The weather did its level best
To fire with joy the rooter’s breast,
And old Sol sent his brightest rays
To make up for past wet days
He shone with full and festive strength
Upon the Polo Grounds at length.
The balmy breezes of May Time
Resembled some fair eastern clime.
With ground so dry, yet without dust,
What player could but do or bust?
Both teams had somewhat rusty grown
By inactivity o’erthrown.
The Slowtown people were the first
To warm up with a practice burst.
The pitchers limbered up their arms,
And batters tried to work their charms
Upon the curves they volleyed in
By practice with their batting pin.
The twirlers seemed a trifle wild,
But pitcher Weyhing only smiled
And nodded like a coony fox
When told to take the pitcher’s box.
Gus Weyhing started for Philadelphia.
And when the players pranced about
Their frozen legs thawed quickly out.
The Phillies practicing today
Were much like Boston in their play.
The old men on the team were not
In practice quite up to the spot.
All balls that sizzled down their way
They let proceed and did not stay.
Young Turner, who was hurt last week,
Again was forced the bench to seek.
His strength gave way while in left field,
And homeward to the plate he reeled.
His captain gave him some more grace,
And Delehanty took his place.
The Giants showed up very well.
Their work was shop and clear’s the bell.
When time was called this first of May,
Four thousand people saw them play.
No umpire came to judge the game,
It had to go on just the same:
So German had to take the job,
With Reilly for his pal, be gob.
The Game:
First Inning.
Now with a last tug at his hat
Big Delehanty came to bat.
He got first on four bad balls
And down to second safely crawls,
When Hallman hit a daisy one
That Stafford stopped, but on the run.
Hamilton’s small infield fly
Was caught by Staff—Good eye! Good eye!
Clements hit to center field
And Delehanty homeward spieled.
Meanwhile Hallmann took a brace
And stood triumphant on third base.
Cross hit to Fuller, who threw to Staff,
Who dropped it, to the rooters’ wrath.
Hallman scored, and Clements out
By force at third produced a shout.
Then Sullivan to Stafford hit
He threw to Doyle and Sully quit.
Two runs.
Hot buns!
Now Fuller drew four measly shoots
And went to first by easy scoots.
Val Haltren got four balls also
And straightway down to first did go,
Advancing Fuller by this feat
To second where he took a seat.
Davis down to Hallman hit,
And Van was forced because of it.
Doyle knew a trick worth two of that—
His single hit the fence, that’s flat.
Fuller scored and David stirred\His stumps and landed safe on third.
Tiernan’s hit scored Davis too.
Staff went to first on balls, hurroo!
Burke struck thrice at the spinning sphere,
And Burkeville sadly moaned, ‘Oh, dear!’
A pretty single Farrell sent,
And skipping down to first he went.
‘Twas pretty work, and what is more,
Enabled Doyle and Mike to score.
Then Farrell climbed the second stair.
‘Twas no use. Rusie fanned the air.
Amos Rusie started for New York
Four runs.
Great guns!
Second Inning.
Boyle sent an easy one to Staff,
He didn’t fail to do his half.
But promptly threw him out to Doyle,
Who didn’t let the good thing spoil.
Then Weyhing also fanned the air.
Thus Rusie evened things for fair.
The Delehanty followed suit
And made the third man out to boot.
No run,
Not one.
Here Clements found he was too fat,
And Buckley went behind the bat.
Fuller’s smash in center fails;
Van Haltren gets his base on balls.
In this respect Cap Davis vied.
The bases were all occupied.
Doyle force the Cap at second base,
Where Hallman calmly holds his face,
But in the turmoil that ensued
Short Fuller struck an attitude,
Then down the last course took a skate
And like a rabbit crossed the plate.
Mike singled to the right field loam,
Van Haltren also scampered home.
Then Stafford missed the fatal strike.
At second Hallman caught our Mike.
Score two—
That’s true!
Third Inning.
Then Hallman sent a liner hot,
Which Rusie let go like a shot.
The batter ambled to first base,
And Amos hid his blushing face.
Then Hamilton to Davis hit,
And Hallman took bag 2 on it.
On Buckley’s sacrifice to Doyle,
Hallman went to avis’ soil.
Then Cross lined one to Fuller’s ground,
He neatly grabbed it on the bound
And slung the pellet down to Doyle,
Who gently plucked it from the soil,
Touched first bad with his Trilby boot.
‘My,’ yelled the crowd, but you’re a beaut!’
