Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-23
PR|NGLE'S REVIEW,
The Good Points of the Boston
Ball Club.
WILL THEY WIN THE RACE?
Opinions About the Cleveland Teams
Success.
THE 6R0THERH00D'S DEMANDS.
Who Was the Best Middleweight Pugilist
in the World2
WILL THEY WIN THE RACE?
THE BROTHERHOOD'S DEMANDS.
ANOTHER ENGLISH CHAMPION COMING

ANOTHER ENGLISH CHAMPION COMING.
There has been nothing startling in the
baseball world this week. The Eastern
clubs have come West, and with the excep-
tion of Washington have done we'll. So far
this season the Eastern people have had a
little the best of it. One of this number is
first and two others third and fourth. 1t
seems safe to say that the three clubs referred
to will keep near the top until the end of
the season. During the last few days Pitts
burgers have had chance to see the great
Bostons 1 have watched their playing
with considerable interest and am free to
say that the team is great one; probably
Boston never had a better one than at
present The players are all good ones,
both in fielding and batting, and without
doubt they are up to championship form,
But the very fact that Boston is such an
unusually strong team proves that
we have at Pittsburg team
of the irst-class order. This
can be proven by comparison, for during this
week the home team has shown as good form
as the Boston. OF course, Boston has been on
an average considerably stronger, but at times
the local players have played Just as well as
Boston can play. In Thursdays game, for in
stance, had the element called luck not been
entirely on the side of the big people the home
players would have won. However, don't for
q moment suppose that Pittsburg will finish
ahead of Boston, but am not by any means
certain of Boston's keeping in the van until the
ID off Is
ever, in the Boston team that is worth notice.
ing, viz. tn good supply of pitchers. Clark
son, Radbourne, Madden and Sowders are a very
powerful quartet
About Those Babies.
Ihad a conversation with Dan Brouthers the
other day about the Cleveland club. Like the
majority of baseball people Dan couldn't well
explain why the Spiders have been SO phe-
nomenaliy successful He said: 'They puzzle
me, and really cannot account for their vic
tories. Oh, no, they are not as good as the
Bostons by any means. We can outbat them
at any stage, and they cannot steal bases on
Bennett and Camel However, the Cleveland
team is a good one, but there are better gen.
eral teams in the League" Ed Hanlon was
also listener to the remarks of Brouthers
and he said that Cleveland's success was
in its batteries. That man O'Brien," said
Hanlon, sis one of the nerviest fellows
1 have ever seen. Nothing but his nerve has
made him so successful 1 remember that the
first time faced him two strikes and three
balls were called and yet he pitched a slow
ball to me. 1 was never expecting such a
thing, thinking that a stranger in the League
he would not give any chances for a while.
However, 1 said then that O'Brien would make
a mark in the League" 1 share the opinion of
W.
is in its batteries. There are many young
pitchers in the team, and they are eager to out
pitch each other. This conditian of things will
not last. however, and when the measure of
these pitchers taken the club will fall ust as
rapidly as it went up.
The Brotherhood's Demands.
The Players Brotherhood and the League
are getting closer together, and before many
days we may expect these two bodies to meet.
In response to a request from the players
President Young has appointed committee to
meet the Brotherhood. This committee con-
slsts of Messrs. Day, Rogers and Spalding.
The meeting may take place in this city when
the New Yorks are here. So far, however, the
demands of the players have not been definite
ly stated. It seems that they have only made
a general statement regarding the classtica-
tion rule and the reserve rule. OF course, we
all know that the players are strongly opposed
to both the graded salary plan and the
reserve rule. These two questions will. doubt
less. be thoroughly discussed at the proposed
conference between the League and the play
ers, and while the magnates may be disposed to
modify or change the present classification
rule, it seems safe to predict that the reserve
rule will stand From sentimental standpoint
the reserve rule looks extremely oppressive and
tyrannieal, but in reality it is not so bad as it
looks. Certainly when it is compared to the
principles of slavery the players have the pub
r
gether true one. / would ike to know how
the League and Association would get along
without a reserve rule, and this is the proper
business way of looking at the matter. We can
all find faults and flaws in almost any rule, but
1t is not so easy to make an improvement on
that which we condemn. This seems to be the
case with the reserve rule; at any rate 1t seems
that to abolish this rule would mean the col
lapse of the League. There are many things in
life that are not comfortable, but circumstances
compel us to tolerate them until we can replace
them with something better. So it is with the
reserve rule, and until the players can suggest
something that will take its place and accom-
plish the objects it has in view they ought
sever to think of abolishing it.
Dividing the Receipts.
President j. B. Days idea of all the League
clubs equally dividing the receipts seems to
have met with universal favor among the
PLAYERS, but whether or not Mr.. Day made the
suggestion in good faith remains to be seen.
however, JOnn M. w ara. Ed hanl0n ana
other prominent players are advocating the
plan for all there is in it. Two or three days
ago Hanlon expressed himself to me to the
effect that he believed an equal division of re-
ceipts would cure all the evils complained of
by the players and magnates This certainly
is very hopeful view of it, and if the plan
could accomplish what Mr. Hanlon
claims it would, the sooner it is
put into operation the better. But |
question very much that it will be as great a
boon as promised OF course it wou cause !
one club to think more about another than at
present but it would also tend to kill compe |
titlon. There is an old socialistic principle |
underlying the proposed plan; that principle is |
the equal division of the returns of combined |
effort. This principle always has and always |
will to great extent destroy the spirit of self
dependence. However, it Is not likely that the |
plan will ever be adopted. l venture to say |
that even Mr.. Day Will not be disposed to try |
il.
The Young Local Pitchers.
There is general desire to know what is to |
be done with the three young pitchers recently |
signed by the home club. So far they have not !
been tried on the local grounds yet, and we |
may expect to see them in the box this week. |
1t is not to be expected that all three will be |
retained. Altogether the club has eight pitchers |