Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08
A REVIEW OF SPORTS.
Leading Baseball Features of
the Week.
THE CONSOLIDATION PLAN.
Some Interesting Opinions About the
Local Baseball Situation.
THENAULIFFE AND DAILY BATTLE.
Harry SIMPSONS Opinion Of the Smith and
jackson Affair.
THE CONSOLIDATION PLAN.
THETAULIFFE AND DAILY BATTLE.
ECAFFREr's CHALLENGE TO FARRELL

4OAEEhE1 GnAILbNUE ~ EAhhE1u
The week has not unfolded ANYTHING of q
sensational nature in the sporting world,
although there have been many events of
considerable interest. Baseball continues to
hold the sway as far as demanding most of
the public attention is concerned. The ex-
cessive talk and rumors regarding what the
Brotherhood will do, and what the League
also do, are as plentiful as ever. The con-
fict, however, wages hotter every da be-
tween the two organizations, at least it 50
on the part of the Brotherhood. How
ever. the League does not seem to have thor
oughly 6onned its fighting clothes yet and its
programme Of warfare has not been touched
so far. The boys" on the other hand, are
working like beavers and they seem to be scat
tered all over the country, from Maine to Cali
fornia- What seems to have absorbed the at
tentlon of the Brotherhood leaders most dur
ing the week has been the consolidation ques-
tion. A few days ago there seemed to be sure
indications that the Brotherhood and the
'refnnants'' Of the American Association would
amalgamate. As am not party follower, but
only pronounce on matters pro and con, accord
ing TO their merit, L as my readers are aware,
dent johnson and Secretary Keefe, of the
Brotherhood have followed suit in a very en-
phatic way and there now seems to be little
probability Of such an unwise step
being taken. Il is worthy of note that
Mr.. Keefe states the Brotherhood has
made no overtures for consolidation but that
all negotiations have been made by the Asso-
citation. hope this is true, because there is
not the least necessity for the Brotherhood to
not come out victorious alone their chances
viii only be the more remote If they hamper
themselves with outsiders Another report,
and 1 may say, one of a very foolish kind. has
been circulated. 1t is to the effect that the
League and Association will combine. Don't
believe it; not a word Of it They will do no
such thing. It may be that the League will
buy some Association players, but a combina-
ton between the two bodies is almost i'm
possible. Another feature of the week has
been the expression of opinion regarding the
approaching legal hghti that is the attempt to
be made by the New York club TO secure in
functions against Ward and Ewing Those
who have from time to time, in their infinite
wisdom, contended that the Leagues threat
to go to court was all bluff"
must now be convinced that they do not
know everything. The matter will most as
suredly be tested in court, and for one am
glad Of it. Outside of the particular point
at issue we may get some definite knowl-
edge as to the legal status of baseball organ
izations and also the legal worth of a ball
players contract generally. We have needed
this knowledge for long time.
HsS
Association Prospects.
Probably no baseball organization of any
note'in the HISTORY of the game has become SO
suddenly shattered almost beyond recognition
as the American Association. 1t is, indeed. in
a very lamentable plight just now, and whether |
or not it will survive the knock-down is very
problemstical. OF course contend that the |
League is to very great extent responsible for |
the present knocked-out condition of that very |
useful organization, and 1 further contend |
that it will always be one of the very unpleasant
blemishes of the Leagues history. True it is |
that internal 6issensions strained the Assocla- |
tion fearfully, but If the League had not held |
out inducements to certain parties, those in |
terna difficulties would have been overcome /
just as they have in the past. But what of the /
Association IN future? Here is a question for /
all of us. The immediate future is really so
black for Association people that only very |
short distance can be seen don't think that
the old League players will ever attempt to
rescue the remnants of the Association and if /
they Cont it is difficult to see how it can for a
long time to come, be termed a irst-class or /
ganiEation- To have eight clubs, about four of
the second and third class order must be
secured, and this certainly will lower the
standard of the whole body. 1t is a pity that
such difficulties should overwhelm the Associa-
tion. 1t has been heroic body and has pro-
vided many exciting baseball entertainments
for Pittsburg.
Organ and Auti-OrRan.
Readers Of these reviews will have observed
that. as far as the League and Brotherhood are
concerned. they have been bipartisan: that is.
they have pointed out faults in both sides
wherever they were to be found and credited
the good features. This has not only ever been
my policy, but that of THE DISPATCH ever
since first knew it 1t is not an organ, but a
newspaper; therefore the faults and good |
points of one size get as much prominence as
those Of the other. But this evidently is not
satisfactory TO some of my baseball readers. A
few days ago President Nimick was Complain
ing about my finding too much fault with the
old League, and a day or two later Jimmy Gal
win, that gay old sport, complained even more
strongly about my roasting the proposed |
at this, not at ali, because pi'SeS as
I have already intimated It is not the
mission of these reviews to unduly boom |
aware that nothing short of holding up the
brotherhood plan as the ideal of perfection |
VIII seem fair to some OF its supporters but
consclennously maintain that anybody who
defends the Brotherhood in such a way is among
its worst enemies. Any man or body of men |
before the public, who cannot stand fair |
criticism, betray very small faith in their
scheme or principles, and that there is room for |
criticism is just as certain as that human
organization is not perfect But l want TO
remind p2rtisans, those partisans who deem
his eyes TO glaring faults, of a few facts
Did any Of them think 1 was unfairly Roasting
the League last year. when / assailed the
classification system? Did my criticism then |
mean that I was opposed to the existence of
the League, or that l desired to try and iniure
ttf No such thing! 1 claimed that the
existence Of such system would threaten
the life of the League. That such
turned out to be the case we all know now.
Well now if it was fair to criticise what
termed the bad features Of the League it Ger.
tainly must be quite fair to act similarly
with the new organization. But argue that
my roasting" 'faulthnding," or whatever it
may be called, has been of benefit to the pro-
posed league, because the two features that l
have assailed most strongly are likely to be re-
formed. Among Others. condemned thar
part of the players contract which gave him
no guarantee for his salary. OF course the
criticism was unfair in the eyes of rabid parti-
cans. But what is the result? Why Messrs
Ward and johnson are making arrangements
to establish guarantee fund Now, l ask was
my fanltfnding right or wrong? The action
OF hessrs. Ward and johnson shows that in
their estimation il was in the right Organs
don't point out faults. but allow them to exist
until they have fatal results.
Another Strong Point.
There was another feature of the Brother
hood that assaIled last week. viz, the con-
Of the Brotherhood and American
Association. This proposed amalgamation was
in these columns last week in yerv
strong terma. and my friend Calvin said to me
on Monday; why, I've met 80 men who
/