Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-09

surfing him to-day. / am aware that con-
solidation has the danger of monopoly con-
nected with it. Ceutralizing all the baseball
interests will certainly have a tendency
toward gigantic baseball trust, but mat
ters need not 20 that far. They may if a
settlement is not made speedily, and let ME
state at this point that the longer this hum
bug is continued the worse it will be for the
bali player. He is the one and the only one
who cannot afford to wait. Already
there are signs of discomfort among
the players. All these rumors about
q prominent man like Comiskey
are probably not idle talk and this means
that the words of Mr.. McAlpin ought to be
very carefully weighed by every stock
holder and every player in the Players
League. If we make retrospect of the late
season We will at once see how foolish and
how absurd all this quarreling and fighting
has been. We cannot shut our eyes to the
fact that in the estimation of the public
baseball is of less importance to-day than
it has been for years, and it is still being
dragged down to a lower level. One of the
wisest acts that the Players League meet
ing or Tuesday can do is to resolve to
end this nonsense. If it does that
then it will go on record as being
very sensible body. The signs OF
internal discussions among the P. L. people
themselves point with no uncertain hand
to the probable death of that organization
if peace Is not brought about 1t is impos-
sible 10 avoid the conviction that should
the New York gentlemen be forced out or
should they retire, the death knell OF the
2. L. will not be far behind. The public
will be more disguised with the discredit-
able affairs than ever. The talk of either
Mr. Wagner or any OF his friends buying
out the brooklyn and New York clubs may
be good enough rs mere talk, but 1 cannot
bring myself to believe that there are men
who will spend thousands of dollars on any
such uncertain thing as either of the clubs
named. In this connection 1 am not
violating any condolences when 1 repeat an
opinion expressed by friend of mine at the
recent New York P. L. meeting. He made
statement to the effect that year ago. or
nearly year ago, the P. L. started out amid
q country full of enthusiasm and with more
than one star aggregation, and he reminded
his hearers that the enthusiasm is dead and
the stars are more or less obscured. 1t is
amid a condition of affairs like this that
another season must be started, he argued,
if two organizations are to be continued. l
am told that his statement or argument was
followed by a profound silence. Now, the
gentleman who made this statement is
known to all of us, 1 dare say. I
don't quote his words as being
my opinions, but the opinions of a man who
has taken very active part in the Players
League and has lost money in it. And yet,
despite such convincing, such plain and
common-sense opinions, we have irresponsi-
bic people trying to goad others on to con-
tinuance OF all this humDug aud ruInation.
Why, the thing is preposterous; and the
wonder is that at this period OF the worlds
history men can be found foolish enough to
be identified with a condition of things that
ordinary school boys would deem too stupid
to have anything to do with. There is only
one way by which the baseball magnets can
regain public recognition, and this is by act
ing like sensible people and terminating
their Kilkenny-cat policy.
The Football Players.
Football continues to increase in popu-
larity, not only in Plttsburg, but through
out the country generally. The visit of the
Princeton Preps to this city certainly had
good effect in more ways than one. The
Preps not only gave an exhibition Of good
football playing, but their work was an ex-
cellent lesson for the home team. As a re-
suit, we can rest assured that before another
season opens we will have very good team
in Pittsburg. 1t will take time to prove
who are our best players, and it will also re-
quire good opposing teams. That We have
some good players, there is no doubt,
but regular work against the best kind
kind of kickers will make our good men
frst-class The Athletic Association has
been compelled to increase the admission fee
from % to 80 cents. AS q rule, am a
strong advocate for popular or low prices,
but there are occasions on which popular
prices cannot be put in force. l think in
the present case such is the fact. Such
teams as Princeton. Detroit and Cleveland
lost large amount of money, that Is, their
expenses are heavy and an admission fee of
% cents will not yield sufficient to pay all
expenses. l am informed by Secretary
Dawson that only the force of circumstances
causes the adoption of the 50-cent rate.
| OF course I anticipate that when clubs that
are not so expensive as the Detroits play
| here only % cents will be charged. If that
| is so it will prove that the Athletic Associa-
tion want to deal fairly with the public.
| But the association will have many oppor-
tunitics TO act generously with the public.
1t will have more events than football
| matches under its auspices, and if we have to
| pay little extra now to see a good football
team we may get something equally as good
| for less price III future. At any rate tht
association is only starting out and it need.
the help Of all of US to put it fairly on it
way.
| Cary's Recent Failures.