The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-04-04
THE BALL AND BAT i.
The National Game Regarded as
a Business Venture.
A Few Pointers About the Texas
League Clubs and Austin's
Team.

As the base ball season is just about to
begin, the following article from the waco
Trade Review will be read with interest:
There prevails among mere casual OBJ
servers an opinion that base ball ID gotten
m simply for the amusement of the audi
ences witnessing the game. MOST SUB
scribers to the fund feel that they have
donated lust 80 much without any posi-
BILE chance of return of their money
While the amusement derived is the CEN
trail idea in instituting the game, in almost
every town there are other considerations
which play almost as important a part.
As a business it is perfectly legitimate, as
the subscriber does not SIMPLY
give go much to the fund, but
takes a certain amount OF stock
as he takes stock IN the cotton or
wooden mills, and if the venture be sue
cess he receives his pro rata of the profits
Hitherto minor league adventures, have
resulted disasrousy as a general thing,
from the simple fact that the salary
limits have been higher than prospects
would warrant. But we have prohted by
past experience, and this year we have
fixed the salary limit at figure so low
that the league will be not only selt-sus-
tanning but will close the season with
goodly number of dollars in the credit
column. Now, each club refunds to the
subscribers the original subscription to-
gether with the net profits. As business
venture it is bound to be profitable; as an
advertising medium it cannot be excelled.
For the sake of argument we will admit
that the season costs our people $2,5OO,
having shown that it will not cost them a
I Il. =. or cd
vertisement than could be gotten for
four times the amount expended in any
other way. The result of the games
played on the Waco diamond ia te!e-
graphed in the press reports all over the
world and Waco's name is heralded from
pole to pole. 1t is a well-known fact that
any city that supports league club has
energy and enterprise, and in securing
place in the Texas league Waco proclaims
to the world the fact that she is among
the first cities of Texas. If our team
holds out the season through, Waco, in
the eyes of the business public, will by far
outrank San Antonio, city of 10000 ia
habitsnts. Our league will have about
seventy five members, all of whom stay
right here with US and spend their money
with us. Waco pays her club $500 Fer
month and this money is spent right here
in our town. Why, circus can come
here and in one day gather up $4,000 of
our money and is gone with it, still we
hear no kick on this score.
As the above is true of Waco so it is of
Austin.
That the defeats of the New York and
Cincinnati clubs last year by the Austin
club gave this city goodly amount of
la 4,o;, 10, ~
ing papers publishing the telegraphio &C
count of those games numbered up in the
hundreds, and Austin, Tex, was set down
as being live and progressive town.
Why? Because it had the money and the
energy to put in the field team of base
ball players that could compare favorably
with any in America. 1t is money well
spent in advertising. We cannot ex-
pect it to pay, because there are
not sufficient number of
people interested in the sport, and the
ma oritythat are insist on a winning
team. Now this is entirely wrong. So
long as team is conscientious and works
hard and keeps its place in the middle of
the group, or well up near the leaders,
tho public should be satisfied, as there
must be tail enders, and the weakest
town financially are generally relegated
to the tail end places.
This season, thus far, foretelling the
merits of the teams is mere speculation,
as the majority of the men composing
them are not only new to
the state, but over half of
them are semi-professionals or anna
tours. The Houston team is the only
team that is composed entirely of profess
SIGNALS who have seen service for several
seasons. On paper they appear to be the
strongest, but there has been many an
obscure and untried man that when given
an opportunity has proven himself to be l..
equal to the best. Our team, while they
may not be leaders, we are inclined to
think will be in the race and we'll up in
the point of it, as they are good stocky
young fellows, and work with vim and
dash. The infield team work is now very
fine, the outfeld in good trim, and the
catchers doing well-Andrews es-
peoially, and with good work Ammons
will be all right. Captain Oonnors is put
ting the boys through. Mussey covers
plenty of ground, and is great thrower
Bright is back to his old form, and is
making some pretty stops. TRULY is
active, and covers third like a Dunlap,
and Mike-well, Mike is simply immense
on first. Toby, Msgner and Ryan will
cover all the ground necessary. Yeszel
wants little more work, and to pay more
attention to his fielding. Diebei arrived
last night, and will be on hand at practice
to-day. He is said to be a promising
young twirler.