Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17
Baseball i'm England.

Baseball in England.
The appearance of Spalding's baseball teams
in England has revived the old question: ''Will
the game become popular among the English
people?' When the teams first set out 1 dealt
with this question and ventured the opinion in
these columns that it would not. did not ar
que that this would be because of any inferior
ity of the game. i advanced other reasons,
and one was to the effect that when the English
people saw baseball they would say: Why, it
is all FOUNDERS in another fashion. This has
been verified to the letter, because few days
ago the London Daily Telegraph, with the
biggest circulation in England, says exactly
what was said in this paper long ago.
In clinging to old customs, institutions. etc,
the English people are probably the most con-
servative in the world and none of us need ever
expect during this century to see baseball even
threaten to supplant cricket in England. True
the games in England have been well attended,
but besides the novelty of the contests there
have been extraordinary inducements to at
tract audiences. Royalty and aristocracy have
lent their influences in this respect, but this
was because the occasion was rare and excep-
tional The game left entirely on its own at
tractiveness to the English people even with
such great exponents as are there now, would
fare badly. 1t is not easy to knock out Graded
convictions when it comes down to a love of
sports. In the early part of last season Anson
when in this city unfolded scheme to me
which would make baseball 'igo" IN England if
large amount of money ana form a
pool. Cut of this syndicate establish
a club in six or eight of the principal cities of
the United Kingdom and send good American
instructors to teach the players. When this
was done league could be organized and a
schedule for the season arranged This is a
capital idea, and its strong point is that each
city would become interes ted in the fortunes
of its team. This interest would prompt large
audiences, and surely if anything would de-
velop the good points of le game in the esti-
nation of the people this would. The ques-
tlon, however, is who will tryit
A Boom In Trotting.
While SO much has been said lately about
baseball and the extraordinary success it is
making, it would seem that many of us are
overlooking the fact that trotting races and the
breeding of trotting horses are becoming even
more popular than the national game. We
have really come to a remarkable period as far
as trottlng horses are concerned; a period at
which natives of every country and every
CLINE don't for moment hesitate to emulate
tue American in matters relating to the rearing
and utilizing of the trotting horse. Europeans
are in every part of the country purchasing
the best blood and speed, and are willing to put
up the price. While our conservative cousins,
the Britishtrs, pause considerably before they
copy the example of anybody in matters of
sport, they are eager to lay hold of Americas
trotters almost at any cost. Undoubtedly there
Is d DOOm IN Cne IrOEIlnR morse business JUST
now. A few years ago a $4,000 horse was
something of a curiosity, but now we have
them knocked down at public auction at the
extraordinary figure Of $5l, 900. Mr.. Hobart,
the California horseman, says that he
has refused an offer of $4,000 for Stamboul
OF course many people give little or no cred
ence to statements of this kind, but the ex-
tremely large attendance of very wealthy gem
tlemen at public horse sales will go long way
toward proving that there is probably ten times
more money in the trotting business now than
there ever was. Quantity and quality are
simply phenomenal compared to 10, 10 or 20
years ago. These facts assuredly indicate that
all those people who are from day to day talk
ing about the runners 'chasing the trotters
away" are little astray in their calculations.
About the County League.
Representatives of the ten clubs composing
the Allegheny County Baseball League will
hold their adjourned meeting to-mor-
row evening and renew their ef-
forts to formulate a schedule. There
is really danger that little mlsunderstand-
ing among those representatives will cause
grave troubles ere schedule is arranged. 1t
seems that each club wants its own way and if
a spirit of this kind is persisted in the whole
business is killed at the very threshold. A
spirit of give and take must operate or 1t is
useless to attempt any schedule making at all,
and those who attempt it under such circum-
stances will simply bring themselves and
the League into ridicule. However, there
seems to have been one mistake, and grave
one. Ten men should never have been agreed
upon to hI the schedule. If three cannot ar
range one, l venture to say % cannot No
schedule will be absolutely satisfactory; the
great object is to get as near that point as pos
sible.
Dominick McCafrey's Retirement.
Pittsburg is now without first-class repre-
sentative in pugilistic circles. Dominick Nc
Caffrey, who for many years has been known
as the "Pittsburger," has retired from the fstic
art and re-entered the saloon business. This
is, indeed, very wise resolve On the part of
McCafrey, particularly at time such as this.
Whether or not his retirement will be perma-
nent, don't know. Doubtless he means it to
be, but somehow or other all professionals talk
about retiring years before they really do it.
whether McCaffrey ever appears in
the ring again or not, he has made a creditable
record. l say this IN all fairness to the man,
and despite the efforts of anybody to rob him
of any merit honestly won. am ready to say
that McCaffrey, while not a polished
boxer, was as deceiving and as quick as any
body have seen. His style was his own, and
evidently learned without the aid of an accom-
Plished master. Boxing was his great forte,
but he also proved himself a fighter. He
tackled such game and good man as spar
TOh OOlucu Hu6L ILO ldLI6T WAS Ming Oh
Philadelphia, and there were good men in
Philadelphia then. McCaffrey also displayed
nerve and judgment against Sullivan at Gin
cinnati, and really was fresher than the big
one thing connected with McCaffrey's career
as pugilist that has always reflected credit
on Pittsburg: He was always gentleman in
appearance, conversation and actions.
The Seasons Running Prospects.
It is some time since there were such good
prospects for the running turf as there is for
the approaching season. 1t would appear that
all the efforts of legislation to fetter the free
dom of the race track, horse racing seems to
become more popular and consequently more
general. Certainly there are more runners and
more valuable stakes ready for the coming
season than we have known in America. One
can form an opinion of what is in store because
all the stakes for the Eastern spring and sum-
mer meetings have closed. The entries in each
are big, indeed, and Monmouth leads with
a list of no less than ,929 entries. There is
large increase among 2-year-olds, which goes to
show that the breeders are buster than they
have been. The Dwyer Bros. have 2l2 nomina-
tions in the various events. This is the largest
entry of any one stable. There is a slight fall
ing off in the Saratoga stakes, compared with
last year. Satisfactory reports come from Bal
timore and Washington. 1t is safe to say that
the South and West will be just as prosperous
as the East. At any rate turf spectators can
rest assured that there are lively times ahead.
1t may be interesting to note that Hanover
seems to be strongly fancied for the Brook
lyn handicap, as H. T. Norcross & Co. send
word to this office to the effect that they are
'tull'' on him. They state the same about
Aurelia for the Suburban.
McAuliffe and Myer Again.
The pugilists still maintain a quietude that
indicates dullness in their business The one-
sided battle between that over-estimated
fighter, Sailor Brown, and young Mitchell"