New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-08
THE BASEBALL BOOM BEGINS.
OPENING GAMES TEST THE INTEREST.


GENERAL OUTLOOK FOR THE PENNANT RACE
PLAYERS SIGNING AND MAKING READY.
people who imagine that baseball has lost any OF It's
attractive probably have not attehoea any Oh INC
preliminary games Of the past week The contests so fer
nlaved have been mere practice games and yet the at
tendance at each large and the Interest unusu
ally conspicuous The crowds at the Polo Grounds nave
been unusually large when the knd OF games pa!eu arc
considered In every Of these games inc Victory
was virtually settled before the game was started yet
the snectators watched each play IL something OF i'm
portance really depended upon the result Inc various
college clubs considering that they were ovcratchea at
every point, did fairly good work The Manhattan
College students usual opened the season and showed
that they had spent several weeks in careful gymnasium
training The is about Of the same callbre as those
previous years, neither stronger nor weaker
Manager Murie and the young players OF the New
York club arrived home Wednesday. The youngsters
PLAYED nineteen games in the South and made spendd
record Mutre has allowed the to take things easy
since they returned believing that outdoor work here
a. presen would do good When playing In the
South days the temperature was up among the
seventies With tho temperature from 20 to 30 degrees
lower here the change and hard work might play havoc
with his costly new blood. The young players are not
needed vet and it would foolish to any chances
Foster looks In excellent condition. and is lighter by
many pounds than he has been for two or three years
The training has not added any his personal beauty,
but IL makes him IL he could withstand almost
any athletic Besides these young men are not
training for beauty Show but 10 win baseball games
Cleveland prospective third baseman, Is well &C.
yeopgd and well spoken of by Mutrie There Is still
some doubt however, whether he Is the third 6aseman
SO badly needed by the Ncw-York Club. Crane, the
pitcher weighs over 200 pounds and throw base
ball with speed OF cannon shot II his abilities
equal weight he ought to be valuable man for the
club Slattery the other new player. is more slender
but has the unElstaka0le cut OF thoroughbred lie
looks as If he could make his mark professional
splinter
The Boston club certainly ought to have excellent
chance to capture championship Of the League this
year. enterprise and beraliy have remnants In their
waAe, Boston ought TO be rewarded Iheh the pue4isuc
idol city culture aud beans has been shatteled,
and "A new athletic joss" is needed 1t might well
be built Of baseball The directors OF the club have
spent money literally during the last two years to
strengthen It's nine and make Its grounds attractive
ago IL purchased the release OF Kelly and pald
$4,000 for the Only Mike" yet the club finished in
the notch in the pennant race that II did the
previous year. Then mammoth new grand was
put up necessitated another outlay When the
new structure paid for II will have cost nearly
75 600 Last week the purchased another Chicago
club player paying another $4,000 for John Clarkson,
the pitcher. Carkson and Kelly now be paired and
called 500 0C0 battery" People who follow base
ball closely in this city think now that the Bostons
chances for tho pennant are second o
The Chicago club has undoubtedly been materially
weakened by the release Of only remaining great
pitcher. Carkson did to win games for his club
probably other three players on the team His
presence also gave confidence the other players and
confidence Is great thing In baseball match The
Chicago club did weaken itself materially when It sold
release Of Dalrympe and Gore 1t found It could get
along without Kelly. How much the club Is weak
cned and how much Clason win be missed be told
in the The cranks who think that
the Chicago nine will capture the pennant this year are
easily gullcd, and probably few and far between.
1t must be said the Chicago club made every effort
TO keep the player but Carkson was determined play
In Boston or nowhere spllding probably considered
Clarkson as his club anyway. That shrewd base
ball manpulaor compensated handsomely for his loss
Chicago four pitchers its team, each OF whom
may do good work. Van Haltren and Baldwin will do
most Of the pitching. Kroch and Clark are lightly
spoken Of but then newly acquired young pitchers al
ways are Captain Arson has thoy road travel this
year the general baseball opinion is wide OF the mark
The improvements at the Polo Grounds are being
pushed toward completion. gang has
on the regular diamond Fifthave. entrance for
a SNOW ice and mud were carted away and still
the place got in condition. Pitch fires
built several places, but did little good. Thurrdays
rain left place quaenirc early in the week,
Al the games OF the week had TO be played the prac
tce diamond near the players Clubhouse gang OF
men have also put upon the old athletic
building, and it will be turned into clubhouse for
the players Every arrangement will be made for the
comfort OF the The old dressing rooms OF the
players looked like the storage Of vessel which had
Just completed long voyage Several of the NewYor
club players have not yet signed contracts but with
possibly exception all will do 50 In few days
Brown the catcher stu outside Of the fold He de-
mands s. 500 salary the club toe pay but
$1,000 The player and club will probably split the
difference and then all will he in the camp OF
the Giants
The season in Brooklyn started "wednesday, and
the formal opening was a suspicious one. There
were over 600 people present and yet the game was
mere practice between the players now under con-
tract with the Brooklyn club Under any circumstances
the crowd was a remarkable The players were all
heartily applaud'd their first appearance, Caruiher
Terry Orr and Snch seeming become great faNoites
al once. The all id good work and made favor
able impression. The game was one OF the most eNc
ing that will be this scason. Workmen are SUI
busy around Washington Park and all the changes con-
tempatcd will not be finished for week yet The new
building the Ffthaye entrance is nearly compeIed
The stands in the lower part Of the hed VIII DC puS
up this week. The Brooklyn club Will continue 10 play
Sunday games this year; although many OF lis better
class of patrons decidedly opposed to sunday playing
Iadford will play Sunday games, consequently THIS
club will have TO use another nclder that day
After releasing, rather selling so many OF s play
ers it looked 10 many II the ST. Louis club would stahd
up defenceless against its opponents this season Juag
inc from the games the Association champions have been
plavlpe I'm tho south during The week the club Is not
materially weakened. Won Dor Ahc IS sly manager
and when he sold his developed talent probably kne"
when he could replace and yet clear nice round sum
Of money
SALES At THE CONSOLIDATED STOCK AND
PE1ROLEUM EXCHANGE.