Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-11

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several one-sided and one-ideaed people
have busted themselves exceedingly in try
ing to bolster up the false notion that the
national game was not being injured. They
have had pleasant time of it, no doubt
with themselves in trying to persuade people
that the game was being injured but only tc
the extent of the National League. Well
now want somebody to show me how either
the new League or old Leage has made
ANYTHING like success of it so far. Every
day is proving nv contention that the pres.
tige and quality OF the game are being in
jured During the week not only have the
attendance been ofthe most miserable kind,
but the quality of the PLAYING has been dis
graceful. Good ball playing is beng lost
sight of in the fight that is going on, and it
| is only natural to expect that the intelligent
patrons of the game will have none of it
until they can see the game amid harmony,
enthusiasm and goodfellowship. The pub
| lie is not inclined to patropize ball
games, when BY so doing they are perpetu-
atlng bitter personal warfare; indeed. this
conflict is fast leading the public to the con-
ciusion that the national game is being used
as the principal tool in an uncalled conflict,
more of a personal nature than anything
else. do not believe that the game can be
made any better from a public standpoint
GUS, and venture to say that the majority
of the public are of that opinion. This
being so, it is difficult to see how the present
quarrel is anv more than q personal one
and personal quarrels soon sour the public
mind. The contending parties must be
careful, as one of these days they will wake
up to find that almost all public sympathy
for the game has vanished.
Mr.. Addison's Talk.
Regarding the question in the preceding
paragraph, Mr.. Addison has had something
to say during the week. He is an official
in the Chicago Players League Club, and
expresses opinions quite contrary to mine.
1 am not surprised at that. but am sur
prised, because Mr.. Addison gives no rea-
son for holding his opinion. People who
read what he had to say on the matter,
would observe that like other great people,
who are in fix, talk was nothing but" words,
words, words" Of all the lunny statements
have ever read or heard, those INDUCED in
by Mr.. Addison the other day, de-
serve first place. After telling us
that interest in baseball is not on the
wane, without adducing fact to prove it,
he went on to say that the public was
wearied of baseball with uncovered bleach
ers and hard seats; that the public was
wearied CT seeing sold and hired ball play
ers play, and wished to see the game on a
better and a nobler basis. don't know
what the reading public would call the
above, but 1 call it buncombe and foolish
ness. Could any friend of the new League
talk more foolishly than saying that the
uncovered bleachers and hard seats" were
not in the P. L. programme? Why, in
talking SO, the gentleman is one of the worst
enemies OF his own cause. What will the
Pittsburg officials-that is, the officials of
the local P L. club-think of his state
ment? The uncovered bleachers" and un-
cushioned seats at their new and handsome
grounds come under his ban. And Mr..
Addison's reference to the public being
tired of seeing American slaves" play is
the merest nonsense. The baseball public
have always had an eye to business. Where
there has been good ball playing OF an
honest and exciting character, free from the
unpleasantness of a quarrel between rival
organizations, they have patronized it and
will do SO again. The standard of ball
playing is not so good this spring as it was
last spring, and the surroundings are not so
pleasant and attractive. That the public is
of this opinion is shown bv the fact of the
attendance during the week. On each day
the aggregate attendance for the entire
games of the rival organizations has barely
made one good crowd. Now, we cannot get
beyond this, and the fact ought to be ad-
mitted by partisan and nom partisan alike.
The Local n. L. Club.
We certainly have had plenty of rumors
during the week regarding the local
National League Club. In two or three
days the club has been permanently located
in indianapolis, Baltimore and St. Louis
and it also has been sued for rent That is
almost sufficient for one week, at least the
published reports regarding the above have
caused many people to be very busy. We
nave the reports and we also have the most
denials of their truth. Leading
officials of every National League club
strongly deny that there is any intention
whatever TO transfer the Pittsburg club to
any city. 1 am inclined to believe the
officials, and 1 am also inclined to think
that the reports of a transfer were put into
circulation by people who are no friends of
the National League because it is easy to
see the venom and poison on all reports of |
the kind. There is no fair play in sending |
out such false rumors, because the intent is |
malicious. IT the Pittsburg n. L. Club, or
any other club, has to sink in this conflict, |
let it sink amid fair play. Fight fair" and |
Let there be clear course" are American
maIims and lies are nothing less than stabs
in the back. Of course / sincerely wish
there was only one baseball club in Pitts
burg, because it is one OF the most unpleas-
int things in life for one to be
In two persons or parties who are
rying to exterminate each other. But,
however much desire to see only one club,
ieath bv any unfair means. They are both |
nere and are struggling. 1t is the absolute
iuty of all interested to give each side fair
play. 1t is just as true as we live that both
he clubs cannot exist, and the season has
10 far proven that both will lose money.
although the 25-cent move Of the P. L. club
will go a long way toward helping the club
10 evenly balance accounts. Both, tor rea-
IONS which I have already dealt with, two
,lubs are not likely to secure the patronage
hat one would. One must go, and they
must fight it out. The other day Mr.. J.
Palmer O'Neil said to me: Now, look you
lere, we stand in this position. We have
lad a club in Pittsburg for many years.
We have paid out thousands of dollars, and
n return have not received the price of
igar. We have done everything possible
o get ball team together that would be
redit to the city. Well, those people who
lave formed new club knew that the city
would not support two clubs, but they still
anne in. Now that they are here, they say:
There is not room for both of us. You get
ut.' Can we stand that? Where is
here an American who would toler-
tie such humiliation and unfairness?
There were plenty of other cities
han Pittsburg Cor the Players League,
,ut the promoters in their dreams thought
hat all they had to do was to come here,
nd we would collapse for want of players.
We are here, however, and we mean to
'tay." There is much force, certainly, in
vhat Mr.. O'Neil says, but the fact remains
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