Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-02-10
INTEREST IN BASE BALL
Beginning to Manifest Itself as the
League Season Of 1883 Ap.
proaches.
Sprinter Sunday, of the Chicago Club.
Is Signed by Pitts.
burgh.
[cH1cAGo coRREspoNDENcE.l

TcH1cAGo CORRESPONDENCE.
Although the toboggan slides of the
Northeast and Northwest are groaning
under the weight of thousands of merry
coasters; although the snow covered boule-
wards of our great cities throughout the
North are thronced with sleighloads of
merry people, whose laughter mingles
with the joyous jingle OF the bells; and
Notwithstanding that the eyes of every lover
of winter festivities in no less than dozen
of the most populous States of the Union
are turned toward st. Paul in anticipation
Of the coming carnival of the Ice King and
his subjects in that city. the columns OF
the great daily papers of the country are
beginning to fill up with gossip-specula-
tive and newsy-as to the probabilities OF
the coming season in connection with
the great national game of the Americans
base ball. This year as in years past the
teams of the National League located at
Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburg,
Philadelphia, Washington. Boston and
New York will, Judging from their COM
plexion at the present time, give to Ameri-
cans the closest contest and the most fin
ished exhibition of the beauties of the
game. Last year three or four very weak
teams left the race almost absolutely in the
hands of four clubs, New York, Philadel-
phia, Chicago, and Detroit. This year,
however, the condition of things will be re-
freshingly different. Pittsburg has not
been idle since the season of 1887 closed.
With commendable enterprise its team
eyes open Tor everything in the
way of playing talent that promised
to strengthen its ranks, with the result that
they have secured four or five new men
who will surely add very greatly to the
playing strength Of the team neAt summer.
The latest capture of this club is that of
Billy Sunday, tie promising outtielder and
sprinter of the Chicago Club. Chicago
people are by no means pleased over Sum
days release, as he had many friends in
this city who think that the management
of the Chicago Club has made mi, take in
letting the player go. President Spalding
says, in explanation Of his action:
SUNDAY was released to Pittsburg
Captain Arson, but under the circum-
stances 1 could not do other than | did.
That we let him go is due to the continued
harsh criticisms of one or two of the Chi
cago papers. The result was that we took
Sunday off the field, because we found that
the more the papers said the more it unfit
ed him for work. and the more errors he
made. He simply could not stand news
paper criticism. There was but one thing
left for me to do, and that was to release
him to some club that could offer him op.
portunities that he could not get in Chi
cago. He wanted TO go to Pittsburg. and l
let him go there. If the Pittsburg club
handles the boy in the right way he will
prove valuable man to it next season. He
is as honest as o Quaker, and ball player
to do better work in the field than Sunday
at times did for us. He is sensitive, how
ever, and does not stand newspaper criti-
cism WE'LL"
The Indianapolis seems to be bracing up,
and, in addition to Paul Hines, says that it
will secure two or three other players next
season that will enable it to play ball along
with the rest of them. Detroit will have
about the same old team next year. Phila-
delphia will have practically the same team,
with the addition of two or three promising
new men. Chicago and New York have
strengthened wonderfully, and will doubt
less make tight race for the pennant.
New York will have great team in the
other day, "but none of you want to fail to
keep your,eye on Chicago. Chicago will
win the pennant of 1888 dead sure, or I
shall be very badly fooled man."
The American Association has finally
filled in its circuit by appointing Kansas
City as the eighth club in its circuit. jim
Whitfield, who was connected with the
League club of 1886 in that city, went to
Cincinnati, and was present at last weeks
meeting in that city to represent, as he
said, Kansas City capitalists, who were
willing to establish q club there. So Kan
sas City was finally admitted to the circuit.
Now, it happens that the new Western AS
sociation, composed of Chicago, st. Louis,
Kansas City, Milwaukee, st. Paul, Min
neapolis, Omaha. and Des Moines, has
club in Kansas City. and President sam
Morton, of the Western Association. is nat
urally very sore at the prospect of the AS
ISOLATION locating an opposition club
there. Last month the new Western AS
ISOLATION was admitted to the protection OF
the national agreement, under which no
association can establish club in a city
already occupied by another association,
without the latter associations consent.
When asked what he, as the President of
the Western Association, would do in the
matter. Sam Morton said:
~ should not be forced to take any steps
in that direction myself. The protect on
HAOrueu US dh the result or our recent
meeting with the Arbitration Committee ut
Cincinnati should alone prove q prevent
i've to any other organization entering
Western Association territory. If Vest
ern Association clubs cannot get protec-
ton that far, what good is the National
Agreement to thA,n?"
Suppose the, 20 ahead and locate club
there any way, in violation of your agree
ment, what would your people do?" he was
asked.
Simply frame articles of agreement to
govern the minor leagues of the country.
Our principal safeguard would be rule to
permanently blacklist from all leagues and
associations under our agreement any PLAYER
who leaves minor league club to accept
position in any National League or Asso
citation club, without first having secured
his release from the minor league club with
which he is playing at the time. think
such an agreement would give US all the
protection we wanted, for tell you a young
player would think twice before uncere
moniously jumping minor league for a
National League club when he knew that
such action upon his part would forever
debar him from playing in any miuor