAMSON.THOS. BURNS.A. C. ANSON, CAPTAIN (SEEPAGE 158).⇒LARGER IMAGETHE CHICAGO TEAM.THE ALL-AMERICAN TEAM.EDWARD HANLON, DETROIT.M. J. KELLY, BOSTON.JOHN HEALY, INDIANAPOLIS.JAMES G. FOGARTY, PHILADELPHIA.H. H. SIMPSON, NEWARK.M. J. TIERNAN, NEW YORK.J. A. DONNELLY, WASHINGTON.GEORGE A. WOOD, PHILADELPHIA.F. H. CARROLL, PITTSBURG.JOHN M. WARD, NEW YORK, CAPTAIN (SEEPAGE 158).⇒LARGER IMAGEIn America there are two prosperous leagues, or associations, of professional baseball clubs, known as the National League and the American Association. These organizations are each composed of eight clubs, each club being located in one of eight cities, which comprise the circuit of each organization. Each organization has its constitution and by-laws governing the affairs of each and every club in membership, and each organization has its prearranged schedule of games, which are played during each season. According to the schedule of 1888, each team wasscheduled to play 140 games during the season—seventy at home with visiting teams, and an equal number abroad, or ten games on the grounds of each competing club—the seasons at home and abroad being so arranged as to give lovers of the game two or three weeks of continuous ball playing, and then a like period of rest. It is needless to say the return of the home team is made the occasion of a great outpouring of people and a hearty reception in each city of the circuit, while its fortunes in other cities are eagerly followed by its friends at home. The daily press of the country devotes columns of space in each issue to the victories and defeats on the “diamond,” and in nearly all of the larger League and Association cities the evening papers issue an extra edition containing the accounts of the afternoon’s games. These find a large and ready sale, not only in the cities where they are published, but each outgoing train bears its package of “extras,” which are waited for by crowds of expectant and impatient watchers at every station.No attempt has been made in these lines to color the picture. Public enthusiasm in America over the national game is something more than the cleverest pen could depict. From day to day the relative standing of the teams in the championship races is stated in tabulated form at the head of the baseball column of every reputable American daily, and the slightest change in the positions of the teams in the race is sufficient cause for exultation in the home of the fortunate team, and for a corresponding degree of depression in the home of the team that has been supplanted in its position. The position of a team in the race is determined by the percentage of the games it has won, the percentage being determined by dividing the number of games won by those played. Thus a team may have won 51 games and lost 47, consequently it has played 98. Now, divide 51 by 98, adding to the dividend three ciphers, and for a quotient you have .520, which would be the percentage of games won to the number of games played by that team.The theory of the game of baseball is in itself simple. It is that two contesting teams must endeavor to send the greatest number of men around the circuit of the bases under prescribed rules within a limited number of innings. That is the cardinal point in the theory of the game.Now, as to the rules and requirements to which players must adhere in attempting to make the circuit of the bases, and the means by which they can be prevented.Each team must invariably consist of nine men, and the game must be played upon a regularly marked or laid-out field, as illustrated upon page 165.The field, it will be seen, consists of a continuous runway, these runways being clay-covered paths, laid out in the shape of a huge diamond. At each corner of the diamond is a basebag of canvas filled with sand or other material, and strapped securely to the ground.Now, to the average American youth, the duties of the players in two contesting ball teams, and their positions upon the field, are known in a general way. There are many spectators, even in America, however, who, if asked to explain the simplest points in a game, would find themselves lamentably ignorant upon the subject. Baseball correspondents, writers, professional players and rule makers, probably because long experience has made them thoroughly familiar with the rules and terms of the national game, have fallen into the use of technicalities, that in many instances cause the game to seem intricate to the uninitiated. In truth, however, the game’s greatest charm is its simplicity, combined with the manifold opportunities it offers for brilliant and daring work by the players. A simple description of the cardinal points in the game, therefore, divested of all technical terms that cannot be plainly defined, will, perhaps, aid many a reader in America, as well as in other countries, to understand baseball, where the simple reading of the professional playing rules, framed by the rules committee, would mystify rather than inform a reader not already familiar with the game.Let it be understood, therefore, that the basebags are known as first, second, third base and home plate, first base being the first bag to the right of the batsman as the latter faces the pitcher. The distance between bases is ninety feet. The players are known as pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, short-stop, third baseman, right fielder, centre fielder, and left fielder. The pitcher (or bowler) stands in the centre of the diamond, within prescribed lines four feet wide by five feet four inches long, known as the pitcher’s box. The forward line of the pitcher’s box is fifty feet from the home plate, which the pitcher faces when ready to deliver the ball, and beside which the batsman standsas he faces the pitcher. Behind the home plate stands the catcher, it being his duty to receive the ball from and return it to the pitcher, should it not be batted by the batsman. Just behind the catcher stands the umpire, who is expected to judge every ball pitched and every play made during the game, his decision being final in every instance. At first base stands the first baseman, and at second base stands the second baseman. The short-stop is stationed midway between the second and third basemen, in or near the runway, and the third baseman at third base. These four men constitute the “infield” of the team. Facing the diamond, and stationed from 100 to 125 yards from the infield, are the right, centre, and left fielders. These men constitute the “outfield” of the team.The choice of going to bat or to the field for the opening innings of the game is optional with the captain of the home team—that is, the team upon whose grounds the game is being played. Should he decide to send his men to the field, he stations them as above indicated, while the nine players of the opposing team take their seats upon the visiting players’ bench. These players go to bat in the order in which their names appear upon the score card. When the fielding team has taken its position, the first batsman of the opposing team steps to the plate, and others follow him in regular turn, until three batsmen have been retired by the efforts of the opposing fielders. Then the positions of the teams are reversed, the side which was at bat going to the field, and the side which was doing fielding duty coming in to take their turn at bat in regular order. When three of the second team’s batsmen have been retired, or put out by the efforts of the opposing fielders, the innings is ended, each team having sent three or more men to bat, and each having had three men retired. Nine such innings, requiring from one hour and a half to one hour and fifty minutes of play, constitute a game, and the team which has scored the most runs wins the game. Should rain, or any other cause, stop the game before five full innings have been played, however, the game must be contested over again before it can count in a championship record.When the batsman steps to the plate he is expected to hit the ball so that it will pass the intercepting fielders, and go to such distance in the outfield as will enable him to reach first base before the ball can be returned to the fielder stationed there. If he can reach second or third base, or make the entire circuit of the bases before the ball has been intercepted by any one of the infielders, or before it has been captured by an outfielder and returned to the infield, so much the better, for the base-runner’s object is to ultimately make the circuit and touch the home plate, by which he scores a run for his side. To put a batsman out, a fielder must catch the batted ball before it has reached the ground, or must recover it in time to throw it to the base for which the base-runner is making, before the base-runner reaches it.The pitcher is required by the rules to pitch the ballover the plate and between the knee and shoulder of the batsman. Each time he tries and fails to do so the umpire calls “ball,” and upon five such balls being