Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09

1t is needless to say much about the
home edisappointments Every day is adding
proof that they are about the most dis
appointing lot of players that have ever
been in Pittsburg. All the patrons of the
club must be almost convinced that our
alleged stars are no stars at all. Downright
bad playing has had more to do with their
lack of success than bad management and if
we scan the list of the team we win soon
discover a number of very useless men.
Weak hitting has been the great difficulty
and as far as can see it will continue to be
so. Mr.. McGunnigle cannot make bad
hitter into good one any more than Hanlon
could. Such great failures with the stick
as Carroll and Bierbauer cannot be made
sluggers in reality by the new manager no
more than he can make star infielder out
of Miller. These players certainly are more
or less liable to have a good batting streak,
but if they have it would be very foolish
indeed, to attribute it to the influence of
Manager McGunnigle. 1 will do no such
thing. But so far there is no denying the
fact that both Carroll and Bierbauer have
been miserable failures as batters, and
don't hesitate to say that Reilly has been
big failure say this in good spirit, and
also say it because we are strongly requested
to say nothing but truth about the team.
Well. Reilly hasn't filled the bill as a third
baseman, and King has been a colossal
failure as a pitcher. All these failures COM
bined make very sorry state OF affairs, but
we cannot shut our eyes to the fact of the
failures Oh, no! do not forget the man.
agement, that is the mismanagement; nor
do / forget the first two or three weeks in
the season. Then the team were near the
top OF the list, now they are last. Alto
gether it would seem wise on the part OF the
directors of the club to commence to lay
their plans for next season. This one is
ruined, and if they can get to work and
mature plans by which harmony all round
can be restored there will be some hope for
baseball prosperity in Pittsburg.
HIGH-sALARIED PLAYERS.
It is players duty to try and secure as
much money for his services as he can; on
the other hand, it is the duty of the direct
ors, or magnateS as we call them, to keep
the salaries just as low as they can. We
cannot well concede one of these duties
without conceding the other, and thus We
have two opposing forces at work. A high
salaried player is an eyesore to the mag
nate, and there are many eyesores this sea-
son; in fact, so many that l am led to be-
lieve an effort will be made to reduce these
big salaries before next year comes. A very |
prominent League official told me some |
time ago that this salary question would |
surely come to the front again because play |
ers were receiving almost every dollar there |
was in the business. So far, this season, it |
has been remarkable that some of the great |
est failures have been among the high-sala- |
ried men. In instances of this kind |
matters will right themselves because the |
law of economics will prevent failure
from getting a fancy salary. But the |
feature of the high salaries that 1 wish to |
say few words about is concerning any |
concerted action the magnates may make to |
reduce salaries and keep them dowu if they |
are once down. Sometimes it is possible |
to systematically reduce salaries and keep |
them down and sometimes it is not. In |
baseball affairs we have seen that the mag |
mates have always failed to keep salaries |
down. They have met and passed resolu- |
tions to keep salaries at a low ebb, but that |
is about as far as they have gone. 1t, there
fore, seems quite plain to me that any effort |
there may be made this year to reduce |
salaries will result in the usual failures. |
still cling TO my old notion that a good
player will always command good figure.
AN INTERESTING BOAT RACE.
On Thursday last I witnessed an event
that is now something rare in Pittsburg,
viz: match boat race. 1t was, indeed,
pleasure to me, for after all there is not
finer sport than rowing. The day was fine
and the spectators pretty numerous. The
course was excellent and the contest was
one Of the "squarest" that has ever been
rowed here or anywhere else. The contest
ants were Pearl Pickett, of Bellaire, and
Albert Denmaesh, of McKee's Rocks. They |
are real youngsters, neither of them having
been in a contest previous to the one in
question. An account of the race was given
in the news columns of this paper Friday
and it is unnecessary for me to repeat any
thing about the details of the race. What
desire to do is to draw attention to the
two scullers. They are two really
promising young fellows and though
defeated Denmarsh is tho making
of good rover indeed. He has only been
q very short time at the business, and on
Thursday he naturally showed a lack of
teaching. A young man cannot become a
sculler in month, and the probabilities are
that he will never become one without q
good tutor. With a good instructor Den
marsh ought to blossom out into really
good sculler. Pickett, the winner, is a good
one already. He is a very cool and deliber-
ate young customer, and the way in which
be rowed his race Thursday shows that he
knows well how to row three miles At no
time did he stroke faster than 29 to the
min ute, and even at that he got more speed
on his boat than did Denmarsh
who was stroking considerably faster.
Pickett has a good, clean and reaching
stroke and he is likely to defeat some good
men before he is very much older. His
backer, John McCaffrey, of Bellaire, is the
kind of gentleman who desires to have
good performer. He is an honest and up
right man and there is much credit due him
for the trouble and expense he has been at
to bring his young protege to the front.
trust that the race will. be forerunner of
many more in and about Pittsburg. There
are lots of good young scullers and it is to
be hoped that Thursdays race will prompt
them to get down to work and arrange some
races that will tend to popularize the sport
again.
THE GRAND CIRCUIT RACES.
Last week had few words TO say about
the suspicious features of one or two events
in the Grand Circuit l said my few words
because in my way of thinking the popularity
Of the Grand Circuit races is to q very great
extent at stake. l don't hesitate to say that
the public is fast becoming wearied of the
tfotters entirely, because Of the dishonesty
on the trottiug track. Day
after day horses start in races and never try
10 win, and if this is honesty, then fail to
znow what thieving is. For instance take
/ horse like Happy Bee driven by Turner
and could have won easily, but in
Zach heat landed in almost last
At Cleveland the horse was 'slet
,ut'' and won the race there with ease. Now
what argue is that all money lost on
Happy Bee in the races which the horse
lid not try and win, was money gotten dis
honestly by those who won it. Then 1 ask:
Are actions of that kind honest? 1 don't
hink that anybody will for one moment