New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-03
$THE WORLDS CHAMPIONS.
WHAT AND WHO THE GIANTS ARE.
BRIEF SKETCHES OF NETWORKS 'A"o'N
BASEBALL PLAYERS-How THE 9kHAA

BRIEF SKETCHES OF EEW.YORK'S
BASEBALL pLAYEas-How THE GREAT
b NATIONAL GAME ORIGINATED
u The evolution of baseball has furnished an III
keresting study for many men OF many -.
There are many conflicting opinions as ~ '
hxsot origin. but that ball-playing comes uo"'
from the neriod of classic antiquity is matter oi
history. OF course the youths of Old Egypo u'u
not play baseball, but that they used p'ii ioa
kpggling and employed it for dexterous "e'
Tor amusing the populace is fact. AnionS -.
kSreelzs even philosophers, poets, rulers anu
civilians resorted 10 the tossing oil o"ii .
bne to another in their hours OF relaA"'ion 10
kmeans Of obtaining moderate exercise III 'ho
..-...r,h century, the ball was carried from the
continent into England, when cricket anu ''-'"'
8pentusIy sprang up
g Our American fathers found time. as their SONS
10 today, to play ball as means OF eAeioi'e
hrd recreation Cricket lacked the nre anu up
k,srtunities for the display OF agility ana sce"''
e dear 70 the heart of every American, ana aS "
6soesxal result baseball is the National game Vi
Al America to-day While this country may never
In its love for baseball it is highly prOpaolc
Shat 1t will not for long be able 10 say 'ii"V ~
fspureiy a local institution. The athietic youths
bftother countries have observed JUS oeau"c' "AN
kuap. and are showing disposition 70 throw away
lchcdr old toys and embrace the livery nelu spoiO
knaCanada cricket and lacrosse have already gwen
kxsv TO baseball, while regular leagues nave peen
2rcarized in the Hawaiian Islands. Australia.
AFIrland the West Indies and Japan. Inc spore
ku<1 remain popular as long AS it is kept clean anu
N,bolesome The League, American Associa'ioh
And minor leagues have made professional oase-
h,a]l one of the institutions OF the country. ino
6ame is popuhr alike East, West North ana oou'n,
ErAhout n wear ago a famous club of the National
xfIagre fond that its expenses too great. ana
retired from the organization. Inc acuoh c'u'eu
n decided uprising in the town, the DuSineSs HUI
ofs the place especially showing desire 10 conic
kas the clubs rescue, subscribe financial ana anu
ixsep the club in the League. AT meeuhg caheu
latrthe time the owner of one OF the FrgesU p'o"O
medicine manufactures III the world SAID among
other things: Gentlemen we do not want the
Botroit club to disband; We can't ahord III Hoin
asbusiness standpoint. In the teams pilgrlmages
over the country il advertises our city, ana, lh-
tBrectlv. the products of our State. Why' IL we
sllow the Wolverines 10 disband people in the
East and South Will soon forget that there Is suon
haplace on the map OF the UNITED states DIS De
krttt" The Detroit team lett the League never
hheless but its favorite players had Eardy Settco
blown in other clubs before another great team
kSass organized in Detroit and entered INTO .tne
international Association. The happy wolverines
have Just captured the pennant IN that JUNIOR
league and would like to get in faster company
again A vacancy i'll the Association. OF even
h,the League, would he quickly gobbied up by
Detroit.
ANew-york City has always had warm spot IN
Mar heart for baseball, as q glance back at the
lannon's records made by clubs since '46 Will show.
The old KniolxerboclSer then the Mutuals, sui
Halter the Metropohtans. and last but greatest OF
ail. the Giants have all had hosts of admirers
wsho turned out in a body whenever they played
hieamc.
| .gohn B. Day. the wholesale tobacco merchant
tof:Maiden Lane and c. L. Dillingham;, the Broad
may book publisher, are the head, brains and
financial hackers of the New-Iork club. vi
c6lrrse there few MINOR stockholders, put
President Day ard Vice-Presidcnt Dillingham;
most of the stock, and oil the machinery OF the
institution Mr. Day was a slsstochng player
himself dozen years ago and has been champion
of the sport ever since he was big enough TO hold
Np 36-ounce ash bat
: 1t is told of James Mutrie, the manager OF the
k1srns. that Truthful Jeems" the original
.. sandwich man on Broadway, but Mutrie in
tdignsntly denies the imputation. Mutrle to-
kday, is one of the happest men In the United
States and a welsatished smile clings around
hs handsome mustache as he goes numbering down
<he street, well content with the world, but more
Especially with himself Everybody knows Mutre,
and his neck gets still and his hand sore respond
hng to the greetings from his numerous acqualnt-
anoes Mutrie's face and figure probably
better known 10 the average New-iorker than
those of President Harrison Governor Hill or
Mayor Grant.
The modern history of baseball in New-York
could not be told without giving Mutrie promi-
nent place in the work. Mutrie came to New
York in 1873. and his early pilgrimages after
capitalists to back mis- baseball ideas brought out
his hustling abilities which have been the Giants
manager chief characteristic ever since He called
lpon most OF the wealthy men Of Gotham
and told them about the rich harvest TO be reaped
: Ay establishing professional baseball in New
Work, but the wealthy men fought shy of the
6eheme and Mutrie about 10 give up In de-
Ispair and 90 back TO his New-En gland home Nv
chance he was introduced TO John B. Day. and
Mutrie told his tale for the last time with an
Aloquence born of desperation Day liked the
idea and furnished the capital TO start what is
how one Of the local institutions Of the city.
htock company formed the Polo Grounds were
heased from the old Westchester Polo Club, and
tMutrie has been in clover ever since.
The famous old MetIopolitans were organized
as An Independent club playing exhibition games
with all teams which happened TO come this way
ut frst the venture did not pay, but in the
recond year of the Nets existence they won the
Stare championship. and baseball has been popular
here ever since In 1872 the Nets belonged
IN the league Alliance, and next year joined the
American Association In 1885 the " Nets" be-
.ran 70 wane and the New-York team was organ
syed and entered the League. Mutrie left the
Mctropolitans and has managed the Giants ever
since. The team has won all the base ball honors
dusing the last two years having taken the
worlds championship from ST. Louis In 1883 and
lust successfully defended the title from the an
bilious team in Brooklyn.
Mutrie is a New-England boy, and was born at
Chelsea. Mass He played his first game in 1870,