pitched, the batsman is entitled to take first base. When threefairballs have been put over the plate, however, and the batsman has failed to hit them, the batsman isout, whether he has struck at the ball or not. For each fair ball the umpire calls “strike.”From the home plate along the runways to and past first and third bases, are drawn two chalk lines. These are known as foul lines, and any ball batted outside these lines is called a foul ball, and does not count against either the pitcher or batsman unless it should be caught by a fielder before touching the ground, in which case the batsman is out. Very frequently a swiftly pitched ball is struck at by the batsman, who fails to correctly judge it, and the ball being just grazed by the bat, shoots into the catcher’s hand. This is called a “foul tip,” and puts the batsman out.When the innings begins, and there are no base-runners on bases, the catcher usually stands well back from the plate and takes the ball on the bound, so as to save his hands as much as possible. When three balls or two strikes have been called by the umpire, however, or when a batsman has succeeded in reaching first base on a hit, or by other means, the catcher puts on his protecting mask and pad and stands close up behind the batsman, taking the balls as they come over the plate. This is done that he may more quickly take advantage of any opportunity that may offer to put the batsman out, or retire the base-runner, who may already have reached first base.There are many terms applied to the different plays in a game of baseball, which, as a rule, are but imperfectly understood. The writer has known a spectator who, though familiar with the make-up of every ball team in the League and Association, was so ignorant of baseball parlance as to call a “foul tip” a “fly,” an “out” from second to first baseman a “sacrifice,” and a “wild pitch” a “wild throw.” An understanding of all the terms used in connection with the game is, of course, not requisite to a reasonably clear conception of the points therein, yet ability to designate a play and a player’s position correctly, is positively necessary in scoring.A careful perusal of the following terms and their meaning will greatly help the uninitiated to follow the playing and grasp its significance:A Batsman is the player who stands at the plate for the purpose of hitting the ball. A Base-runner is what the batsman becomes after he has batted the ball. A Fielder is any one of the nine players opposing the side at bat. A Coacher is one of the players belonging to the side at bat, who takes up his position near first or third base, and advises, or coaches, the base-runner. The Battery—A term usually applied to the catcher and pitcher. The Back-stop—A term sometimes applied to the catcher. The Infield—A term applied to the first, second, third baseman and short-stop. The Outfield—A term applied to the right, centre, and left fielders. A Strike—A strike is called when the ball has passed over the home plate, between the knee and shoulder of the batsman, whether he has struck at it or not; three strikes send the batsman to his seat. A Ball—“Ball” is called by the umpire when the ball delivered by the pitcher has passed above the shoulder or below the knee of the batsman, or has gone wide of the plate; five balls so delivered entitle the batsman to take his base. A Foul Hit—Any hit which sends the ball outside of the foul lines. A Fair Hit—Any hit which sends the ball across the diamond so that it will land inside the foul lines. A Fly-ball—A ball hit into the air and caught by a fielder before it touches the ground; such a catch retires the batsman. A Liner—A ball batted straight across the diamond toward any infielder. A Grounder—A batted ball which strikes the ground inside the diamond. A Wild Pitch—An unsteady delivery of the ball by the pitcher which passes the catcher, and permits a base-runner to advance a base. A Passed Ball—A ball which bounds from the catcher’s hands on coming from the pitcher, and permits a base-runner to advance a base; each base-runner may start for the base ahead of him on a passed ball or wild pitch, and hold it, provided he reaches it before the catcher recovers the ball, and sends it to the fielder at the bag for which the base-runner is making. A Muff—The failure of a fielder to hold a fly or thrown ball after it has fairly struck his hands. A Fumble—The failure of a fielder to quickly handle and throw a batted ball to the base for which the base-runner is making. A Steal—Frequently a base-runner will start for the base ahead of him immediately upon the pitcher’s delivering the ball, and depending upon his sprinting ability for success; if he succeeds he may be said to have stolen a base; if he fails, through the catcher’s receiving the ball and throwing it to the fielder at the base for which the base-runner is making, the latter may be said to have been put out on an attempted steal. An Error—When a fielder fumbles or muffs a ball, or fails to stop a batted ball which it may be fairly presumed hecouldhave stopped, or when he in any way fails to make the play he might and should have made, he has been guilty of an error, and is charged with the same in the score. A Wild Throw is a ball thrown over the head or out of reach of the fielder to whom it is directed, thus permitting a base-runner to gain a base. A Base Hit—A base hit is a ball so batted toward fair ground that the opposing fielders cannot reach it before it strikes the ground, or so that they cannot recover it in time to throw it to the base before the base-runner reaches there; a base hit may be for one, two, three, or four bases, according to the distance to which the ball is batted. A Single is a base hit upon which the batsman reaches first base, usually referred to as asafehit. A Double is a hit upon which the batsman reaches second base. A Triple is a hit upon which the batsman reaches third base. A Home Run is a hit upon which the base-runner makes the entire circuit of the bases. A Double Play is a play by the fielders which retires two men simultaneously. A Triple is a play that retires three men simultaneously; for instance, a double play may be made thus: with a base-runner on first base, the batsman sends a grounder to the second baseman; immediately the ball ishit, the base-runner on first starts for second and is touched out by the second baseman as he passes him, and then the second baseman quickly throws to first base, the first baseman receiving the ball before the base-runner gets there, thus two men are retired; should the first baseman, after putting his man out at first, then throw to the home plate in time to shut off a base-runner running in from third base, it would be a triple play. A Slide—When a base-runner sees that there is a chance of the fielders getting the ball to the base for which he is making before he gets there himself, he will plunge head first, or feet first, for the bag, sliding over the ground upon his stomach or back, a distance of ten feet or more to the base; this is called base-sliding, and is a reckless and daring feature of the game that invariably arouses much enthusiasm in America. A Balk is any motion made by the pitcher as though he intended to deliver the ball, but made for the purpose of deceiving the base-runner; a balk advances a base-runner a base. A Blocked Ball is a ball batted or thrown into the crowd; in case of a “block” the base-runner may continue on around the bases without being put out until the ball has been returned to the pitcher’s box. Hit by Pitched Ball—When a batsman is hit by a pitched ball he is entitled to his base then and there. A Sacrifice Hit—A fly-ball (usually to the outfield) so batted as to retire the batsman but assist a base-runner on first, second, or third base to reach the base ahead of him.To return, however, to the Australian expedition. The tour is now begun, and the party of ball players is this monthen routeto the Pacific coast by slow stages, in order that the teams may play exhibition games in the more populous cities between Chicago and San Francisco. There are among them twenty-two ball players—including Captains Ward and Anson—half a dozen representatives of the leading newspapers of the country, OUTING’S special correspondent, and quite a number of tourists who have taken advantage of the opportunity and the reduced rates to make the trip. In addition to these there are: President Spalding and family, Mrs. John M. Ward,néeHelen Douvray, the well-known actress, and Mrs. Anson. The journey is performed in two special cars, with hotel and sleeping accommodations, these cars going through to San Francisco. As to the program of the party from the time of leaving Salt Lake City, it was admirably outlined to the writer by Leigh Lynch before his departure for Australia in September to prepare the way for the teams at points between Chicago and San Francisco, at Honolulu, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and other points in New Zealand and Australia which the teams will visit. Mr. Lynch’s present trip is the fourth he has made, and his knowledge upon every point of interest connected with the present tour is complete.This was his plan of campaign: “Our design is that the teams shall separate at Salt Lake City, the All-American team, under Ward’s management, proceeding direct to San Francisco, where a series of games will be played with the San Francisco ball clubs. The Chicago team, under Anson’s management, will, on the other hand, go up through Oregon and Washington Territories to Portland, Seattle, Spokane Falls, and other points, afterwards going south from Portland, where it will join the All-American team. Two exhibition games will be played by the combined teams in San Francisco before sailing. The sailing hour is fixed for twoP.M., November 17; but I shall endeavor to arrange with the steamship company to defer it till eight o’clock, so that we may play our farewell game the day we leave. Many of the players have already visited San Francisco, consequently they will not care to do much sight-seeing.