Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-05
Prospects of the Baseball Season,
Judging From the Exhibi-
tiOn Games Played.
FEATURES OF OLD GALvIE's CASE.
An Estimate of the Battle Between George
Dixon and Cal Mccarthy and
the Formers Career.
SMITHS TALK TO Fl7ZSlMMOSS.
Fsntn snt Dsly-Ths Local FsOtbsn Season and Its
Lessons.

With a slight exception in pugilism, the
sporting affairs of the week have been un-
usually dull, and when this is the case there
is often considerable difficulty to find some
thing interesting enough to talk about.
From now on l suppose the national game
will take precedence of everything else,
although during the week those of us who
think most about it have read little con-
cerning il because of the vital and grave
questions of general nature that have alb
sorbed everybody's attention and almost all
the newspaper space. But the season o.
1891 has begun; 1 don't mean the champion
ship season of course, but the playing sea-
son, for there have been lots of games during
the week. Some of the games played have
reminded us of the controversy of last year
In this refer to the Boston games on Fast
Day From the reports of these contests we
learn that the attendance at the two
games PLAYED was very large. Some re-
ports have the attendance at the two games,
that is, the Association and League games
as low as between Is, 900 and IA, 600. Other
reports have the figures higher. Some re-
ports also have the attendance at the Asso-
citation game much higher than the attend
ance at the League game. Now, | don't
hesitate 10 say that there is considerable
stretching OF Imagination in these reports. l
am prompted to this opinion because of the
ialsity OF figures from Boston last year. But
while 1 make this statement l am quite free
TO admit that the public enthusiasm
throughout the country in the national game
is gradually getting back to its old stand
ard. Already there is consider
ably more interest in the game
than there was long before the season closed
last year. 1 don't think that anybody will
oeny this. because the fact is So apparent.
Exhibition games before the championship
and there is, generally speaking, little or no
enthusiasm connected with them. But during
the last few days We have seen that very much
interest indeed has been manifested in the ex-
hibItions going on, particularly in the contests
in which League clubs have been interested.
Il NAV be true that nothing very definite can
be deduced from these games in the way Of
proving the playing strength of the teams, but
they can give US an idea of the public interest
in the game. None of US Will conclude that
Boston is considerably superior to Brooklyn
simply because in one game Boston. to use
the common phrase, wiped up the diamond"
with Brooklyn; and none Of us will conclude
that the games in Florida give us any correct
iGea as TO the respective merits of the Pitts
burg and Cleveland Clubs. But still, repeat,
there has been considerable interest shown in
these games In mentioning or referring to the
general situation, may also remark that there
is still some war talk abroad. don't know
the reason Of this, because in my way of think
ing it is very difficult to find any more indIca-
ton of a war in base ball than it is to find war
between Italy and the United States. Indeed,
IL would be difficult to ind how the Association
could make what may be correctly termed war
on the National League. There may be little
kicking still going On among the malcontents,
but "a war" exists only in the Imagination of