The Portland daily press., 1888-07-26
The Standir
The following is the standing of the clubs
in the National League:


AUGUSTA, July 26.
To the Base Ball Editorof the Press:
We notice that Skowhegan correspondent to
your paper makes some very erroneous state.
ments regarding the Augusta nine ana its status
as compared with that of the Skowhegan nine,
he says that the Augustus are professionals and
not amateurs in any sense Of the term; while he
cialms that the Skowhegans are "parely local
Now, Mr.. Editor, we wish to say that nearly ev
cry statement in the above paragraph is a willful
misrepresentation of facts. The August ball
nine is no more of a professional CLUB, and has
lust as strsng claims to being an amateur organi-
zatlon as the Skowhegan team. Let us examine
moment the makeup of the two clubs as they
played here In the last game. On the Augusta
team Little and Harvey. the first ane third base
men, have always lived here. Williamson, the left
nelder has permanent position in this city as the
local editor OF the kennebec Journal Belcher is
member OF the Amherst nine. and since he has
been IN college has always spent his vacations
with his grandmother and uncle in this city, Dur.
ing the summer he has always played ball with
she nome team He has never played ball profess
slonaily in his lite, and is much entitled to be
called local amateur player as any man on the
Sskowhegan nine Patterson, another player,
lives IN the ADJOINING town of HallOwell. a short
walk from the ball held, and has always acted
with the Augusta boys In athletics for the past six
years. WIN the exception Of several games last
season, when he played ball with the Gardiner
boys. Burleigh, another local amateuI, has play
ed IN nearly all the games but was unable to play
the players whom we have thus far mentioned
play ball for fun. Patterson is working by the
piece IN q snoe Snop, being reimbursed for the
time he Is obliged 10 lose when games are played
The six men we have named are entitled 70 rank
as local players with any six men on the Skowhe-
gan nine. Webster Underwood and Rogers are
paid meo. Underwood is and always has been a
resident of this county.
Now let us look at this amateur (?) nine from
Skowhegan. The catcher is Pushor, of Pittsfeld;
the first baseman, was Billy Donovan of Water
vile. Both of these men played ball professional
~ on the Bangors three or four years ago, and
both have played professionally ever season since
kearnS, their third baSeman, is from Lewiston
and began the season as pitcher on the Dover
league team, and Is professional in every sense
OF the word. fourth amateur" of the Skowhe-
gan nine is Priest, who began the present season
as pitcher on the Salem team of the New Eng
land league. Does this look an ssamateur'' team
who play ball "for fun?" We leave it to an intel
lgent public to look at the facts and draw their
own conclusions. The simple fact is that while
the Augustus played three professionals the
Skowhegans went them one better and played
Jour professionals, the only difference being that
the SkOwhegan professionals are older hands at
the business and doubtless command greater nav
That the Augusta team is not disproportionateIy
stronger tnan its neighbors is shown by the fact
tnat both Lewiston and Portland have beaten it,
and are probably able to do the same thing for
Skowhegan. The Augustus have PLAYED a gentle
manly game OF ball from the start and have yet
10 win tneiname OF being kickers. They have ac-
cepted defeat In q manly way and not attempted
TO "Squeal" on the issue.
The banner which the Skowhegans put IN was
eVdently intended for tn emselves and as soon as
tney found club which could beat them they
nastened TO secure 1t by putting 1T out of the con-
test entirely. Augusta will foregO the trophy
WITHOUT murmur since ii is withheld from such
Inotves. we are willing to play the Skowhegan
team Tor the championship Of the State a series of
games, two to be played there, two here, and the
NTH on neutral grounds. If they beat us we shall
accept the result like men, and shall not burden
the ears OF the public with any "squeal."
AUGUSTA BASE BALL ASSOCIATION.