“After leaving San Francisco, the trip will, however, be replete with interest for the party. From the time theAlamedapasses through the Golden Gate, we shall have a continuous voyage of seven days before we strike land. These seven days will constitute a sort of preparatory period for what is to follow, and every member of the party will want to get his sea-legs as soon as possible. Our steamer, theAlameda, is the best equipped boat in the line, of 3,200 tons measurement, and provided with electric lights, baths, and every convenience of a modern house. The table is excellent, and the officers considerate and kind in every way.“A voyage across the Pacific is rarely attended by such rough weather as one encounters upon the Atlantic, and as a rule the great ocean is true to its name. On board ship every possible method is adopted to pass the time. There is music and dancing on the deck, and the ordinary ship’s games, while nothing is moredelightful than to lie back in a blanket-covered steamer-chair and gaze at the seemingly boundless ocean stretching away on every side. The fragrant breezes of the South Pacific fan the brow, and the light from a gorgeous moon and a million stars flood the deck and sails of the ship which is steadily plowing along through the billows of the mightiest stretch of water upon the globe. Nowhere can one so truly realize the grandeur and the immensity of nature as on the Pacific Ocean.“At Honolulu the tourists will see with surprise the high state of civilization and cultivation encountered on every hand. Honolulu is upon the island of Oahu, and has a population of about 25,000 people, including whites, natives, and Chinese. The harbor is natural, and the city very handsomely constructed. The public parks are among the most beautiful in the world. The trees and shrubberies at night blaze with incandescent electric lights, and colored fountains play, while the walks are ornamented at every turn with artistic statuary. The royal band, which gives concerts nightly at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, is without doubt one of the best I ever heard, and I have heard the bands of every civilized nation. The drives surrounding the city are naturally beautiful and are admirably cared for. The Kanakas are a remarkable and interesting race. Their skin is dark, not unlike that of the American Indian, the features small and regular, and the hair straight and luxuriant. They are excellent swimmers, and invariably surround every steamer that touches at Honolulu, eager to exhibit their skill for the most trivial recompense.“We stop at Honolulu between twelve and fifteen hours, and play two games of ball—one between the Chicagos and All-Americans, and the other between the Chicagos and the local Honolulu team, which, by the way, is very good. I shall endeavor to arrange so that King Kalakaua may witness both games, and think I shall be able to do so, for he is very fond of athletics.“Seven days after leaving Honolulu we stop at Tutuila, in the Samoan group. It is distant about 2,000 miles from the Hawaiian capital, and nearly as far south of the Equator as Honolulu is north. Twelve hundred miles from Honolulu our ship crosses the Equator, and Neptune is invariably received with due honors upon every boat that passes the line.“Six days after leaving Tutuila, where our ship stops only two or three hours, we reach Auckland, the capital of New Zealand. There we stop about ten hours and propose to give the inhabitants a game of ball. Auckland is a pretty provincial town, of about 40,000 people, built in the English style. The cricket grounds are among the finest I ever saw.“From Auckland we go to Sydney, and there our Australian tour proper commences. So much has been said of the cities of Sydney and Melbourne that the less I say now, perhaps, the better.“When we leave America we shall leave not far from midwinter. When we arrivein Australia we shall arrive in midsummer, for our December is their July. So it will be necessary to the comfort of every member of our party to dress for the trip just as though they were providing for an approaching summer at home. A steamer coat may be a good thing to carry with one, as the nights are at times chilly.“As to the program of the ball teams in Australia, that I cannot give you definitely now. Suffice it to say, however, that our teams will stand ready to meet Australian cricket elevens or football teams at any city they visit, and that as a result of their visit baseball will be better known, and probably better liked, by the Australian people when we bid farewell to Sydney. There will be ball games in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Bathurst, Ballarat, and every other point that we can visit to advantage. As to the recreative features of the trip, I feel sure they will be taken care of. Australians are a generous and hospitable people, and the visiting teams will doubtless become well acquainted in every city they visit. Of course we shall have a kangaroo round-up, while there will be many interesting and novel sights to entertain our party from the time we arrive on the continent until we leave it.”A BASEBALL TEAM IN POSITION ON THE FIELD.To Mr. A. G. Spalding, the principal baseball legislator in America, and the head of the Chicago Club, is due the credit of the enterprise. His pluck, money and position made the project feasible.To Leigh Lynch, the business manager, is due the credit of having perfected all details, a duty for which his long experience as an amusement enterprise manager fully qualifies him. For nine years he was associated with Mr. A. M. Palmer as business manager of the Union Square Theatre, New York City, afterward becoming acting manager of Niblo’s. During the winter of 1887 he assumed management for Mrs. Langtry. He has traveled all over the globe; is familiar with the peoples of all countries; is well informed upon any topic, and is possessed of influential friends in every civilized nation. Both in capability and experience Mr. Lynch is a valuable ally to Mr. Spalding.As to the players, they will form representative teams in every sense of the word. The Chicagos, under the captaincy of Anson, embracing the flower of the regular team’s talent, will go as a well trained, thoroughly drilled body of ball players, capable of putting up as strong, finished, and brilliant a game of ball for the edification of the Australian people as Americans have ever had the privilege of witnessing. Anson, Pfeffer, Williamson and Burns will certainly be as representative an infield as Pettitt, Ryan and Sullivan are an outfield. Baldwin and Tenner, with Tom Daly and Frank Flint to hold down their delivery, can without doubt ably illustrate the points in battery work. All are gentlemanly, experienced, and capable men, and can as a body, and individually, scarcely fail to prove a credit to the game and to America upon the coming trip.The All-American team, traveling under the captaincy of John M. Ward, the popular and intelligent ex-captain of the New Yorks, is composed of men picked from the ranks of the representative ball teams of America. They have been chosen not only for their proficiency as ball players, but because of their clean professional records. Kelly, Wood, Fogarty, Hanlon, Carroll, Tiernan, and the balance of the players who compose the All-American team, are all capable of coping with Chicago, so as to give all who witness the coming games abroad some admirable illustrations of America’s National Game.CHICAGO.ALL-AMERICAN.Light gray shirts and knee breeches, with black stockings, caps and belts; black letters across the breast, CHICAGO.White flannel shirts, knee breeches, with blue stockings; blue letters across the breast denoting the home club of the individual, thus, NEWYORK, etc.; caps of blue and white flannel; belts of white duck, covered with American flag of silk draped round waist and knotted on left hip.End of Article

