Yannigan of the Week: Jonathan Van Every

From fine mitten work in the out-field to a heart-churning late-chapter clout to put the Red Stockings ahead for good, young Jonathan Van Every is our Yannigan of the Week!

As my good friend Bricks Kibley might say, "Hoo-rah, young yannigan!"

Whither the General?

And so the long base ball contesting season has reached its terminus. The irrelevant New Yorks may have taken some solace from their two “wins” during the week-end, but a squad of Boston yannigans delivered a rousing victory in extra frames last evening that reiterated the essence of the thing: Boston continues the quest for a Pennant, while the New Yorks have a long winter of moustache-chewing ahead of them.

Yet an “extra” flashed across the wires late Sunday night that added a disquieting note to the celebration. It seems our great and terrible hurler, Gen. Joshua P. Beckett, has suffered some kind of ailment in his “oblique,” which necessitates a delay in his mound-helming duties. I’m no sawbones, but I’ve seen other fine ball-players sidelined for extended periods with such injuries, and we can not be sure if the General will indeed be in top performing condition when he returns to duty.

Sweet fancy Moses! Let’s hope the Boston medical men are administering frequent doses of Duffy’s Pure Malt Whiskey during the upcoming days. And if it comes to it, let them stick the General with a shot of Soldier’s Joy before his scheduled appearance. Whatever it takes to put the pill in his hand for a play-off game.

O, to be a yannigan!

The above photo-graphic is just a place-holder for this column's main subject, Chris "Smitty" Smith, the yannigan hurler who has ridden the rookie express from Pawtucket twice this season to take the hill for the Mighty Bostons.

We at Full Circuit Clout celebrate the righty twirler Smitty for overcoming terrible adversity and becoming a man among men. Despite allowing a four-man clout in his first appearance, the California Kid has been a welcome addition to the Bostons' hurling corps. We entreat the manager, Terrence "Tito" Francona, to serve more heaping helpings of yannigan exploits.

Smitty, we salute you!