Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-26
BASE BALL PROSPECTS.
]. A. TyBg, Athletic Director at the
Philadelphia Ball Grounds Fore
casts the Future for the Great
AmsricAu GaneA surssssful season As
sursd "A RsviVzt of fthIerie InteTest.
Curved Bale ana Oatehsrs' Masks,
THE NATI0 TAL GAAE.
OhicaKo Inter Ocean.

Eb1LAOkLfh1Ay Ia AaISa AE--Sh al
sides signs Of AwGk ming life In the base
ball world are beginning to manifest
themselves. The professional CLUBS are
summoning their players for preliminary
practice, or have already sent them on 8
southern tour. TIE llege clubs have
completed Their WIN er training In the
gymnasium, and are waiting eagerly for 8
permit from the weather clerk to make
their frst appearance en- The field, while
the long list Of amateur orgsniz Itions all
over the country are patching up the holes
in their oil uniforms, or buying new ones
for their coming ,tuggles.
The interest that has been taken In the
game TOR the last eight or ten years
shows even at this early period G pros
pect of further growth IN the season yet
TO come. Nearly ali the principal cities
IN the untry have representation In
some one Of the numerous "leAgues" and
associations" while almost every little
town and hamlet has its "boss nine,"
whether amateur or Professional, to
which It points with prophetic pride,
and which it f0ndlY hopes will make
s"record" for itself Ia It's future con-
tests. Cricket, football, lacrosse and
tennis all have their more or less devoted
admirers, but none Of these sports have
the same hold on the public stlarge, none
obtain the same enthusiastic support as
the game par excellence OF
THR AMERICAN PEOPLE.
And along win this growing interest
has come q great change ia the estimation
in which the game is held by what is COM
monty called the better class of society.
am speaking now Of professional base
ball.
In the 'Eeague" this is mAnifestly con-
gpicuous. FJr the last ten years or more
there hiss been constant and Increasingly.
successful endeAvor on the part of thUse
in authority 90 free the game from ail OBJ
iectionable elements and evil Influences;
TO remove every obstacle that might be
In the way of Its further Advancement,
and TO set premium on honesty and fair
ness and 8 penalty on even the slightest
tendency to crookedness.
Much has been already accomplished
in this direction. The betting rings and
pool rooms which have fastened them
selves to almost all OF our popular sports,
and which have done SO much TO corrupL
and degrade them Is the various flake"
contests and MATCHES gotten up for the
sake Of furnishing an opportunity for the
"iraterDity" to gull the too creGulous
public will abundantiy testify, have been
forcibly elected. The public sale of
intoxicating liquors upon the grounds OF
the various members Of the |, ague has
been strictly prohibited, and the players
themselves, both on aud [ # the f Id, are
ccmpe lied, aud In most cases willingly,
20 a course of conduct and training that
ledects great credit both upon them
AND THOSE IN AUTHORITY.
The adoption Of this wise line of policy
oY the "magu&ieF," and the creerful
seeonding If Ineir Efforts by the player,
Is now having It's well-deserVed re ward in
an altered pubic sentiment and in the
elevation OF the game TO standard to
which 1t could never otherwise
have attained. Those who have at
tended ball games for the last fifteen
years Will not be slow TO acknowledge
the truth of this. Looking oyer the large
audiences which gather nowadays TO
witness The game, one is struck with the
difference In "make up" from those Of
former period.
Take glance at that grand stand with
me. Cas-. your eyes over the occupants
of its seats End ooxes, and you will see
men well known in financial circles, nher-
EuSukS VI 6O1IS AGpub6klOA 0uu AO ICBB
solid fortunes, members Of the legal fra
ternitY whose names are familiar to all,
representatives of the medical profession
and of the clergy, and all watching the
game with Ine same esger interest as that
small BOY outside with mis- eyes glued 70
8 knst-huIe increased to heroic sRs by
his Jack knife. do not mean to
say that thIG Is the character Of all base
bail audisnces; but 1t is fair example OF
the better sort. Thsre are the same wide
dIsuncuons to be drawn here as in any
other Legitimate profession, and 1t Ia IS
much an Injustice 70 the large and grow
ing numbers of those who are really in
terested In the welfare Of the game to
rank them with the unworthy representa-
tives Of their body, as TO place in the
same category the patrons and actors of
e Daly's or Wsllack's Theater and those
Of 8 lash variety show in The BoWery.
IN THE AMATEUR RANKS
the advancement of the game has been NO
less marked. Ten years ago, outside OF
the college orgSu,zitious, the number Of
Arst-class amaze ur nj AL wss very limited.
Men who had been prominent members
of their college nines, upen graduating
and entering business, either through
lack Of interest or opporsunity-Snd the
latter WAS generally the csse-ceased to
take sn acuve part in the game. This
was mainly due TO Ihe strong adverse
public sentiment then existiag; 1t
being quite generally supposed that
strict agIention to business
precluded IN active interest
in outdoor Sports. Blu; the last few years
has also sesn & great change In this
respect. Public sentiment hiss become
more liberal. II has been found that re-
orestion on the Reld is not at all tncom-
psuhle with industry and capAoility In
the ell :e; that hardened muscles and
we'll developed brains may exist In the
same body.
The Consequence of this mas been
rapid growth IN all branches Of athletic
sports. Tennis clubs, lacrosse cluos,
canoeing clubs, cricket climbs are
spripglng rapidly into existence all
over the country, and in this rapid
growth base ball las been no laggard. A
few yesrs ago the college mines nonopo-
lizsd the paying talent IL the amateur
ranks, but now Mines have been organ
!zsd sill over the country that bid fair to
prove dangerous rivals. The Staten
Tia rI