Voyage to Australia

BY HARRY PALMER.

NOTE.—OUTINGgladly places at the head of this article the portrait of Mr. A. G. Spalding, the projector and promoter of the American Baseball Tour to Australia.—EDITOR.

Mr. A. G. Spalding

“HO, for Australia!”

What a world of pleasant memories the thought must awaken in the heart of every one who has plowed the depths of the broad Pacific; past the land of the Kanakas and the dominion of King Kalakaua; on through the Samoan group, to the shores of New Zealand; finally, under the light of the Southern Cross, to drop anchor in the harbor of Sydney, the most wonderful natural harbor in the world.

Just at present Australia and the Australians are objects of special interest to a large majority of Americans. Next to home, young America loves nothing so well as the national game of baseball. Popular enthusiasm aroused by the game is a matter for wonder to all people not Americans. This arises from the fact that in no other country is baseball so thoroughly practised or understood. The probable reason why England, Canada, Australia, and other countries, with their innate love for sports and athletics, have not become enamored of the game, is that our best exponents find America too attractive and profitable a field, from a professional standpoint, to find time or opportunity for introducing the pastime into other lands. Other considerations operate against the scheme of a mission of instruction. The expense of taking two selected teams abroad, the possibility of meeting unfavorable weather, accidents to players, and numberless other obstacles, would occur to the mind of any ambitious baseball manager who might contemplate such a scheme.

An invasion of foreign territory was, however, made in 1875. The Boston and Athletic teams, embracing many of the leading players of that period, went to show the Englishmen the game of baseball as played in America, and to play cricket with them.

In connection with that tour of ’75 Mr. A. G. Spalding, then the hard-working young pitcher of the Boston Club, was a prominent figure. Now, the same man, having become the head of the great mercantile house that bears his name, is, with the same spirit, about to introduce the game into a land ten thousand miles away. Bold as is the enterprise, the man who has undertaken it has not only the nerve and courage to carry it out, but also the ability to make the venture successful in every sense of the word. That the Australians will be afforded the opportunity to see the attractive features of the game demonstrated to the best possible advantage, is assured by the make-up of the visiting teams. If the Australian people admire a game in which skill, training, enduranceand daring are requisite qualifications, they will be staunch admirers of America’s national game before the teams have half finished their tour.

Twelve months ago no plan of the tour had been formulated. In January of the present year it was for the first time seriously contemplated. At that time Leigh S. Lynch, a gentleman widely known, and of long experience in amusement enterprises, met Mr. Spalding, and the subject of an Australian baseball tour, once broached, was seriously and fully discussed. The greatest obstacle that had heretofore existed, viz., the want of a capable and experienced associate in the venture, was, to Mr. Spalding’s mind, overcome by the advent of Mr. Lynch. Almost immediately the two began to make arrangements for the tour, on which they had with little hesitation decided. Captain Anson was interested in the project, and together with Messrs. Lynch and Spalding, entertained the view that there was but one policy to adopt if success was to be attained. It must be an undertaking on a large scale. Money would have to be expended without stint, and all chances taken of the venture proving financially successful. In spite of their broad-minded view of the case, and though the limit of expense for the trip was placed at the liberal figure of $30,000, the venture has grown with each month since its inception until it has attracted the attention and awakened the interest of every lover of sport in England, America and Australia by its magnitude.

