Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-08-02
BASEBALL.
The Struggle for the Championship
Between the Clubs Of the
National League.
The Detroit and Chicago Teams Neck
and Neck President spalding
Interviewed.
rcH1cAoo conanspoSprscr.,


Chicago has playe1 its long g-anticipated series
Of games with Detroit upon the Ia ter's own
grounds, and although it yielded to the Wolver-
ines the lead in the Iennant race fer single
day, it lef5 there finally still IN front of ali iss
rivals 1t was hard work, however. and the lead
now hell by Anson is such slight as to
make Chicago's position In the race anything
but secure.
don't you fe just little shaky over the
situate n?" asked your correspondent OF Presi-
dent Spalding to-day.
-shakyP" echoed the head OF tbs possible pen
nant winners OF loSS why, pshaw my dear sir,
l lave seen too many league championships
and lost to feel worried over the result at this
stage OF the race. Why, the fun has Just COM
menced."
Undoubtedly but how is It going to sndl"
why, in the only way 1t can end; Chicago
will win the championship without doubt"
What makes you think so?"
We'll, simply because there Is nothing in the
field that can stay with u.s."
Detroit seems 10 be making pretty good
stagger at it--dont you think?'
NOW see here; there has got to be q second
and there has got to be a third club in the rae =,
just as well as first, hasn't therep Well nat
uraly the best organized and the best managed
teams will come TO the top N the championship
struggle, and although Chicago has been holding
FIRST place right along ii has had the best teams
in the country to fig in its efforts to do so.
Some people seem TO think the Chicago team
should have started righti when it took the
lead some weeks ago aud have galloped away
from the field without an effort or setback
Now how ridiculous. The Now York and De-
troit teams to-. ay contain some OF the oldest,
most capable, and most experienced ball players
in the busine 8. They have shown themselves
capable of putting up just as good game OF
ball as Chicago puts up, and, althoug L CONN.,
IDENTIFY believe we will beat these teams out
there will b no walkover recorded in the League
pennant race this year.
"The Chicago team now organized" conttn-
ued Mr. Spalding, lis superior to any team in the
country, in my opinion, in base-running and
fielding. 1t has made some costly errors at
Nf.,,Aa Iaa htrN faoNn Nd az ah
has not done the same thing. In batting strength
we equal to any one OF oar rivals. New York
and Ewing; Detroit has Conway, Getzein Ben
nett, and CANCEL and Chi ago has Van Haltren,
Baldwin, Krock, Flint, Farrell, DAILY, and Dar-
ling. Not one OF Chicago's pitchers or back-stop5
is deteriorating. On the contrary, they are
improving with each week OF the season, and,
barring some unexpected series OF accidents and
misfortune O. Chicago will finish the season with
the best drilled and most effective team Of ball
players in the race. In one thing only has the
Chicago team shown itself weaker than tho
Detroit and New York teams. That is In bat
ting. They have not for the pas three weeks
be hitting the ball as successfully as their Two
most formidable opponents have done and TO
that fact alone attribute the near approach OF
Detroit and New York to the lead In the race.
These attacks of-well, lethargy, 1 may say.
with the bat are OF common occurrence in ball
team, but they are Just as sure to pass away as
they are to occur. / expect to see the hons
team pick up very shortly in batting, and when
IL begins to hit the ball as know it is fully ca
pable of doing those who have been asserting
that the boys had started down toboggan slide
in the League race will begin to see wherein the
Chicago team Is superior-as a whole-to any OF
the teams now fighting il for the psnnant."
What. in your opinion, Is the matter with
Clark son and Kelly this year2 Their glory as
ball p, a yers seems decidedly upoif the wane."
sXss bnt i'll 4 Is y throqgh no lack Of ability III
go Club, and under Ansons captaincy and with
the support they would receive from the Chicago
fielders play good battery game as they ever
played There is such u thing, you know, as
spoil ng a good player
Have you signed the players you expect to
take to Australia with you this fallT
About half Cf them. Nearly all OF the Chi
eago players will CO. and, under the name OF
Il he Chcagos' will play picked team selected
from the ranks OF the League and Association, TO
Lynch, who is associated with me in the trip, ia
working hard in perfecting our arrangements,
and in due time the plans Of the trip In detail
CT inquiry almost daily from people who want to
crafty their desire for an Australian trip by ac-
companying the teams, and il looks very much
| az thouth America would be well represented
when we land at Sydney. Mr.. Lynch is arrang-
ing for special rates from here to Sydney and re-
turn, so that those who wish to do so will prob
ably be enabled to make tbs trip under q COM
paratively small outlay and most favorable con-
ditions."
George Gore IL playing good ball for New York
now His bad work in the first part of the sea-
son has been amply squared" by his recent good
work.
"Smiling Mickey" Welsh is having hard time
| in the box lately. The opposing batsmen like his
delivery as much as the New York Club did his
uInpiring.
A. g. Spalding pitched in game, last Satur-
/ day, played between two teams representing the
houses of A. q. Spalding q Bros and the West
| ern Arms Company. Two Thousand people were
present, and tle game netted 1919, which was
| presented to the Woman's Hospital OF Chicago.
/ Sam q. Morton President of the Western As
sociation denies that there is any danger of that
/ organization going to pieces "One or two cor
| respondents" says Sam, have been croaking
| about the approaching disbandment of our
| teams and have stated that the Chicago Club In
| which 1t could never escape That Is false.
/ Our teams are now enjoying excellent
| weather-something We did not enjoy during
the first weeks of the season, and the attendance
| at the games at all points has increased so
steadily that the teams are nDw beginn .ng TO te
/ self-supporting, a ID promise b fore ths season
closes be Investments that many would like
/ to put their money into. The rJhibition OF
/ Sunday gam at MinneaI oils las without
| doubt crippled Minneapolis badly, but Gooding
/ writes me that he can sse his way clear, and
that lie is confident of stay ing in the Assocation
/ "As fer tho Maroons," continued Sam, 1T
| would be n ha: d job to buy our franchise now
/ than it would have been month ago. We never
| have thought of selling, for that matter, but We
| are "a a better position to stick to-day than We
have been since we organized.
Spa'dings Australi IN trip is assured. Tie
| Etenmer Alamo la as been Chartered for the
| exclusive use Of the party, which will, 1t is ex-
| pacted, number about 20. The hthographinJ
| and printing is al eldv done.
| Chhrley Brynan, of thu Chicago Club. has
| betn rel, as q { the st. Paul (Westeyn Associa-
| tom Cl b, the amount OF the release money
| being S1,OOO HARRY PALMER