Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-09
A REVIEW OF SPORTS
Opinions About the Local
Clubs Dire Difficulties.
BIG CHANGES MAY BE MADE
The Latest Phases of the Brother
hood and League Controversy.
SOMETHING ABOUT SOCIAL CLUBS.
Comment on the Prominent Battles Ar
ranged in the Far West.
SOMETHING ABOUT SOCIAL CLUBS.
GENERAL SPORTING NEWS OF THE DAY

demonstrated the TACT tnat there are more
and apparently more important risks to run
in the business than good and bad players.
The week Just ended has been disastrous
one all round, but the Pittsburg aggregation
has undoubtedly had the worst of it all. It
is q fact that President Nimick and Secre-
tsry Scsndrett feel what may be called ex-
tremeIy blue about the situation. Without
doubt the club, so far this season, has
dropped considerable money, and to many
people the outlook is still very discouraging.
Referring to the question the other day, a
prominent local baseball enthusiast said that
il the club continues to be a losing
investment until the end of the season he has
reason to think that it will either change hands
or that there will be some radical changes.
This statement, coming from a gentleman
tolerably well informed, does not surprise me
in the least. OF it is not reasonable to expect
that any Of the club directors will declare
themselves on the question thus early in the
struggle, II would not be expedient to do so.
But it is also reasonable to think that body
of gentlemen will not continue their support TO
q losing concern. It is safe to say that the
active directors and officials of the local club
are not in the business altogether for pleasure.
Doubtless they might willingly continue their
financial support If they could receive even
their own money backSbut it is not to be
expected that they will be prepared to pay
an annual premium for the fun Of being
identified with baseball team. Surely the di-
rectors Of The club need at this time public
sympathy. What with bad weather of an ex
,traordinary kind and disabled pitchers the loss
has been great No body Of gentlemen could
!have acted more generously in the way of buy
ling good players wherever they were to be had
last season than the officials of the local club.
Their work in this respect was so extensive that
we all came the conclusion that the team
couldn't possibly be lower than second or third
place. So far all hopes have been blighted, and
at is neither the fault of the players nor the
officials The end Of the season, however, is a
long way of yet, and it may be that the local
club will come out in its full strength and get
near the top. II it does not, then can we look
out for big changes all round next season.
That Surprising Baby.
Cleveland club, commonly known as the
baby, continues to be the great surprise of the
baseball world. Undoubtedly the performance
of the team so far has been phenomenon in
baseball affairs. 1t would be difficult to argue
out by comparisons that the Clevelands are as
high as they are by merit. Take the Babies"
one by one and similarly take the New Yorks,
Chicagos and the Pittsburgs, and what a con-
ltrast there is. The Cleveland club is really
COWDlndLOu O1 anu Inc Ieeull O1 us
efforts SO far is a puZzler to the magnates of
wealth and the worshipers of records, and If
,the team should continue its remarkable work
through the season there will be very hard
nut to crack by the advocates of the
graded salary plan. Undoubtedly, excellent
team work and an evident spirit of
harmony hsvelargely. almost chiefly contributed
to Cieveland's success. But it must not be for
gotten that the manager of the team has dis
played, SO far, remarkable tact and ability.
Probably no manager has nursed his pitchers
with better Judgment than Manager Lotus,
and in this respect he deserves the unbounded
praise of all admirers of the Cleveland club.
1t seems to me that Mr.. Lotus has always had
vigorous pitcher to put in the box, and with
rare judgment he has invariably had the right
man in at the right time. There is more in
judgment of this kind than seems to be CON-
monty understood. feel sure that we all wish
the youngsters" we'll and, personally, my wish
is that If Pittsburg cannot get the desired
prize, Cleveland may cause a sensation by
capturing it. In all branches of sport the un-
expected often turns up, and it may be SO in
this case.
The Pennant Race.
Boston is still going ahead in the race and
without doubt that team is playing a very
lucky game. There was a sample Of its luck
against New York on Thursday and Friday.
The men from the regions of culture however,
will soon be on the road, and then, if all goes
well, they will be tested. 1 won't be surprised
If Clarkson and Radbourne get a drubbing
when they come West. Philadelphia still
keeps in line and is playing good and steady
game. The Giants are sadly out of form, but
they are no worse than they were last year at
this time. One of these days expect to see
them pull themselves together and go rapidly
ahead. They have the material to do it. Chi
cago is similarly fixed and the Hoosiers and
Senators are apparently where they will finish.
The Brotherhood and League.
1t seems as if the importance of the coming
controversy between the Ball Players Brother
hood and the National League is beginning to
dawn on the majority of people interested in
baseball During the last few days the ques-
ton has been dealt with pretty extensively.
Nothing new, however, has beer said THE
DISPATCH has steadily since last winter,
argued the pros and cons of the question and
above all has pointed out that the matter was
of the highest importance to all parties con-
cerned. Recently various contemporaries and
baseball magnates have fallen in the wake and
the question is now leading one. 1t is the
general opinion that the Brotherhood means to
assan the graded salary plan and this expecta-
tion is giving rise to much concern among the |
officials of certain clubs. Secretary Scandrett
who is a very sensible and shrewd baseball au- |
thority, few days ago expressed objections
to the contemplated action of the Brotherhood, |
which may be taken to be indorsed by all the |
other clubs that favor the graded salary plan, |
as it is now, .Mr. Scandrett's great |
graded plan is abolished, the high |
priced players will continue to demand high |
salaries, which will be paid. This, he argues, |
can only be done by curtailing the salaries OF |
other players Of less reputation. Mr.. Scandrett,
from this reasoning, deducts the expectation /
that the majority of players will oppose the |
abolition Of the graded plan, because the ma
jority are not high-priced men. There may be
a grain nj of cOnSOlafiOn N this I'M fail
to see why there should Mr.. Scandrett and
others fail to see or at least do not take into
consideration the fact that even under the
present system of graded salaries these high
priced men get just as much as they ever did.
They would certainly get no more if there was
no graded salary rule, and it is safe to say that
the balance of useful players would get no less
than they are getting now. This commoni
sense view of the question Will certainly infu-1
ence the majority of the players to follow the
advice Of their leaders. 1t is, doubtless, true
for the best interest of baseball and it is
also true, as recently remarked by Mr..
Erastus Wiman, that those big sala-
ries have been brought about more
than by anything else. The great trouble,
however, is 20 keep the salaries uniformly
down. This would, indeed, be an easy task If
every man in the business, that is every cap
italist would with unimpeachable honesty
abide by any agreement that might be made.
What / mean by this is that no man would
TAKE advantage OF any IecnnlcaI lOOp nOle 70
secure player by paying q salary above what
might be deemed uniform. 1t is this desire to
outreach one another that will always be the
stumbling block despite all the rules that may
be adopted But the graded salary plan is
open to another very powerful objection.
Salaries are graded according to the caprice of
one man who is almost entirely guided by
records on paper. This principle is SO auto
cratic that venture to say il will never be
successful There is nobody better able to de-