The Washington critic., 1890-02-23

But HIS Inactivity Is Disheartenine to
the Lovers of BasobRll-Promises
OF n Successful Racing Organiza-
tion--Turf Notos-PuRiiistic Items
80 far as am concerned, said Mr..
Hewctt, yesterday, Washington will
be in the League during the coming
season. l do not see how the League
can do anything else than make up a
schedule for ten clubs. Brush of the
indianapolis Club will not sell, and
do not see how they are going to force
anyone out,
"Sull," continued Mr.. Hewett, ~
know nothing more about the feeling of
the other League members than read
in the papers. What they are going to
do | cannot predict, and am waiting
for the meeting to find out.
Until the League meets very little
Will be done. Things are so unsettled
al present that we have done as much as
is practicable and now have got to wait
and ascertain where we stand You
may rest assured, however that ii will
not be my fault if Washington is not
represented In the League.
This Is about the strongest assurance
that tho Washington public can have
concerning the prospects of League
club inthis city during the next season
and such an assurance is certainly very
unsatisfactory to all lovers of the sport
A month ago the Washington Club was
in exactly the same position it occupies
now, but month ago there was still
time for preparation. Now the baseball
seasonis rapidly approaching and in
another week will be inaugurated in the
South, with most Of the League and
Brotherhood teams, fully organized in
the field. Washington alone has moth.
ing or very little to show as the nucleus
of a team:
The exhibition of inactivity that Mr..
Hcwctt has shown would of itself dis
courage any but the most enthusiastic of
his adhcrents His grounds are but an
extensive waste; his players, If good at
all are untried and without record,
while the stability of his franchise is in
an exceedingly precarious condition
Washington mas always been the weak
est club in the League, but it was never
30 weak in comparison with the other
clubs sas at present. All the other clubs
are in good form. Even indianapolis is
ready to take the field. Washington
alone has done nothing.
II Mr.. Hewitt expects to remain in
The League after the 4th of March,
when the League meets next, he will
certainly have TO make some very ener.
Getic efforts in order to put his club on
footing anywhere near an equality
with the other clubs. For the present
attitude, however, he cannot be blamed,
but the natural inference to be drawn
from.it is that he does not expect to re-
main in the League Months ago the
baseball authorities doubted whether or
not the League would make up SEIZED.
ule for ten clubs, but then the Brother.
heed was not by any means success,
and the League magnates believed that
the febellious players would be forced
into subsection by judicial decision.
Now, however, the conditions have
changed. The Brotherhood has not
only carried everything before it, but
the League members have practically
abandoned the fight, and are now pre-.
pairing TO enter into active competition
with tho new organization for public
patronage. The necessity for strong
clubs in good baseball towns is, there
fore, greater than ever before, and the
men who are in the baseball business
for money" want no membranes.
That ten clubs would be an incum-
brance every one believes, and whatever
doubts have been entertained regarding
the matter must have been dispeled by
the recent utterances of Mr.. Day.
I'VE will be better able to compete
with the Brotherhood with but eight
clubs in the organization, Mr.. Day
says, and what is to Mr. Days interest
is also to the interest of every other
club in the League. Accordingly, if
any are to be forced out, as doubtless
viii be the case, IL will be the weakest
clubs, and II requires little knowledge
to SEQ which these are.
1.-THE League were content to fall
into a secondary position and become a
minor organization covering the smaller
towns, then Washiugton's value would
be considerable, but under existing cir
cunstances it is the weakest point in
the circuit. and will doubtless be the
first to 60.
Work on the new grounds, which was
to have been begun this week, has been
again postponed until next week, Mr.
Hcwest says, but probably until after
the League meeting.