Clipping:The Athletics stall out a game
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
 |
| Add a Clipping |
| Date | Saturday, October 20, 1866 |
|---|---|
| Text | [Eurekas of Newark vs. Athletics 10/11/1866] A correspondent furnishes the following sketch of the Eureka and Athletic encounter of last week–The Eurekas reached Kensington depot about 10:30 A.M., Thursday, and were met by The. Bomeisler and two Athletics (Dr. Garvin and Hayhurst). A car was provided for them, and in a short time they reached the Continental, which was made their head-quarters. They were here informed by the Athletic committee, above named, that at one o’clock a coach would be in waiting to take them to the ground. The fact of there having been a committee to receive them at the depot, and their having a coach for their accommodation, shows conclusively that the Athletics expected and intended to play the game. Most of the Eurekas retired to the billiard room of the Continental to pass away time before lunch, and while there a number of the Athletic Nine came in. They inquired who were to play, and when they found out, they didn’t seem to think they had quite so “soft a thing” as when they were in Newark. Bets of one to two being offered by Philadelphians and others, that the Eurekas would win, didn’t seem to make them feel very comfortable, and presently Hayhurst and others got together to hold a council of war. It was evident that they did not feel so very confident of an easy victory. And from what they said, and the manner in which they acted, the Eurekas began to think that they were getting a trifle nervous. This, of course, all tended to make the Eurekas more confident. When the time came to start for the grounds, Hayhurst said, “Boys, I guess there’s no use in going out; I don’t believe we can play to-day; looks stormy.” After considerable delay and parleying the Eurekas began to think that they wouldn’t even take them to the ground. So they all said–“Go it anyhow. The Eurekas will be on hand and put in their appearance; if it rains we won’t play; if no, we’re ready for you.” With that the Eurekas unceremoniously left the house, found the coach in waiting, got in, and were soon off for Fifteenth and Columbia Avenue and a game. Arrived there, and found Pike, Wilkins and Kleinfelder. Game was to have been called at 2 P.M. The Eureka Nine were all equipped and on the field, time up and only three of the Athletic Nine there. One by one, however, they came dropping in, until 3 o’clock, when McBride finally showed himself. Thomas, of the Eurekas, immediately went to him and urged him to get his men out in the field. Such squirming and wriggling you never saw. They were determined not to play if it could be avoided. But there was no reasonable excuse for them to offer. It did not rain, and their “nine” were there, with the exception of Berkenstock and Fisler. The Eurekas urged them to send for them, offering them the privilege of playing substitutes until they came, when they might take their regular positions. It was now quarter past three, and they wanted the Eurekas to wait three quarters of an hour until the other two could get there. That would have made it four o’clock, and would not have given the Eurekas over an hour in which to play. The Eurekas were now getting impatient–some of them having changed their clothes, and were about starting for home, when they held an informal meeting on the field, and instructed Thomas to say, “Have your Nine in the field for play in 5 minutes or we will demand the ball.” This was a settler. Game commenced at 3:30–Berkenstock arriving before it was his turn at the bat. The first three innings were fairly and squarely contested, the close of the third showing Eurekas 8, Athletics 4. The Athletics went out for one run on the fourth, leaving them 5 to 8, and the Eurekas had another inning. It was in this inning that the Eurekas got to bear on McBride, and they punished him awfully. Seeing that there was no earthly salvation for them, (as they couldn’t hit Harry Lex at all,) and that they were bound to be defeated, they (with one or two praiseworthy exceptions) did all in their power to delay the game. McBride would stand watching the bases for a long time, and would finally throw when the man was not two feet off his base, and there was no possibility of his getting out. This he kept up for a long time, keeping the Eureka men standing at the bat. The fielders were unusually careless as to when they returned foul balls to the pitcher. But, in spite of all these discouraging features, the Eurekas made 3 runs in this inning. The last man out was on a fly sent to “Pikey;” the crowd calling out for him to drop it, but to his credit be it said, he held it. Now came the deciding inning. Athletics would stand at the bat, and waste as much time as possible, and but for the fact that the Umpire was afraid to call strikes on them, the Eurekas could have compelled them to play it out; but they had already filibustered so much that darkness and rain set in, and of necessity, the game had to be called. Score–even innings–Eureka, 16!!! Athletic, 5. W.A.J. |
| Source | Philadelphia City Item |
| Tags | |
| Warning | |
| Comment | Edit with form to add a comment |
| Query | Edit with form to add a query |
| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
Comments
<comments voting="Plus" />