No score.
For us Burke hit to center field,
A single the resultant yield.
Then all Burkeville with one acclaim
Rose up and cheered their hero’s name.
Eddie Burke–“Then all Burkeville with one acclaim–Rose up and cheered their hero’s name”
Next Farrell, seeing Fuller’s hit,
Got up and duplicated it.
The Burke took second, Eddie third,
When Delehanty sadly erred.
Then Cross, who’s never known to scowl,
Froze tight to Rusie’s little foul,
But Filler once more four balls drew
And quickly down to first base flew.
Four bad ones, too, Van Haltren got,
Which forced Ed Burke home on the spot.
Duke tried to score on Davis’ crack,
But Buckley tapped him on the back.
Doyle smashed a single out to right.
Two runs came in –‘twas out o’ sight!
Cap Davis, graceful as a bird,
Flew round the course and perched on third,
But Tienan hit to Sully’s place
And perished tamely at first base.
Score Three.
That’s we!
Fourth Inning.
Thompson four balls got, and Sully’s bunt
Let him to first—the little runt!
Boyle’s liner went to Stafford’s spot,
Who held it, though he said ‘twas hot,
And laced it onto Fuller’s paws,
Who touched bag 2 midst much applause.
Big Thompson, who should have been there,
Was caught far off his base for fair.
Now Stafford added glory won
By nabbing Weyhing’s hit. No run.
Now Weyhing thought he had enough,
And Smith tried pitching—that’s the stuff.
When Stafford stepped up to the plate,
The crowd arose and cheered him great,
Whereas poor Staff was struck with awe
And fanned out, much against the law.
Then Hallman gathered in the sphere,
And though the thing was very near
He plugged it down to first with vim.
Burke found the ball ahead of him.
Farrell fanned the ozone thrice
And took a back seat calm and nice.
No score once more.
Fifth Inning.
When Delehanty went to bat,
He didn’t know where he was at.
He sent one down to Davis’ ground,
Who plucked it neatly on the bound
And passed it on to Jack Doyle’s place,
Who took it in with airy grace.
Hallman out, short to first,
And Hamilton was likewise curst.
No score.
Now roar!
Rusie’s out caused quite a howl,
And Buckley gobbled Fuller’s foul.
Hallman fumbled big Van’s hit;
The latter safe on first did sit.
He didn’t tarry but a minute,
But stole bag two—
Gosh, Van was in ir!
But Davis stopped all hope of fun
By going out at first. No run.
Sixth Inning.
Buckley went out, Davis to Doyle,
Van Haltren kept Cross’ fly off soil.
Davis took Thompson foul on the run,
And the Phillies retired without a run.
Doyle sent one down to second base
And on the bench resumed his place.
Tiernan bunted mid a shout
And beat the ball two feet about.
Hamilton took in Stafford’s fly,
And Burke went out as slick as pie.
No runs.
Good fun.
Seventh Inning.
Sully’s slow bunt along the ground
Ahead of him at first he found.
Boyle died at first in style as slick.
‘Twas Fuller this time who did the trick.
Rusie attended to Smith’s weak hit.
The Quakers were certainly not in it.
No Score.
Hurrah!
Farrell out at Hallman’s door,
And Rusie fanned the air once more.
Fuller got four nasty ones,
Then down to second quickly runs.
Smith struck out lengthy Van,
Who batted like a pygmy man.
No more.
Oh, pshaw!
Eighth Inning.
For Slowtown Delly made a hit,
And Hallman duplicated it.
Fuller muffed the ball in thrown,
And Delehanty ran clear home.
Hallman safe to second crawls,
And Hamilton to first on balls.
Buckley out at first by tag.
And Hamilton off second bag.
Hallman to third on this play
And scored on Cross’ hit—hooray!
Thompson singled to center field,
And Cross to third base quickly spieled.
Sully smashed along the ground.
The ball at first ahead he found.
Score two.
That’s you.
Davis, Hallman to Boyle,
And Hamilton took care of Doyle.
Tiernan first on balls, and Staff
Forced him at second—made him laugh.
No run
By gun!
Ninth Inning.
Fuller caught Boyle’s fly like glue,
And Smith’s strike out made No. 2
Delehanty out at first.
The crowd yelled a triumphant burst.
To sum it up, the game was great.
The rooters left the grounds elate.
Then round the town they took a turn,
For every one had cash to burn.
The Box Score
Baseball History Daily 