In February Mr. Lynch started for Australia, and on his arrival promptly secured the sole right to use the cricket grounds at Sydney and Melbourne for baseball games during the winter of 1888–9. Before returning to America he announced the contemplated tour to the press of these cities. Much to his gratification, the news awakened marked interest.

JOHN M. WARD.LEIGH S. LYNCH.A. C. ANSON.

Hitherto baseball has never been introduced in Australia in such a form as Americans know. Some few of the American residents in the larger cities have played it in amateur fashion, but never have two professional teams, such as these comprising the National League, crossed bats upon Australian soil. It is, therefore, evident that the tour will be watched with interest in America, while the reputation of the Australians as lovers of all kinds of sport, together with the attractive character of baseball, seem to promise the awakening of no small degree of enthusiasm among them.

In America baseball has surpassed in public favor horse-racing, aquatic and field sports of every character. Its growth has been one of nearly twenty years, and with each succeeding year it has commanded an increase in public patronage, until it has beyond all question become the national game of Americans.

THE CHICAGO TEAM.MARTIN SULLIVAN.F. N. PFEFFER.JOHN K. TENER.MARK BALDWIN.ROB’T PETTITT.THOS. P. DALY.JAMES RYAN.E. N. WILLIAMSON.THOS. BURNS.A. C. ANSON, CAPTAIN (SEEPAGE 158).⇒LARGER IMAGE

THE CHICAGO TEAM.

MARTIN SULLIVAN.F. N. PFEFFER.JOHN K. TENER.MARK BALDWIN.ROB’T PETTITT.THOS. P. DALY.JAMES RYAN.E. N. WILLIAMSON.THOS. BURNS.A. C. ANSON, CAPTAIN (SEEPAGE 158).

⇒LARGER IMAGE

THE CHICAGO TEAM.THE ALL-AMERICAN TEAM.EDWARD HANLON, DETROIT.M. J. KELLY, BOSTON.JOHN HEALY, INDIANAPOLIS.JAMES G. FOGARTY, PHILADELPHIA.H. H. SIMPSON, NEWARK.M. J. TIERNAN, NEW YORK.J. A. DONNELLY, WASHINGTON.GEORGE A. WOOD, PHILADELPHIA.F. H. CARROLL, PITTSBURG.JOHN M. WARD, NEW YORK, CAPTAIN (SEEPAGE 158).⇒LARGER IMAGE

THE CHICAGO TEAM.

THE ALL-AMERICAN TEAM.

EDWARD HANLON, DETROIT.M. J. KELLY, BOSTON.JOHN HEALY, INDIANAPOLIS.JAMES G. FOGARTY, PHILADELPHIA.H. H. SIMPSON, NEWARK.M. J. TIERNAN, NEW YORK.J. A. DONNELLY, WASHINGTON.GEORGE A. WOOD, PHILADELPHIA.F. H. CARROLL, PITTSBURG.JOHN M. WARD, NEW YORK, CAPTAIN (SEEPAGE 158).

⇒LARGER IMAGE

In America there are two prosperous leagues, or associations, of professional baseball clubs, known as the National League and the American Association. These organizations are each composed of eight clubs, each club being located in one of eight cities, which comprise the circuit of each organization. Each organization has its constitution and by-laws governing the affairs of each and every club in membership, and each organization has its prearranged schedule of games, which are played during each season. According to the schedule of 1888, each team wasscheduled to play 140 games during the season—seventy at home with visiting teams, and an equal number abroad, or ten games on the grounds of each competing club—the seasons at home and abroad being so arranged as to give lovers of the game two or three weeks of continuous ball playing, and then a like period of rest. It is needless to say the return of the home team is made the occasion of a great outpouring of people and a hearty reception in each city of the circuit, while its fortunes in other cities are eagerly followed by its friends at home. The daily press of the country devotes columns of space in each issue to the victories and defeats on the “diamond,” and in nearly all of the larger League and Association cities the evening papers issue an extra edition containing the accounts of the afternoon’s games. These find a large and ready sale, not only in the cities where they are published, but each outgoing train bears its package of “extras,” which are waited for by crowds of expectant and impatient watchers at every station.

No attempt has been made in these lines to color the picture. Public enthusiasm in America over the national game is something more than the cleverest pen could depict. From day to day the relative standing of the teams in the championship races is stated in tabulated form at the head of the baseball column of every reputable American daily, and the slightest change in the positions of the teams in the race is sufficient cause for exultation in the home of the fortunate team, and for a corresponding degree of depression in the home of the team that has been supplanted in its position. The position of a team in the race is determined by the percentage of the games it has won, the percentage being determined by dividing the number of games won by those played. Thus a team may have won 51 games and lost 47, consequently it has played 98. Now, divide 51 by 98, adding to the dividend three ciphers, and for a quotient you have .520, which would be the percentage of games won to the number of games played by that team.

The theory of the game of baseball is in itself simple. It is that two contesting teams must endeavor to send the greatest number of men around the circuit of the bases under prescribed rules within a limited number of innings. That is the cardinal point in the theory of the game.

Now, as to the rules and requirements to which players must adhere in attempting to make the circuit of the bases, and the means by which they can be prevented.

Each team must invariably consist of nine men, and the game must be played upon a regularly marked or laid-out field, as illustrated upon page 165.

The field, it will be seen, consists of a continuous runway, these runways being clay-covered paths, laid out in the shape of a huge diamond. At each corner of the diamond is a basebag of canvas filled with sand or other material, and strapped securely to the ground.

