Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-31
AREWEW OF SPORTS,
Some Interesting Features of the
Contest for the National
League Pennant.
FEW WORDS ABOUT THE HOME CLUB
Opinions Regarding the Referees Decision
in the Recent Jackson and
Corbett Battle.
EVENTS AMONG THE PUGILISTS.
Prospects Of the Local Amateur Athletic Sports fOr the
Season.
FEW WORDS ABOUT THE HOME CLUB
EVENTS AMONG THE PUGILdSTS.
Prospects Of the Local Amateur Athletic Sports for the
Season.


still in a very interesting and even excited
manner. More than ever has the fact been
demonstrated that baseball is still king Of all
outdoor sports in the United States While
the weather during the week has not been
good by any means, the attendance at each
game, both here and elsewhere, has been
extremely good. From this fact we de-
duce another, that is as long as the re-
speetive teams do well and make a good
argument on all occasions, there will be
large audiences. For years and years this
paper has pointed out the fact that a good
baseball team in Pittsburg would be q
profitable venture. BY "good" 1 mean
q winning team, because there may be
q very wide difference between a good
team and a winning team. Well, we
have had the fact clearly proven
to us that our team is a profitable one if
they only do not perform any worse than
they have been doing. After all, we all
like to be on the side of the victors, and
very few people like to cheer or in any way
support losers. The success of National
League baseball, then, in Pittsburg depends
on the victories of the team, and certainly
the stockholders and directors of the club
are aware of this. In looking over the lists
Of the various teams in the League it is not
difficult to discover that more money has
been spent by the Pittsburgers in trying to
get good baseball players together than has
been spent by any other club in the country.
The team is good one, but so far we can
not claim that the players have been ex-
tremely successful in winning games. The
very good fights they have on almost all oc-
casions made have kept up the enthusiasm,
and this goes to show that, even though a
good team may be a loser, there is to agreat
extent desire to patronize it.
A Few Local Features.
While am speaking about the local
team l may as well say all 1 have to say
about it before dealing with the teams in
general. There is no desire on my part to
grumble unduly about the home team. NV
readers will know by this time that am
never too ready to praise anybody or any,
thing-that is, have to be extremely well
satisfied about the case before any lauda-
tions are given bv me. Well, I am quite
free TO admit that our local ball team is
worthy of praise, but while say that am
also free TO confess that they have been
somewhat disappointing. Although our
players have the. reputation of being an ag-
gregation of very big hitterS they have lost
very many games simply because of their
very poor hitting. In this respect the team
has been a great disappointment, and it is
no use shutting our eyes to the fact. And
what is more, when they fail to hit, and hit
often and hard, they are very poor
lot of players. But the irregular hitting is
not the only drawback The ipfield is not
solid by any means, and 1 think nobody
will DENY that Reilly and Miller are Just as
likely TO cause defeat any day as to help a
victory. Many games have been lost by
these two PLAYERS but still l am not going
to say: sect clear Of them" They are in
a probationary condition; they are develop
ing, and there is every hope that they will
blossom into very good players. But in
the meantime they are now and again losing
games and this is naturally causing very
much dissatisfaction among the cranks. L
don't hesitate TO saw that if we had q first
class shortstop and third baseman we would
have, beyond all doubt, the best team in the
country. But while it is easv to say and TO
prove that the infeld is weak, it is not so
easy TO make it stronger. While we may
be satisfied that the work of Reilly and
Miller is not as good as it ought to be, we
may not be able to get better men for their
places. That is tie difficulty. Just let any
where we can get two better men than
Reilly and Miller.
About Our Pitchers.
In one thing the local team is we'll fixed
and that is pitchers 1 don't know of a
time when the Pittsburg club was in such
excellent condition for pitchers as at present;
in fact, there is not a club in the country so
well stocked with good pitchers. When such
an excellent man as Staley is set at liberty
there must be good material left. But 1 am
aware that very large number of local
club patrons claim that it was very big
mistake to allow Staley to go, and that no
better material is left in the club. l am
perfectly willing TO express an opinion on
the matter, and that opinion is to the effect
that Staley was too good a man let go so
easily. Not by any means do l mean to tell
the club officials how they should conduct
their business, but as an outsider 1 certainly
have a right TO express my opinion on the
matter, and l don't hesitate to say that there
was little undue haste in dispensing with
Harry Staley. Depend upon it, we have
no absolute proof that our present
pitchers are thoroughly safe and sound.
And outside that fact by giving Staley to
Boston we are Strengthening enc of our most
dangerous rivals. There have been some
rumors current during the week relative to
Calvin. These rumorS were to the effect
that ''Old Sport" and the management were
not getting along all right 1 am very glad
TO be able to note that Calvin and the club
are all o. X. He may have been a little
cross because he was not put in to pitch in
his turn, but matters are all right now. OF
course we reckon Maui among the pitchers,
but it does seem to me quite plain that the
club made big mistake when they released
Laroque. Now just let us see how short
sighted were the club officials. We had
any number of outfelders, that is,
men who could go out and do
toierably well in the outfeld in a case of
emergency. But we only had one infelder
that is, extra infielder. We released him,
and then our best infelder got disabled, and
we hadn't man to fall back on, except a
misft. Certainly the judgment shown was
bad, because 1 don't expect that Maui is be-
ing kept because of his pitching, and if he is
not, then there never was a greater mistake
made than that of releasing Laroque
A team such as we think we have should, by
all means never be without an extra in
fielder, and it is a very great pity that the
team is caught now without one.
Baseball in General
The contest for the League penant is still
as interesting as ever, and it may be safe to
say that there never was time when the
contestants in the race kept SO close to-
gether for such long time Every team in
the League has done something to cause un-
usual excitement, and there will certainly
be more of it yet. One of the great
surprises is that Cleveland should be so
far up and a team like the New
Gorks so far down. That is one of the
curious features of baseball, because don't
inH dxy for l.