The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-23

There has been so mucn tux recently about
the decline OF baseball in the East that r,aln
class on the Coast has taken up the subject and
treated it in such manner that the California
League is made to appear TO be suffering from
lack Of public interest in The sport And what
gives color TO the statements Is that within the
past SIX or eight weeks there have been many
empty seats at the local grounds. Manager Finn
was interviewed on the subject few days ago,
and when asked II there was not decreased at
tendance at the games, said: The months oil
June and July have always been the
poorest, financially, In our business, and
there are several causes for IT, but the
main one is that there are so many
weekday and Sunday picnics and excursions.
People may see ball games almost the whole
year round, While the picnic season lasts but Two
or three months and the. present pleasant
weather is an incentive TO short country 1aunt
on holidays and the Sabbath. Yet II Will per-
haps surprise some persons to hear that this
year has been better one for baseball than any
previous one. The attendance thus far In June
has been heavier than Ia the corresponding
month of former seasons. The receipts for the
last six weeks show an Increase OF about 80 per
cent over the amounts received in May and June
during past years"
"Yet the audiences look smaller than in 1882"
They may seem smaller" answered the man
ager OF Ihe home team, land the notion gener-
ally comes from the recOllecIlous OF the wnd-up
OF the previous season. As the schedule OF
games is about played out there is generally
runs high aud crowds flock 10 the grounds. Such
was tile case last year, especially when the Oak
lands ana San Franchises played together. Now
The people contrast the present attendance with
that OF the close OF last year aud of course, this
seasons audiences seem very much smaller.
There has been heavy Increase in The attend
ance OF ladies' this year, and this Is good
augury."
'How about the talk of the decline in the in
terest IN the gameP
"Sueh talk originates from persons who were
nrOnOIlQcel
players 10 some OF tile clubs ana attended games
solely because these men appeared. Their
favOriies are not In the league this year aud the
cranks do not 20 ont TO the games. They
imagine because they have lost interest aud
keep away from the bah grounds that the public
generally entertain the same ideas"
:" Is it not fdct that allowing Power, SWEET,
Long Harde, Smiley, Vincent, Daley and
others 10 20 East has been detrimental 10 tue
league"
"The public generally believes 1t was our fault
that these men went East, but II Is not So
SWEET Power and Long are native Californians.
aud were never outside this State. They were
anxious 10 see the country, aud any offer re-
ceiyed from the East was indueement enough TO
take them from The California League. Power
and SWEET, TWO players l was most anxious TO
keep here, told me they were determined to go
East, II possible, to zee the United States, and
did not know of a better opportunity to do so.
They said II would take inducements beyond the
means OF the California League TO retain them.
So far as the other men who went East
are concerned the local managers were willing 10
sign them, but The players received offers from
the National League and Brotherhood aud
naturally accepted them, as the salaries were
larger, and the height OF every young ball play
er's ambition is 10 become a National Lacquer.
The California League does not pretend to pay
National League salaries, although We do play
Just as good ball and our clubs are capable of
playing ball with or against any OF the big teams
beyond the Rockies. Our clubs this year, with
one exception, are stronger than ever, and Stock
ton will soon be on war footing with the others.
The home team to-day Is the strongest TepTesen-
tatlye team this city has ever had and the other
clubs are superior 10 the old ones in every de-
partment. This year has brought out heavier
hitting, sharper and cleaner fielding and more
daring 0aSe-running."
The Record Union says of the new Sacramento
pitcher: Holman Is not apparently wonder
every day twrler, who can be depended upon TO
do his share II his heders support hIIn properly.
He has plenty OF speed, and noisy coaching
doesn't appear 10 bother bin In the least He
pitched better bail yesterday wnen men were on
bases than lie did when there were none. lie
did not appear 10 be watching the bases yester.
day; that Is, ne did not Try 10 catch any run
ner mapping, but 1t was quite noticeable that
the runners did not take any chances by playing
off too far. He loses no time in delivering The
ball by unnecessary swinging Of the arms, and a
base-runner is not apt to get much OF lead on
him. Lehman was tie only Oakland man that
stole base yesterday, but 1t was after Bowm n
| caught foul near the special stand aud could
| not recover himself In time 10 throw the ball 10
| second base. The new twirler is also somewhat
| OF batter. and sacrifice 1y ball knocked by
| him Into center field yesterday allowed ReliZ 10
| score.
! 81 propose to win the championship this year,
said Manager Fun Saturday, and Will spare
| neither time, trouble nor expense to do so. My
| team was beat out Of IL last year by fuke and
| don't intend to have a similar trick played on
| me. As long as my club holds It's present posi-
| lion am satisfied but so soon as l mud 1t can