Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-05-18
ARENA OF SPORTS.
PENNANT BATTLES on MANY DA-
M0NDS.
The Prospects Of the Wheeling Tri-State League
Team-McAulife and Kilrain Matched to
Fght-Pugilistic News-Tmf
Topies-GeneralS Sports.

Within the last few days Wheeling
has strikingly exemplified the influence
which one or two winning games by
the home club has upon the average
base ball crank. II is safe to say that
base ball enthusiasm is higher in this
vicinity than at any time for months
before; and the recent games at Dayton
and Springfield are directly responsible
for it. The face of the fan" is wreathed
in smiles that would do credit to a Jap
aneSe artist; and mighty prayers go up
for a continuance of the winning streak.
1t is ever thus. Let the Wheeling club
come back winners and the earth is
theirs, but defeated and no one so poor
As To do them reverence.
~
If the expressions of competent Judges
are to be takan as authority. the pres
cnt Wheeling club is by all odds the
strongest in the Tri-State League. As
the scores show. it is capable of putting
up an almost errorleSs fielding game,
and il is as strong as any al the bat.
The only possible danger to the club at
present is in the box. With Fitzgerald
and Sawyer in good condition there
should be no trouble. but with either
disabled, the prospect for winning
many games wouldn't be rosy one.
-
The most remarkable feature about
the contests in the major leagues has
been the small attendance. True the
wet weather has had considerable to do
with this. and the opening of the spring
racing season in the East considerably
more: but the average has been far
from up TO the standard. and in New
York and Brooklyn has been disgust
ingly small. 1t is barely possible that
some people, who expected to make Il
pot of money out of base ball this year
will have to go down into their pockets
before the season is over
-
Manager Mutric, Of the New York
League team. shows his good judgment
in his determination not to release Jesse
Burkett. the Wheeling pitcher. There
is no doubt of Burkctt'S pitching abil-
tiles. as he has shown them through at
least two seasons. The young man has
not had fair trial in New York. The
loss of his one game was due to wild
ness. As the season warns up. Burkett
will probably settle down and do good
work.
-
The season is by far too young and
the surroundings so far too unfavorablc
to talk much about the race for the
championship pennant in either organ
iZation. So far it appears somewhat
surprising that teams made up OF the
greatest players have not shown TO the
front as RAPIDLY as base ball scientists
predicted they would. That is only one
of the uncertainties of the game. It's
a long time until October. and there'll
be great deal of shifting before the
pennant winners are decided.
-
1t seems that the next iistic event of
anv consequence is to be between Joe
McAulitfe and Jake Kilrain. The re-
doubtable Jacob will at least have a
chance TO regain the laurelS he lost to
Corbett. The battle between these men
will be an event of intense interest.
McAuliffe'S friends regard him as the
man To- 90 against Sullivan. If he can
defeat Kilrain. his claims will be good.
-
Although Corbctt apparently won an
easy victory over the Baltimorean. it is
no argument that he is not still for
midable man. In the New Orleans bat
tie Kilrain was at a great disadvantage,
but even then he would doubtless have
won if it had been finish contest.
McAulife will know that he has been
fighting before he gets through with
Inl,n