Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-10-08
Bad for the National Game.

The season for the National League of
base ball players ended Saturday, with
the Boston Club winning the pennant.
A week ago, and for long time pre-
viously, 1t was regarded as very certain
that Chicago would finish first, but the
steady winning of games by Boston for
several weeks, having pretty regularly
beaten Brooklyn, Philadelphia and New
York, and Chicago's losses the past
week, have put Boston up and left Chi
cago in second place.
This result, which became apparent
several days ago, after the double games
between New York and Boston, has
caused decided sensation in base ball
circles. 1t has been rather freely
charged that games have been thrown
to Boston in order to deprive Chicago of
the victory. These charges, however,
do not formally come from any authority
in the organization, and Captain Anson,
of Chicago, has taken occasion to say
that he did not believe that the Eastern
clubs were throwing games to Boston.
But he did think, and said, that if Chi
cago had been facing New York it would
have been met with different players
than those employed against Boston.
All that was officially done was en-
braced in the protest of the president of
the Chicago Club against the playing of
the postponed games between New York
and Boston, on the supposition that
proper consent had not been given. 1t
seems to have been established that this
consent was obtained, although it was
very suspicious circumstance, and one
not adequately explained, that the Chi
cago Club was not consulted, and its con-
sent not asked. 1t is upon this ground,
together with the fact that New York's
best pitchers were not used in the recent
Boston games, that the suspicion of un-
fairness has arisen.
Whether just or unjust, that suspicion
has been given life in the minds of the
thousands all over the country who
patronize base ball. With many it
amounts 30 conviction. Coming as it
does at the end of a season of differences
with the American Association, and fol-
lowing the season of trouble with their
players in general, it is most un-
fortunate thing for the League. If left
in its present condition it will have a
very serious effect upon the game, and
may destroy much of its popularity
The people have love of fairness, and
if they are left to conclude that a CON
spiracy was formed to defraud any club
it will end their interest.
The circumstances in general Justify
the suspicion, and, what is too evident,
the popular conclusion. They are cir
cumstances which it may be possible to
explain, but the attempts at explanation
so far made do not meet the emergency.
1t is easy to see that the people of the
Chicago Club really believe that they
have been tricked, while hesitating to
make declaration of their belief, but it
is very certain that without formal action
on their part nothing more will be done
in the matter, and the public will be left
with the feeling that the season has
ended in fraud and with a question
against the integrity CT the game which
has not been raised before for many
years.
None know better than the managers
and players what this means. They
have subjected the game to good many
hard knocks in the past two years, but
the present diiliculty-for it amounts to
a real difiiculty-is certain to prove the
most demoralizing of them all. A thor
ough and rigid treatment of the matter is
demanded.-PTeSS.