Los Angeles Herald, Volume 26, Number 353, 18 September 1897 — THESPIAN BASEBALL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THESPIAN BASEBALL

GAUDY COSTUMES AND RECK-

LESS SWATTING

A Small Score of 39 to 24—"The Heart of Maryland" the Soup

It was a great game of baseball, as great as the score—more, certainly, can-

not be said of It. It was played at Athletic park yesterday afternoon, and although it was not a professional game It was played exclusively by the "perfesh"—and incidentally the score was 39 to 24.

It might also be mentioned casually that the Burbanks won, the Heart of Maryland having stopped beating for the time being. But the result was a matter of small moment In the minds

of the spectators, compared with the unhallowed joy that was rampant everywhere during th? entire game.

It made no difference which side was at the bat. each man was judged and loudly proclaimed to be incompetent, Irrelevant and immaterial, until he proved himself otherwise; the pitchers and catchers of both nines were cheered on In their work by the most openly expressed skepticism, not to say scorn. The infield and the outfield were individually dubbed with choice and stimulating synonyms, and the umpire's sacred person was the or iy one that escaped.

For the spectators were made up of the members of the companies who were not in the game, and the "Heart of Maryland," the Burbank and the Orpheum people seldom play to as appreciative and ebullient a crowd from behind the footlights as they did yesterday on the diamond, and it might be said in passing that they couldn't piny much worse as Thespians than they did as exponents of the great national game.

But it was funny—deliciously, hilariously, irresistibly funny, and the funniest part of it was when somebody made a brilliant play, for there were brilliant plays, home runs from long drives over the fielders' heaeis and swift grounders that just missed the frantic lunge and clutch of the nearest man; there were a few long flys that had the fortune to be caught and hot balls stopped neatly and effectively.

Such rare incidents as these were sandwiched in most unexpectedly between scores of wild throws and "butter finger" catches, batters that fanned out and pitchers that gave bases on

balls. And speaking of bases, the eighth commandment was broken every minute of the afternoon, for there wasn't an inning in which there were not anywhere from one to a dozen bases stolen, just as In each inning there were anywhere from one to a dozen rur* made.

It was not one of your one-sided games either; with praiseworthy impartiality one nine won awhile, then the other side, and truth compels the statement that it was when each side was at the bat that the winning was done. Not that the pitchers were to blame. Perish the thought! Both displayed a choice

assortmer.it of curves, both showed great staying powers and a reliability for long drives at the bat that indicated versatility, to say the least. Not every man can bat, and not every man car. pitch; therefore when two men prove they can do both the natural conclusion is that they must be bad actors—but that may be wrong, too.

Jack Campbell, the pitcher for the Burbanks, who does a talking contest at the Orpheum when he isn't playing ball, had on besides natty blue trous-

era and a silk outing shirt, a pair of patent leather shoes yesterday that reflected the sun in the eyes of the batters, andi he didn't have to bother much with curves, he just flashed his shoes and the batter fanned out.

Malcolm Williams, the Marylanders' pitcher, was more nautical in make-up— that Is above the belt. Below he was quite correct, but his shirt appeared to be the upper part of a bathing suit, and on his head was a sporty yachting cap.

Altogether it was a very happy day. and both nines have no kick coining for lack of either runs, joy or appreciation.