Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-20
A REVIEW OF SPORTS.
Yesterdays Big Baseball
Opening Events.
PRES. YOUNG'S CIRCULAR.
Opinions About Corbett's Contest
With Dominick McCaffrey.
OCONNOR-STANSBURY BOAT RACE

commencement was like, but goodness know
what the end will be. Before that very de
sirable event will come there will have beel
more angry feeling and unpleasantness i'm
ported into the surroundings Of the nationa
game than years will obliterate. This viii
be one of the features of this very unfortun
ate contest that all of US, 1 think, will mos
regret. However, such is the circumStanc,
of conflict. We cannot have life and deatl
contest minus enemies and friends. Yester
days opening OF the contest for public pat
ronage couldn't well have been a surprise t.
those who have kept pace with the controversy
that has been gong on between the contendinl
parties during the winter. That the public
should be inclined to bestow its patronage OF
at least the preponderance of its patronage or
the new organization in the opening Of
the season is something that every one Of u,
ought to have expected There is novelty in
new things to the public just as there is novelty
In new toy to a child, and novelty Away:
causes more or less curiosity. This novelty,
however wears of, and to sustain that liking or
affinity for that which was once new there must
be something more substantial than novelty
To be brief, good and victorious ball playing
will assuredly be the magnet after two or three
weeks are over. l am aware that there is a very
strong sentiment abroad among the masses IN
favor of the new League. Yesterdays events
proved this if any proof were needed. To a
great extent this sentiment is founded on a
similar to what we find in the lines of Burns
"Wha wad be a coward SLAYER
Wha wad be traitor knave?'
The popular notion is, undoubtedly, to the
effect that the new departure is to escape from
the unjust treatment of certain capitalists. II
De- In f1a rivbf of
that opinion Just now. 1t is sufficient to say
that it exists and very strongly. This senti-
ment, then, may be deep-rooted enough to impel
those who hold it to continue their patronage
to the new League irrespective of good, bad or
Indifferent ball playing.
Yesterdays Lessons.
see no reason for the friends Of the Ma
tional League 10 have feelings of dependency
because the crowds were against them yester-
day. If the circumstance would mean anything
particularly it would mean that the National
League goes on the even tenor of its way with
more determination than ever. Permanent
success is not like JOnah's gourd; it does not
spring up in night or day. We often find
the popularity of yesterday transferred INTO
censure to-day: we make a hero one day and
bestrew his path with palms. and the next day
butcher him in cold blood. And SO it may be in
baseball. None of US can absolutely say that it
won't. But what claim is, judging from pres
ent conditions, the National League has the
better prospects in respect. 1t is sure to de-
velop some sterling players during the season,
and that is the most encouraging feature of the
entire business. at present the local Players
team is one of the best in the country. don't
refer to the work of the players yesterday, be-
cause one game proves very little, but by a
careful analysis of the entire team 1 come to
that conclusion. They will get better. The
local National League team is the most prom
Using In the country, and anticipate that be-
fore the season is ended Pittsburg will be
proud of it
President Young's Circular.
Two or three days ago President n. E.
Young. of the National League, issued circu-
lar to the managers of each club in the League
that is worthy OF notice. Its object is certainly
a worthy one, and doubtless every fair-minded
patron of the national game VINO has read 1t
will deem it a very worthy and opportune
effusiou. The entire burden of the circular is
one of admonition to managers and through
them to the players. As RUE, advice is about
one of the cheapest things in the world. We
can get bushels of 1t every day for nothing and,
generally speaking, l venture to say that we
get about 80 per cent more than we are inclined
TO accept. The great difficulty with all of us
lies not in the scarcity of advice or admOnitions
but rather in determining what is good and
what is bad. When we are able to make this
destination and have the courage to refuse that
which is bad then we have accomplished a
very noble deed. Well, ] don't think
there will be much difficulty in qualifying the
admonitions of Mr.. Young in this instance. I
have looked over them very carefully, indeed,
and have come 10 the conclusion that if they
are lived up to we will have an organization of
very respectable ball players of excel ent de-
pertinent. The advice OF the president regard
ing the conduct and appearance of ball players
in public is of special value to the young play
ers who have just been imported into the Ma
IiOnal League, and they would do well to
read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" it.
But the great utility OF Mr.. Young's circular is
not confined to the young players who have
only recently Joined the National League. 1t
points out one fact at least that every baseball
player. that is professional PLAYER, in the coun-
try ought not TO forget, viz: That he is pub
lie character, and that as such his public traits
and actions are continually under public sur
veillance. In the past some baseball players,
prompted by an Inflated notion of their ma
tionaI Importance, have persistently over
stepped the limits of even ordinary RESPONSE
bilIty. Nothing can be more ruinous to an or
gauization than conduct of this Kind on the
part of its representatives. We may not at
all times be able TO get frst-class ball players
but certainly We ought always to be able to
secure gentlemen.
An Interesting Suggestion.
A correspondent from Mansfield Valley. this
State: ''Mr. Pringle, 1 read with interest and
generally with approval your very able and i'm
partial review of sports in The DISPATCH; but
there is one phase of the baseball subject that
have not seen mentioned anywhere that would
like to see you handle.
IF the various teams of the Players League
should prove TO be evenly matched and conse-
Quently are almost even in number of games
lost and won the public interest in the League
will be maintained. But should these teams be
unevenly matched and the games won in the
early part of he season be one-sided, for in
stance Just like those of the National League
last season, will not public interest decline:
particularly if the teams of The National
League be putting up good ball on even con-
test?
Under these circumstances, provided the
PLAYERS League or Brotherhood is as much
unit IN fact as they have endeavOred to make
the public believe, and the interest of one is to
be the interest Of all as il is claimed, will they
not be tempted and liable to Yield 10 the tempta-
tion of adjusting matters by prearraugement
rather than luse the public interest? In other
words, Will they not be likely to put up job on
the public by processing to play an honest game
while in fact il would be no contest at all?
"If the thought seems to you to be worthy OF
consideration in THE DISPATCH ! shall be
much interested in reading it"
The letter is signed ]. Hitler.
Mr.. HTlIIer's Questions.
Iventure to say that the questions propounded
by Mr.. Hitler will be of interest to all who are
interested in any way in the Players League.
think however, that l have dealt with the
matter before, but not in such a plain way as