Now, to the average American youth, the duties of the players in two contesting ball teams, and their positions upon the field, are known in a general way. There are many spectators, even in America, however, who, if asked to explain the simplest points in a game, would find themselves lamentably ignorant upon the subject. Baseball correspondents, writers, professional players and rule makers, probably because long experience has made them thoroughly familiar with the rules and terms of the national game, have fallen into the use of technicalities, that in many instances cause the game to seem intricate to the uninitiated. In truth, however, the game’s greatest charm is its simplicity, combined with the manifold opportunities it offers for brilliant and daring work by the players. A simple description of the cardinal points in the game, therefore, divested of all technical terms that cannot be plainly defined, will, perhaps, aid many a reader in America, as well as in other countries, to understand baseball, where the simple reading of the professional playing rules, framed by the rules committee, would mystify rather than inform a reader not already familiar with the game.

Let it be understood, therefore, that the basebags are known as first, second, third base and home plate, first base being the first bag to the right of the batsman as the latter faces the pitcher. The distance between bases is ninety feet. The players are known as pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, short-stop, third baseman, right fielder, centre fielder, and left fielder. The pitcher (or bowler) stands in the centre of the diamond, within prescribed lines four feet wide by five feet four inches long, known as the pitcher’s box. The forward line of the pitcher’s box is fifty feet from the home plate, which the pitcher faces when ready to deliver the ball, and beside which the batsman standsas he faces the pitcher. Behind the home plate stands the catcher, it being his duty to receive the ball from and return it to the pitcher, should it not be batted by the batsman. Just behind the catcher stands the umpire, who is expected to judge every ball pitched and every play made during the game, his decision being final in every instance. At first base stands the first baseman, and at second base stands the second baseman. The short-stop is stationed midway between the second and third basemen, in or near the runway, and the third baseman at third base. These four men constitute the “infield” of the team. Facing the diamond, and stationed from 100 to 125 yards from the infield, are the right, centre, and left fielders. These men constitute the “outfield” of the team.

The choice of going to bat or to the field for the opening innings of the game is optional with the captain of the home team—that is, the team upon whose grounds the game is being played. Should he decide to send his men to the field, he stations them as above indicated, while the nine players of the opposing team take their seats upon the visiting players’ bench. These players go to bat in the order in which their names appear upon the score card. When the fielding team has taken its position, the first batsman of the opposing team steps to the plate, and others follow him in regular turn, until three batsmen have been retired by the efforts of the opposing fielders. Then the positions of the teams are reversed, the side which was at bat going to the field, and the side which was doing fielding duty coming in to take their turn at bat in regular order. When three of the second team’s batsmen have been retired, or put out by the efforts of the opposing fielders, the innings is ended, each team having sent three or more men to bat, and each having had three men retired. Nine such innings, requiring from one hour and a half to one hour and fifty minutes of play, constitute a game, and the team which has scored the most runs wins the game. Should rain, or any other cause, stop the game before five full innings have been played, however, the game must be contested over again before it can count in a championship record.

When the batsman steps to the plate he is expected to hit the ball so that it will pass the intercepting fielders, and go to such distance in the outfield as will enable him to reach first base before the ball can be returned to the fielder stationed there. If he can reach second or third base, or make the entire circuit of the bases before the ball has been intercepted by any one of the infielders, or before it has been captured by an outfielder and returned to the infield, so much the better, for the base-runner’s object is to ultimately make the circuit and touch the home plate, by which he scores a run for his side. To put a batsman out, a fielder must catch the batted ball before it has reached the ground, or must recover it in time to throw it to the base for which the base-runner is making, before the base-runner reaches it.

The pitcher is required by the rules to pitch the ballover the plate and between the knee and shoulder of the batsman. Each time he tries and fails to do so the umpire calls “ball,” and upon five such balls being pitched, the batsman is entitled to take first base. When threefairballs have been put over the plate, however, and the batsman has failed to hit them, the batsman isout, whether he has struck at the ball or not. For each fair ball the umpire calls “strike.”

From the home plate along the runways to and past first and third bases, are drawn two chalk lines. These are known as foul lines, and any ball batted outside these lines is called a foul ball, and does not count against either the pitcher or batsman unless it should be caught by a fielder before touching the ground, in which case the batsman is out. Very frequently a swiftly pitched ball is struck at by the batsman, who fails to correctly judge it, and the ball being just grazed by the bat, shoots into the catcher’s hand. This is called a “foul tip,” and puts the batsman out.

When the innings begins, and there are no base-runners on bases, the catcher usually stands well back from the plate and takes the ball on the bound, so as to save his hands as much as possible. When three balls or two strikes have been called by the umpire, however, or when a batsman has succeeded in reaching first base on a hit, or by other means, the catcher puts on his protecting mask and pad and stands close up behind the batsman, taking the balls as they come over the plate. This is done that he may more quickly take advantage of any opportunity that may offer to put the batsman out, or retire the base-runner, who may already have reached first base.

There are many terms applied to the different plays in a game of baseball, which, as a rule, are but imperfectly understood. The writer has known a spectator who, though familiar with the make-up of every ball team in the League and Association, was so ignorant of baseball parlance as to call a “foul tip” a “fly,” an “out” from second to first baseman a “sacrifice,” and a “wild pitch” a “wild throw.” An understanding of all the terms used in connection with the game is, of course, not requisite to a reasonably clear conception of the points therein, yet ability to designate a play and a player’s position correctly, is positively necessary in scoring.

