Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-16
A REVIEW OF SPORTS.
The Old Leagues New Method
of Fighting.
BLACKLISTED PLAYERS.
Opinions About the Battle Between
Jack Dempsey and Mccarthy.
FATAL GLOVE CONTEST AT DALLAS

One of the leading features of the week
has been the statement published in THE
DISPATCH to the effect that the New York
National League club had decided to offer
big inducements to players to leave the
Brotherhood and rejoin the League. This
plan, it is claimed, will be more efectual
than fighting the new League in the courts.
How much truth there is in the statement
don't know, but that there is some truth in
it there is no doubt The presence of Mr..
Appleton in Elmira to try and sign Danny
Richardson pro this, and doubtless Rich
srdson was ofere a very attractive induce
ment The plan, however, is a bad one,
and even were it successful, it would have
results the opposite of what the League
magnates expect Beyond all the principle
is not good and none of us can expect to
make success of anything when our lead
ing principle is bad. But as 1 have from
time to time stated, we need not be sur
prised at anything and it is safe
to say that the League magnates
will put any available scheme into operation.
The struggle is on. Most certainly 1 don't be-
lieve half of the stories published about this
player and that player being offered fabulous
sums to desert the Brotherhood. There are
many reasons why player should encourage
stories Of this kind about himself it is business
for him to do So and because of this it is safe
TO say that many of the reports in question
have been circulated for expedient purposes
Unhappily there are persons who write out
fimsy and frothy nonsense supporting these
stories, or at least the truth of them There
are characters so utterly devoid Of common
sense and intelligence and may say manhood,
that they will support anything connected with
a cause they have espoused, be it good, bad or
indifferent When partisan spirit becomes as
rampant as that it is useless to pay any atten-
ton to 1t whatever. We have had local sam
pies of it from time to time, or as Tom Moore
would say we have had one wishy-washy ever
lasting food Of maudlin nonsense entirely be-
gotten of Incidence, mentally and physically.
The Two Meetings.
Il is interesting to know that the National
League has decided to also hold its adjourned
meeting at Cleveland next month and it will
certainly be an important one. The great ques-
ton as to an eight or ten-club league will gain
be faced ahd according to President Young the
Schedule Committee will have two schedules
prepared, one for eight clubs and the other for
bility of eight clubs being decided upon. 1
certainly would not be surprised to see Wash
ington and indianapolis drop out despite the
statements to the contrary. 1t would seem
that a ren-club league will be very difficult to
handle and it is safe to say that the National
League will need to have everything as smooth
as possible this year. The new league meeting
will also be an important one, as the schedule
will be adopted and umpires selected Alto
gether the meetings will give very deserving
city good baseball boom.
Those BlackIisted Players.
During the last few days the cases of those
players who deserted the Brotherhood and were
subsequently blseklisted by that organization
have been brought prominently before the pub
lie The visit and Mr. Facing Both Ways talk
of E. J. Mexican in this city have done much
to bring the matter very prominently before
the public Mr.. Foster, of the Cleveland
Leader, very promising young baseball writer,
strikes the keynote of this matter in the fol-
lowing two or three sentences. He says: There
is going to be hitch in the Brotherhood about
Mexican unless Ward has been badly mis-
quoted. In another interview be has again
stated strongly that he will fight the return of
any player blacklisted by the Brotherhood. |
Ward is one of the big guns in the new League. |
he is sure to come slap up against the capital
lists of his own organization in this matter. and
If they so desire they will overrule him." 1t |
may be added that Mr.. Brunell and others |
prominent in the new League are Just as pro- |
nounced on the matter as Mr.. Ward, unhes- |
itatingy say that in this instance Messrs. Ward |
and Brunell are in the right and that reason |
and honesty are SO much on their side that it |
would be very foolish course. indeed, for any |
stockholder in the new League to oppose them |
in this matter Mark, / am ready to admit |
that there are palllating features IN some cases.
but there are none whatever in McKean's |
case and q few more like his. mean |
there are no honorable reasons WHY |
he should be reinstated. Why, on the mans |
confession, he has returned to the Brotherhood |
simply because he thought the players had |
gotten over the legal difficulties that threat |
ened to kill the new League. When the cloud |
was blackest Mexican deserted and Joined |
another camp. and when sunshine came again, |
like a coward, he returned to share the expect |
ed good things that others had fought for. |
Were players of this quality of heart and soul |
to be all reinstated tomorrow, they would all |
be deserters when the first real difficulty was |
encountered. Their presence will not grace or |
adorn any organization. There may be rea-
sons for leaving one body to join another, but |
when it comes TO series of changes and shifts |
depend upon it there is something morally |
wrong After all that has been said by Broth |
erhood leaders regarding the blacklisted play |
ers, cannot for the life of me see how they |
can consistently be taken back.
The Association Prospects.
When Secretary BruneI, of the Players
League, was in the city last Sunday, he ex-
pressed the opinion that there was no hope for |
the success of the American Association. Mr. |
Brunen recently has had many good oppor- |
tunities to form something like a correct |
opinion on the matter, and l am inclined to |
think that there is much truth in his state
ment All true patrons of the national game |
will, I think, be sorry for this, because the
Association has done much for the develop
ment of the game. To me it will remain fact
that the National League dealt the fatal blow
TO its plucky side partner. OF course it can be
argued that everything was done in accordance
with baseball law; that is. that Cincinnati and |
BROOKLYN had perfect right to leave the AsSo-
citation and Join the League. This is all true |
but the fact remains that the breaking up of |
the American Association was encouraged by
the National League. Well, this work of the
National League is likely to recoil on itself If
the Association collspses, and its circuit is such
poor and expensive one that collapse would
seem certain, the forces opposing the League
will be greater than ever. Almost every Asso-
citation club would be wanting vengeance and
new League in every possible way to fight the
old organization. 1t is fact and quite trans
parent that the old League has evinced little
or no sympathy for the welfare of the Associa-
ton and II the latter should at any time de-
fnitely act contrary to the interests of the
League, I viii not be disappointed.
Some Ancient Advice.
don't know whether or not Jeremy TAYLOR
had the baseball business in view when he
wrote his '.Holy Living about $50 years ago
but came across q passage in it the other day
that baseball msgnates would do well to ponder
over Here it is: 'ln making contracts use not
many words; for all the business of a bargain
is summed upin few sentences; and he that
speaks least means fairest as having fewer op-