Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-20
A REVIEW OF SPORTS.
Opinions About the Worlds
Championship Series.
THE TWO CLUBS COMPARED
PittSburg League Players and Their
Recent Games With Amateurs.
SULLIVAN'S LATEST CHALLENGE,
Searles Departure and His Offer to Row
Anybody in Australia.
THE TWO CLUBS COMPARED
SULLIVAN'S LATEST CHALLENGE.
LOCAL SPORTING TOPICS DISGUISE.

OF fcourse the great event of the week has
been the commencement of the series of ball
games for the worlds championship. The
event is undoubtedly one of the greatest OF
the baseball season, not only as feature of
ball playing, but as matter of revenue for
the clubs that participate in the series.
Taking for granted that the expectations of
those directly in these games are realized as
far as receipts are concerned, it will prove
that baseball is without doubt the most
popular outdoor athletic sport in the
world. With this consideration in view, it
really becomes question as to whether or
not the money to be gained is of
more importance than the honor to
be won. However, they are both
extremely vital features, and 1 am
always of the opinion that honor is one of the
chief essentials of the American national game.
But to the contest Just begun. Who will winf
That's the problem almost everybody is asking
and, curiously enough, almost everybody is
answering their own question. New Yorks
will w1n, to be sure" is what everybody is say
ing, and what everybody says l suppose must
be true. Ny prediction goes for New York, of
course, but will not be surprised to find that
the Grants will have a very hot argument be-
fore they down the new champions of the Asso-
ciRtisn. 1t is no use shutting our eyes TO the
fact that Brooklyn has a good and strong team.
Take the Brooklyn players all round they are
powerful set of ball players, and with some of
that proverbial luck that now and again crops
out IN ball games they might pull through vic
torious. l sometimes think that the most
ardent admirers of the League underestimate
the strength of the Brooklyns. For instance,
friend of mine the other day, very enthusi-
astic patren of baseball and has been for years,
bet me modest little wager of a luxurious
kind that Brooklyn will not win three games in
the series. I will be very much surprised
man indeed if Brooklyn does not win three
games before New York scores its sixth vic
tory. Brooklyn has started out like getting three
at any rate. However, the fact must be clear to
all admirers of baseball that the New York
club is superior club to the Brooklyns. Take
the players collectively OF individually and no
other conclusion can reasonably be reached. 1t
follows then that if both clubs play on their
merits that the League champions will have
something like an easy time of it; but the
Giants are Just about as uncertain as any
team 1 know of. Oh. but they are an
awful lot when they are under the influence of
what is known as 'rattles." They gave an
illustration of this on FRIDAY. Their work re-
minded one of the excited efforts of an anna
teur nine, and If they fall by the wayside in
this series the chief cause will be their falling
topieces. No club in either League or Asso-
citation can defeat the New Yorks in n l1-game
series if the New Yorks play they can
play. When L runs are made with Keefe in
the box l maintain that Keefe then is not
keefe the great pitcher whom we have all
seen and admired However, there will be
IT, %kr
best work, ana whe they do the Association
representatives will not be in it.
Just as sure as the championship season ends
SO sure are we to be confronted with state
ments to the effect that the Association clubs
are vastly superior to those of the League Dur
ing the week there have been many statements
or opinions flying round to the effect that if
this or that Association club was in the League
il would win the pennant. Now this is all very
well until we come to the fact that for several
years the best team in the Association has been
miserable failure when pitTed against the best
team in the League. Comparisons are in
variably odious. and in this instance are par
ticularly so, butit does not seem unreasonable or
unsafe to say that a better class of ball playing
is found in the League than can be seen in
the Association. Of course will be reminded
of the victories that the Association clubs score
over the League clubs in exhibition games but
to this emphasize the fact that they are onlv
exhibition games. Often the best players are
NOT 6OEdR6u IN Cne games at all. ana when this
is so any comparison that may be made will be
defective. The great fact remains that almost
any Association club is always ready TO join
the League when opportunity affords. There
is nothing said here to mean that the Associa-
tion cannot play good ball; not at all. The
only thing that is meant is that the standard of
the League playing is higher than that of the
American Association.
The Homo Club.
Before many days come and 60 the PLAYERS
of the home team will be hieing themselves
away 20 their winter headquarters Doubtless
they are all heartily sick of their employment
during the last few days. Tackling the
amateurs has been a very monotonous time for
all of them At least, that is what they state,
and there is no reason to doubt their state
ments. The series with the amateur clubs has
not been failure financially, although it may
have fallen short of expectations in the way of
creating excitement. However. 1 don't think
that the series has been entirely in vain because
in proving the comparative weakness of the
local amateurs clubs something has been ac-
comphshed. Ii the league players of this city
have succeeded in drawing the attention of
the amateurs to their own shortcomings then
something very useful has been accomplished
1t is, indeed, great thing at times to have our
faults brought face to face with US. Then we
can, if we desire, try and secure a remedy for
them. 1t has been apparent that the amateurs
are sadly deficient in two things particularly
VIZ: picking up grounders and batting the ball.
When next season comes it will be well for them
to devote special attention toward improvement
in these two essentials of good ball playing
The home players that is the players of the
Pittsburg club have probably played their last
game this season. 1t NAV be that they
will play couple of games with picked
local nine but the chances are not assuring.
Every member of the team is eager to go home
as soon as possible. They may be required to
report next season much sooner than usual, as
PRESIDENT Nimick ie strongly in favor of send
ing the entire club down South early next year
TO practice, SO that every player will be ID good
condleion to commence the championship
move of this kind believing that it would be
profitable in every respect. 1t is a fact known
70 all admirers of the club that for the last two
seasons scarcely man has been in good play
ing condition until the season has been well ad-
vanced. President NiuieK still has hopes of
securing good and prominent position in the
League race with his team before he sewers
connection with it. and one of the safe WAYS to
get the position desired is to have the players
IN condition at the start. IF this is done there
is no reason why the Pittsburg Club should not
play very prominent part.
The Brotherhood Scheme.
Doubtless the public is somewhat weary of
reading and talking about the schemes and
rumors of schemes that the Ball Players Broth
erhood is alleged to be Matching. However the
question seems to be one of the leading ones in
the baseball world, and it is remarkable the
great amount of interest that is day after day
centered in it. After all am inclined to think
an opinion which have oft expressed in these
reviews is likely to be correct, viz that If there
is anything done at all it will not be until after
the League meeting. Some very intelligent |
players. aud very prominent in the League, |
assure me that there is nothing at all in the |
alleged scheme OF schemes, and tnat the threat |
of organizing league to rival the one now in /
existence is entirely bluff. However |
that may be, 1t is certain that /
the bluff, II it is only a bluff is |
having Some effect on the minds of the mar.