A careful perusal of the following terms and their meaning will greatly help the uninitiated to follow the playing and grasp its significance:

A Batsman is the player who stands at the plate for the purpose of hitting the ball. A Base-runner is what the batsman becomes after he has batted the ball. A Fielder is any one of the nine players opposing the side at bat. A Coacher is one of the players belonging to the side at bat, who takes up his position near first or third base, and advises, or coaches, the base-runner. The Battery—A term usually applied to the catcher and pitcher. The Back-stop—A term sometimes applied to the catcher. The Infield—A term applied to the first, second, third baseman and short-stop. The Outfield—A term applied to the right, centre, and left fielders. A Strike—A strike is called when the ball has passed over the home plate, between the knee and shoulder of the batsman, whether he has struck at it or not; three strikes send the batsman to his seat. A Ball—“Ball” is called by the umpire when the ball delivered by the pitcher has passed above the shoulder or below the knee of the batsman, or has gone wide of the plate; five balls so delivered entitle the batsman to take his base. A Foul Hit—Any hit which sends the ball outside of the foul lines. A Fair Hit—Any hit which sends the ball across the diamond so that it will land inside the foul lines. A Fly-ball—A ball hit into the air and caught by a fielder before it touches the ground; such a catch retires the batsman. A Liner—A ball batted straight across the diamond toward any infielder. A Grounder—A batted ball which strikes the ground inside the diamond. A Wild Pitch—An unsteady delivery of the ball by the pitcher which passes the catcher, and permits a base-runner to advance a base. A Passed Ball—A ball which bounds from the catcher’s hands on coming from the pitcher, and permits a base-runner to advance a base; each base-runner may start for the base ahead of him on a passed ball or wild pitch, and hold it, provided he reaches it before the catcher recovers the ball, and sends it to the fielder at the bag for which the base-runner is making. A Muff—The failure of a fielder to hold a fly or thrown ball after it has fairly struck his hands. A Fumble—The failure of a fielder to quickly handle and throw a batted ball to the base for which the base-runner is making. A Steal—Frequently a base-runner will start for the base ahead of him immediately upon the pitcher’s delivering the ball, and depending upon his sprinting ability for success; if he succeeds he may be said to have stolen a base; if he fails, through the catcher’s receiving the ball and throwing it to the fielder at the base for which the base-runner is making, the latter may be said to have been put out on an attempted steal. An Error—When a fielder fumbles or muffs a ball, or fails to stop a batted ball which it may be fairly presumed hecouldhave stopped, or when he in any way fails to make the play he might and should have made, he has been guilty of an error, and is charged with the same in the score. A Wild Throw is a ball thrown over the head or out of reach of the fielder to whom it is directed, thus permitting a base-runner to gain a base. A Base Hit—A base hit is a ball so batted toward fair ground that the opposing fielders cannot reach it before it strikes the ground, or so that they cannot recover it in time to throw it to the base before the base-runner reaches there; a base hit may be for one, two, three, or four bases, according to the distance to which the ball is batted. A Single is a base hit upon which the batsman reaches first base, usually referred to as asafehit. A Double is a hit upon which the batsman reaches second base. A Triple is a hit upon which the batsman reaches third base. A Home Run is a hit upon which the base-runner makes the entire circuit of the bases. A Double Play is a play by the fielders which retires two men simultaneously. A Triple is a play that retires three men simultaneously; for instance, a double play may be made thus: with a base-runner on first base, the batsman sends a grounder to the second baseman; immediately the ball ishit, the base-runner on first starts for second and is touched out by the second baseman as he passes him, and then the second baseman quickly throws to first base, the first baseman receiving the ball before the base-runner gets there, thus two men are retired; should the first baseman, after putting his man out at first, then throw to the home plate in time to shut off a base-runner running in from third base, it would be a triple play. A Slide—When a base-runner sees that there is a chance of the fielders getting the ball to the base for which he is making before he gets there himself, he will plunge head first, or feet first, for the bag, sliding over the ground upon his stomach or back, a distance of ten feet or more to the base; this is called base-sliding, and is a reckless and daring feature of the game that invariably arouses much enthusiasm in America. A Balk is any motion made by the pitcher as though he intended to deliver the ball, but made for the purpose of deceiving the base-runner; a balk advances a base-runner a base. A Blocked Ball is a ball batted or thrown into the crowd; in case of a “block” the base-runner may continue on around the bases without being put out until the ball has been returned to the pitcher’s box. Hit by Pitched Ball—When a batsman is hit by a pitched ball he is entitled to his base then and there. A Sacrifice Hit—A fly-ball (usually to the outfield) so batted as to retire the batsman but assist a base-runner on first, second, or third base to reach the base ahead of him.

To return, however, to the Australian expedition. The tour is now begun, and the party of ball players is this monthen routeto the Pacific coast by slow stages, in order that the teams may play exhibition games in the more populous cities between Chicago and San Francisco. There are among them twenty-two ball players—including Captains Ward and Anson—half a dozen representatives of the leading newspapers of the country, OUTING’S special correspondent, and quite a number of tourists who have taken advantage of the opportunity and the reduced rates to make the trip. In addition to these there are: President Spalding and family, Mrs. John M. Ward,néeHelen Douvray, the well-known actress, and Mrs. Anson. The journey is performed in two special cars, with hotel and sleeping accommodations, these cars going through to San Francisco. As to the program of the party from the time of leaving Salt Lake City, it was admirably outlined to the writer by Leigh Lynch before his departure for Australia in September to prepare the way for the teams at points between Chicago and San Francisco, at Honolulu, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and other points in New Zealand and Australia which the teams will visit. Mr. Lynch’s present trip is the fourth he has made, and his knowledge upon every point of interest connected with the present tour is complete.

This was his plan of campaign: “Our design is that the teams shall separate at Salt Lake City, the All-American team, under Ward’s management, proceeding direct to San Francisco, where a series of games will be played with the San Francisco ball clubs. The Chicago team, under Anson’s management, will, on the other hand, go up through Oregon and Washington Territories to Portland, Seattle, Spokane Falls, and other points, afterwards going south from Portland, where it will join the All-American team. Two exhibition games will be played by the combined teams in San Francisco before sailing. The sailing hour is fixed for twoP.M., November 17; but I shall endeavor to arrange with the steamship company to defer it till eight o’clock, so that we may play our farewell game the day we leave. Many of the players have already visited San Francisco, consequently they will not care to do much sight-seeing.

“After leaving San Francisco, the trip will, however, be replete with interest for the party. From the time theAlamedapasses through the Golden Gate, we shall have a continuous voyage of seven days before we strike land. These seven days will constitute a sort of preparatory period for what is to follow, and every member of the party will want to get his sea-legs as soon as possible. Our steamer, theAlameda, is the best equipped boat in the line, of 3,200 tons measurement, and provided with electric lights, baths, and every convenience of a modern house. The table is excellent, and the officers considerate and kind in every way.

