, 1891-10-09

Firmaments-The Pennant Races In the
Big OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Defeated New
York.
State leagues have shown a disposition to
topple over this year. The snug little or
ganization in the land Of wooden nutmegs
wa the first to yield to the cruel hand
of fate. Indiana followed Connecticut,
and New York and Pennsylvania we're the
last to succumb. Up among the Badgers,
however, baseball has thrived all the year,
and three of the six clubs of the Wisconsin
league are having a neck and neck race for
the pennant. The finish is exciting, and
Green Bay. Marinette and Appleton have
been swapping places In the first division
for a fortnight. Twenty points have been
sufficient to cover them, while Oshkosh,
Fond du Lac and Oconto, in the second di.
vision, are not very far behind the leaders.
The rivalry evinced is intense, and the
hopeful clubs have secured the northwest
for talent with the expectation that an
eleventh hour rush may bring them sue
cess and the coveted flag.
The Wisconsin league, however, is enter
ing upon a ruinous campaign that will kill
the game there after the first Pushes OF en-
thusiasm die out. In baseball the road to
glory and bankruptcy is often the same,
and especially is that the case in minor
leagues. While the cheers for the victors
are heard, stirring up 4 pride for the home
team, the rule Hang the expenses is gen
orally adopted. The reaction is r~uinous.
Even Detroit, with a team that had won
the worlds championship, could not live,
because their salary list was far in excess
of the receipts. Lima aud Canton, erst-
while winners In the Tristate league, paid
dearly for the bauble, for the champion
ships they won were gained at the cost of
the life OF professional ball in those cities.
History, then, is likely to be repeated in
Wisconsin, which has proved a harbor for
many of the players "let out" by the wreck
of the Interstate league and Western as
ISOLATION. No less n man than Elmer Fos-
ter, who began the season with the COM
ing champions of the National league
Chicago-found a refuge there, but he
found the pace too hot and was released.
No metropolitan journal gives the scores
of the games there, and even the sporting
weeklies "skimp" the news from that ac-
tive field, and yet men like Sam Laroque,
Hart, the exist. Paul twirler, and Catchers
Jantzen and Andy Sommers are on duty
In the ranks. Joe Quest, the once famous
League second baseman, is managing to
escape death while acting as an umpire
during the exciting series.
The National league is not the only
organization that affects the half dollar
tariff. Enthusiasts In the North Pacific
league pay that much for their sport with
bat and ball. While the fratricidal war Of
1890 was in progress and the game Ian
Ruished in the east, professional ball was
born in the new states. Oregon was the
only pioneer to have representation in the
new body, and Portland gave such royal
support to n tail end club that the Cali
fornia league has grown covetous and
would not be averse to seeing that city in
their circuit. An Ohio boy-Jack Stencil
lis the present leader of the batting band
In the North Pacific. Last year Captain
Arson secured him Mt the same time that
his old battery partner, Harry Luby, was
secured from the Texas league. Stencils
League life was brief, but he accepted a re-
lease in lieu of a contracted salary.
There are many other ex-League and eX-
Association men engaged in the four cor
nered struggle for the North Pacific bunt-
ing. Portland. Seattle, Spokane and Ia
coma are the members. George Borchers,
once with Chicago, is on Spokane's list.
Shoeneck, the giant first basemen, is with
Seattle. Glenalvin is chief of the Port
landers, and Arthur Sunday, once one of
Wards Wonders at jamaica bay, is with
Tacoma Joe Ardner, the veteran second
baseman, played most OF the season with
that club.
II these rambles through the minor
leagues many a face once familiar in more
preteatious company is recognized, and
the truth of the assertion, "Once a ball
player, always a ball player" is empha-
sized by overwhelming evidence. There
have been exceptions. it is true, but they
are remarkably few. Jim Mccormick, the
big Cleveland pitcher. is one of them.
When he was awarded to Pittsburg he af-
irmed that he would retire before he
played ball there, and he kept his word,
deserving the diamond for the turf. John
X. Tener retired to enter a mercantile life,
and viii Sunday forsook the baseball
field to assume the duties OF an evangelist,
and he is now laboring under the auspices
of the Y, NJ. c. A. at Chicago. You can
crowd a tally OF these exceptions on the
fingers of one hand. Cincinnati pleaded
hard for Sunday, but he preferred a life
work for the Great Captain, and he will
likely labor in hat cause until the Umpire
OF the Universe calls him out.
Captain Comiskey has lost the flag In the
American association, but st. Louis has a
record that the B~ostonians cannot equal.
The Brown Stockings can charge the loss
'of the championship to John ~Barleycorn.
The expulsion of Denny Lyons and the dis
ciplining OF Jack Stivetts and Willie Nc
Gill Is the elimination of scandals hat
have been like the intermittent fever all
season. Granting that the few games the
loss OF which can be traced to riotous
living had been victories, and Boston's
lead would melt away like dew before the
morning sun. As it is, st. Louis did not
lose a single series, while they tied the
Athletics and have won all the rest. Cap
tain Dutfy's men have won five series, lost
to st. Louis and have a chance to win from
Baltimore.
In the League Boston has been making
a determined squirt, but the few points
that remain in Chlcago's favor are about
as hard to overcome as it would be to run
bases successfully without spiked shoes.
Chicago has lost two series. New York
and Philadelphia have each taken a major
ity of scalp locks from Uncle's young men.
Indeed, IL the Giants had found the ether
League teams as beautiful marks as they
did the Chicagos, New Workers would be
pursuing their lips to whistle u champion.
ship march. Boston has won every series
save those with Philadelphia and New
York. TIL picnic which Chicago has had
with the clubs in Ohio gave them their
commanding lead. Had Boston done
equally well with them the penns.nt would
fly at the Hub.
There is little or no prospect of a worlds
championship series so far as surface indi.
cations go, but these are sometimes deceiv.