Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-12-15
BOTH SIDES TOLD.
The Present Status Of the
Baseball Matter.
THE HRoTuERHO0D WILL PLAY.

Leagurs-Thsrs Must he No Iiippndrom-
ing IL Succs, is Ia Come.
The chances for the success OF the Players
league nrc O being speculnted apon in Ger
tain quarters, huJ 81 great is the parIisansbip
displayol by the argumcutatorS that an un-
biased person lluls il difficult TO obtain a fnir
basis fur "A definite conclusion,
lmasnucn, however, rs the players and
their capitali,tic friends have NJ least ar
. ranged matters 81 that "A start is virtually rs
surcd. "A prospective NJ the affair from an um-
biassl standpoint. and with u consideration OF
IN. sensible portions OF the arguments of par
tisan disputants. may well he mnde, Prima
rily, therefore, all srnt,mcutality must bc
cast aside, uud the true cause for the split be
tween the League and players he considered
This shows US that in this case, at least, money
is the root OF whatever evil exists. IL also
shows us that the financial prosperity Of the
| PLAYERS league is the enii aimed at, and that
the Leagues success viii he gauged by the
amount of financial prosperity attained.
This being admitted. It then becomes neces'
sary 10 discover 'IlaI the sources Of revenue
are on which the Players league viii depend.
Its adherents claim, and with truth, that the
sympathy Of the mas Of the people is with
the players; that those who labor for days
wages arein accord with the new League and
will give it their support, and that all lovers
Of the game will patronize their contests
But il may be asked: l. baseball supported by
"the mass of the people and by Those who
labor for wagcsfn This is problematical, and
there are evidences that IA negative reply
would prove correct Generally speaking, peo-
pie who labor for days wages are those who
work for an existence, and have little money
TO waste on Injuries, Of which baseball Is
surely one. OF 'the mass Of people who
sympathize with the players, this is also true
aud more, that Of this mass the percentage
Of those who can afford either time or money
is almost iniinitesimal.
Practically speaking, baseball is supported
by people who are not TO he classed as either
laborersor wealthy people, Theyarea ''class'
unto themselves, undcmOcratic rs this may
appear. They are young mon and old men,
who belong to that army known rs clerks
Clerks in insurance offices, in brokers Offices,
in banks and mercantile counting rooms,
where wages are paid them that admit of
more thnn n mere living, and where working
hours are shortened during the sumIner To
this must I've added the patronage Of the rich
and the transient trade Of the percentage Of
'the mass OF people, and these combined
support the game. This then shows the class
of people who swell the Golfers of baseball
clubs aud enable the latter to pay princely
salaries AMI other expenses. Therefore, In
proportion to population as this class Is, is
the percentage VI patronage 10 "a club in any
city. New York, Boston and Chicago have
the larger proportions; therefore, these clubs
pay the largest salaries 10 players, biggest
dividends 10 stockholders and make success.
full the clubs there located.
But what viii happen in case this patron
age Is diyi1eIi Well, il II dc evenly divided,
the existing clubs and those Of the Players
league will, tn all probability, be run at a
loss II it Is not evenly divided, then the
club s~ecuriny the greatest amount has the
greatest cliaUcs Tor financial success. And
herein liz, ono 81 tie factors in the success Of
the Piuy ca, .gggIe, Can il clubs command
the greatest uIAU4ut of this patronage Who
can Say. Truly. n lovers Of baseball, the
people will % whore they Ohiain most for
their money or the best article, The people
Of this elias, are devoid vi sentiment when it
becomes "a question al money, and VIII not
patronlls lAs players sinp.y because they
tnink them 10 have bclu upprc,s.l. on tie
magnates beruasa they believe Them Il have
been wrou-gL
They will ignore all Erutimcnthlty when il
comes down to- question Of obtaining the
value Of their ,mIupy. They will not merely
consider the C~iu-nHas ~ the contests between
clubs or the Sialp rivalry Tor the p%cnnant,
they will demand ample and good accominO-
dations uu grounds aBl easy and comfortable
modes OF travel to aud from them. They
will demand iair dealing throughout Now.
iuasmuch as existing clubs have, ns a rule,
the choicest sites IN the most accessible por'
tions Of cities, they have un advantage which
the Players league will have great difficulty
in overcoming.
The national league has also opportunities
for obtaining the services of known good
men who Wi. p.Jye more attractive than
some of the old timers in the Players league
whose races ARE nearly run.
Experience proves that the great body Of
players change every three or four years,
and, Therefore, while the National League
may be temporarily embarrassed for talent.
such embarrassment is not likely to be a long
continued handicap
The old Leagues record for having built up
the game, and OF having eliminated is obiec.
tiouGble features, are also factors IN the fight
and VA cause it TO retain the patronage OF
those who hove good ball and honest ball.
II the now League, Ia addition to possessing
the "star players, must give first OF all good
ball and hon 1 ball 10 obtain the patronage
Of the 'claS TINT supports the game, and
cau retain t.at patronage, financial success,
will De possible But other things are equally
necessary
The nrw Isngin. 10 obtain the patronage,
must nuke The public generally believe thai
there is uutsLu2 M the nature Of a hippo
drome in the playing; and while ! bcliey,
the teams win play rs squarely and honestly
in the Players. League as they did In the old
League, / also believe that they will have q
gigantic task 10 convince the general public
that the gate receipts do not enter largely
into the question of victory and defeat.
Then there ulp other factors 10 be consid,
cred. The conduct of the clubs; the methods
Of management, the methods that viii b,
used by competitors, the relative chances Of
two or mere teaius IN one city the effect pro.
duced II D.tJ a few climbs make mOney-all
these and U.or considerations nave great
bearing on tar question, "Wnl the Players
league sncceedf' w. l. HARMS.
slightly Mixed.
Tie recent nett gpUlitan engagement OF