“A voyage across the Pacific is rarely attended by such rough weather as one encounters upon the Atlantic, and as a rule the great ocean is true to its name. On board ship every possible method is adopted to pass the time. There is music and dancing on the deck, and the ordinary ship’s games, while nothing is moredelightful than to lie back in a blanket-covered steamer-chair and gaze at the seemingly boundless ocean stretching away on every side. The fragrant breezes of the South Pacific fan the brow, and the light from a gorgeous moon and a million stars flood the deck and sails of the ship which is steadily plowing along through the billows of the mightiest stretch of water upon the globe. Nowhere can one so truly realize the grandeur and the immensity of nature as on the Pacific Ocean.

“At Honolulu the tourists will see with surprise the high state of civilization and cultivation encountered on every hand. Honolulu is upon the island of Oahu, and has a population of about 25,000 people, including whites, natives, and Chinese. The harbor is natural, and the city very handsomely constructed. The public parks are among the most beautiful in the world. The trees and shrubberies at night blaze with incandescent electric lights, and colored fountains play, while the walks are ornamented at every turn with artistic statuary. The royal band, which gives concerts nightly at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, is without doubt one of the best I ever heard, and I have heard the bands of every civilized nation. The drives surrounding the city are naturally beautiful and are admirably cared for. The Kanakas are a remarkable and interesting race. Their skin is dark, not unlike that of the American Indian, the features small and regular, and the hair straight and luxuriant. They are excellent swimmers, and invariably surround every steamer that touches at Honolulu, eager to exhibit their skill for the most trivial recompense.

“We stop at Honolulu between twelve and fifteen hours, and play two games of ball—one between the Chicagos and All-Americans, and the other between the Chicagos and the local Honolulu team, which, by the way, is very good. I shall endeavor to arrange so that King Kalakaua may witness both games, and think I shall be able to do so, for he is very fond of athletics.

“Seven days after leaving Honolulu we stop at Tutuila, in the Samoan group. It is distant about 2,000 miles from the Hawaiian capital, and nearly as far south of the Equator as Honolulu is north. Twelve hundred miles from Honolulu our ship crosses the Equator, and Neptune is invariably received with due honors upon every boat that passes the line.

“Six days after leaving Tutuila, where our ship stops only two or three hours, we reach Auckland, the capital of New Zealand. There we stop about ten hours and propose to give the inhabitants a game of ball. Auckland is a pretty provincial town, of about 40,000 people, built in the English style. The cricket grounds are among the finest I ever saw.

“From Auckland we go to Sydney, and there our Australian tour proper commences. So much has been said of the cities of Sydney and Melbourne that the less I say now, perhaps, the better.

“When we leave America we shall leave not far from midwinter. When we arrivein Australia we shall arrive in midsummer, for our December is their July. So it will be necessary to the comfort of every member of our party to dress for the trip just as though they were providing for an approaching summer at home. A steamer coat may be a good thing to carry with one, as the nights are at times chilly.

“As to the program of the ball teams in Australia, that I cannot give you definitely now. Suffice it to say, however, that our teams will stand ready to meet Australian cricket elevens or football teams at any city they visit, and that as a result of their visit baseball will be better known, and probably better liked, by the Australian people when we bid farewell to Sydney. There will be ball games in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Bathurst, Ballarat, and every other point that we can visit to advantage. As to the recreative features of the trip, I feel sure they will be taken care of. Australians are a generous and hospitable people, and the visiting teams will doubtless become well acquainted in every city they visit. Of course we shall have a kangaroo round-up, while there will be many interesting and novel sights to entertain our party from the time we arrive on the continent until we leave it.”

A BASEBALL TEAM IN POSITION ON THE FIELD.

To Mr. A. G. Spalding, the principal baseball legislator in America, and the head of the Chicago Club, is due the credit of the enterprise. His pluck, money and position made the project feasible.

To Leigh Lynch, the business manager, is due the credit of having perfected all details, a duty for which his long experience as an amusement enterprise manager fully qualifies him. For nine years he was associated with Mr. A. M. Palmer as business manager of the Union Square Theatre, New York City, afterward becoming acting manager of Niblo’s. During the winter of 1887 he assumed management for Mrs. Langtry. He has traveled all over the globe; is familiar with the peoples of all countries; is well informed upon any topic, and is possessed of influential friends in every civilized nation. Both in capability and experience Mr. Lynch is a valuable ally to Mr. Spalding.

As to the players, they will form representative teams in every sense of the word. The Chicagos, under the captaincy of Anson, embracing the flower of the regular team’s talent, will go as a well trained, thoroughly drilled body of ball players, capable of putting up as strong, finished, and brilliant a game of ball for the edification of the Australian people as Americans have ever had the privilege of witnessing. Anson, Pfeffer, Williamson and Burns will certainly be as representative an infield as Pettitt, Ryan and Sullivan are an outfield. Baldwin and Tenner, with Tom Daly and Frank Flint to hold down their delivery, can without doubt ably illustrate the points in battery work. All are gentlemanly, experienced, and capable men, and can as a body, and individually, scarcely fail to prove a credit to the game and to America upon the coming trip.

The All-American team, traveling under the captaincy of John M. Ward, the popular and intelligent ex-captain of the New Yorks, is composed of men picked from the ranks of the representative ball teams of America. They have been chosen not only for their proficiency as ball players, but because of their clean professional records. Kelly, Wood, Fogarty, Hanlon, Carroll, Tiernan, and the balance of the players who compose the All-American team, are all capable of coping with Chicago, so as to give all who witness the coming games abroad some admirable illustrations of America’s National Game.

CHICAGO.

ALL-AMERICAN.

Light gray shirts and knee breeches, with black stockings, caps and belts; black letters across the breast, CHICAGO.

White flannel shirts, knee breeches, with blue stockings; blue letters across the breast denoting the home club of the individual, thus, NEWYORK, etc.; caps of blue and white flannel; belts of white duck, covered with American flag of silk draped round waist and knotted on left hip.

End of Article

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