The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-31
BO0TLESS BASE BALL WAR
Both Leagues Said to be Willing
to Patch Up q
Truce.
The Cry of War to the Knife Is
no Longer
Heard.
Probability That the Schedules Will be
Revised Soon-Queer Things About
Patrons of the Game.

Probability That the Schedules Will be
Revised soon-Queer Things About
Patrons of the Game.
The base ball fight is nearing an end an
the flag of truce is about to be hoisted, says
the Chicago Tribune. It has been a most
disastrous war thus far, and both sides are
more than glad to patch up truce. In GER
tain quarters the truce will do no good, as
it is already too late. The Pittsburg Ma
tional League club is on the verge Of disco
luton and must go in the next week or two.
There is little sympathy expressed for its
managers from any quarter. The Pitts
burg National League club has never been
an ornament to the profession on account
of the manner in which it was run, and the
majority Of patrons in the Smoky City will
iority. Cleveland, too, is said to be shaky,
but this story il denied. The fact re-
mains, however, that Cleveland cannot sup
port two ball clubs, and either the National
league or brotherhood team must go to the
wall.
The indications now are that in very
short time the league, schedule will be en-
tirely revised and all conflicting dates
wiped out. This will benefit certain cities,
but, as said before, cannot help some.
Cleveland and Pittsburg are entirely incap-
able of supporting two clubs, and it is war
to the knife there There j. no so,,d reason
delphia and Boston should not easily sup
port two hyst-class teams. Philadelphia
has always done it, and the other cities are
just as good bail towns. This would ma
terially change the situation and practical
ly end the war: While q changing OF the
on the part of tho league, il would be by
far the best policy, and the league can
blame itself only for its dish of crow. After
the Players league had completed it's
schedule copy was made and forwarded
to President Nick Young, with a polite
ct it could build its schedule SO as to avoid
conflicting dates. The old league did not
even have the courtesy to answer the
communication, and, ordering it filed.
proceeded to build schedule of conflicting
dates. Even then The players league would
erhood met in New York it was the senti-
ment of many of the members that from a
business standpoint the schedule should be
changed. F. De Haas Robson, the Cleve-
land president and chairman of the ma
tionai league and emergency. committee, at
players league changed its schedule the
national league would follow it to the bit
ter end and conflict on every available oc-
casion. When this was published the
players league changed its policy and even
made one more conflicting date, opening
intended. At that time the most loud
mouthed of the league magnates was Nimlok
of Pittsburg. He declared that the wal
would be pushed to the bitter end. What
was the result? Two weeks after the open
ing of the season he ia making vain at:
-, h via oru
salaries His grounds are seized for back
rent and he and his club are the laughing.
stock of the base ball world. He made 8
pretty good bluff. but it would not quite 60
The claim made by certain league ofh-
cials that the game has been permanently
with base ball and its devotees. While
there can be no question that the attend
ance this spring has been lighter than fol
several years past the cause can be easily
traced. This has been the most backward
spring known in many years. and the regu-
go to base ball games. fearing the conse-
quences of a two hours sojourn in the open
air. Then, too, people are waiting for the
situation to settle. Base ball crowds, while
in many ways tickle, always follow leader
like a flock of sheep, and once turned In a
This has been the history of base ball
When st. Louis was National league and
American association team the latter out
drew it's rival two to one, although at that
time it was generally conceded that the OLD
league was furnishing better class Of ball
league club and Metropolitans, at that
time members of the American association
played at one time on the same grounds
only a canvas fence separating the teams
The Metropolitans won the pennant thai
year, while the New York club was near thu
tail end. The league club charged 30 cents
league club outdrew them four to one
These examples show how peculiar has.
ball audiences are. This year they have a!
yet not forsworn ALLEGIANCE to any league
or club, and are willing for the situation t.
adjust itself. The national pastime is on
tirely too popular and love for it too frml!
implanted in the heart Of the average
American to be eradicated by such move
ment as the brotherhood made. just 8,
long as baseball is conducted on homes
principles it will be given support by tn
American people.
There is no department of the game tina
has changed go completely and rapidly Q
late years as the pitching. From the tim
that Cummings discovered curve pitchin
to the present day the changes have bee
marvellous, and this year more than ever
the pitchers ingenuity taxed to its utmos
After the curve was discovered ma
needed but slow, sweeping out-curve. a
ternated with fast ball. to be effective.
was not long before the batsman succeede
in mastering this form of delivery and Il
pitchers were again at their Wits end.
order to aid them the delivery restriction
were modified to allow a pitcher to delivt
the ball from any portion of the body belo
the shoulder. Again the pitcher was kim
and with the increased speed attaine
soon became possessed of sharp shoe
which completely mystified the ba
tiers. Even then, however, for
of pitching began to creep
which has since revolutionized the art I
twirling. Jimmy Calvin and Tim kee
were its opponents and owed their etfectlv
ness to it. 1t consisted in delivering ia
ball and then q slow one with exactly Il
same motion. Another favorite form of d
livery was a fast raise ball brought fro
knee height and raising all the way until
shot across the plate. Fred Goldsmith al
Mccormick were its principal exponent
When the batsmen again began to reasse
restrictions from the pitcher and the dr.
ball was introduced In order to secure
drop ball the arm must rise above the he
and the ball sent away with sharp dow
ward snap of the wrist. This mode of {
livery was found to be ruinous, and AFT
Larry Mexican, Frank Mountain, and otl
pitchers who affected it had broken do,
the majority of the pitchers discard
1t and most of them began to all
the Jump ball. This is practically strail
ball sent with such speed that it seems
take an upward shoot as it crosses
plate. It remains to-day as the most
fectiye ball pitched. All the tvirlers
unable to use it, as it requires great spe