The Wilmingtonian., 1885-01-17
Gro BE CONTINUED
The National Game.

There is an element of oddness about the
report that certain Henry V. Lucas of
indianapolis has purchased the Cleveland
Base Ball Club. This purchasing Of club
wholesale and its deportation to new fields is
phase or condition in connection with our
national game that has at length taken it
out of the hands of amateurs and placed the
game in the hands of professionals.
Heretofore, when one city pittsd itself
upon the diamond field against another, the
prime merit or point Of interest was centred
in the fact of seeing the young men who had
grown up in the locality and were well
known by the lookers-on vieing for the
palm of victory in this noble American game
with the visitors. Hundreds witnessed the
sight with the greatest interest, deepened no
doubt by the fact that their ehampiaps were
young men who had grown up amongst
them who were known individually probably
by every person upon the field. The record
of their prowess was gaugod, and as the for
tunes of the day waxed or waned with
Dame Fortunes tickle favor the true ele-
ments of interest partaken in the game by
the spectators were brought into play.
But nowadays it appears that the home
team also are to be strangers. Take the
Instance cited in regard to Indianapolis. On
the diamond field of that city "a team of
imported men, dubbed the indianapolis nine,
will play against Chicago, fer instance, and
| should the latter win, the record will be
made that Chicago beat Indianapolis. Now
the fact may be that not single Indiana
| politan, Cor by whatever name the natives
of the chief city of the Hoosier State style
themselyes), is among them. As fact they
are all Buckeyes or anything else hut Hoos.
iers. 1t can hardly be expected that the
natives, or the people of indianapolis would
take any deeper interest in the success of q
Cleveland nine over a Chicago nine than of a
Chicago nine over the Cleveland club, ever
though the latter were dubbed the Indiana
managers of such a base ball nine cannot
or should not be disappointed if at the enc
of the season they find out by the gait
receipts that the local public have taken n,
: more interest in the seasons games than i
two strange teams, foreign botn in nam
and extraction were introduced npon th
local diamond field to essay their oppose
forces there.
: A foreign team though claiming the locs
: name eau never attract that extended degre
OF interest to the base ball grounds that
+ club made up wholly, or at least partially {
/ the local townspeople.
a There is distinction between professions
c and amateur bage hall players. The formt
:. have no home or country in the professions
: sense, and in that exact degree is the loc
interest retained or lost in base ball gam
h team brought here from Harrisburg
If Richmond and called the Wilmington eli
l. would not "draw" as the term is, as tea
lie picked from among our citizens even thou,
IN inferior as players
at Supposing an enterprising Wilmingtoui
fly went over 10 England and brought crick
d. eleven from an English city to this plaC
at called it the Wilmington eleven and til
in Victoriously launched it against Phiad
lie phia, Germantown or Nicetown club,
d. would hardly be right to claim that w
of mington beat Nicetown at cricket, VIII
I'M perhaps there was not single native of t
re- fomer place who knew what the ter
of '1ong-feld on, or point meant!
~ Yet that is what is being done in bi
en- ball circles now. A certain phase of p
ce fessionalsm is permeating the manageml
ry of the national game which il not altogetl
In to its advantage.
ses Firm friends-the dog and his tail.
II - = \