New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-08
THE BASEBALL SITCATION.
SPECULATING ABOUT THE INTEREST IN THE
GAME-THE SALARY QUESTION.


SPECIALIZING ABOUT THE INTEREST IN THE
GAME-TIE SALARY QUESTION.
One Of the interesting topics of discussion among
the followers of baseball to-day is whether the players
revolt Of last year has seriously Handicapped the Ma
tlonal game. That everybody disguised with last
seasons pickering and quarrcls Is certain but 1t Is not
certain that they were not dsGlsted with baseball.
Inc general public look upon baseball as pleasurabe
recreation and not business enterprise. They 20
to a game for relaxation and amusement and are not
interested in the per;onal quarrcs and differences OF
inc contestants These deplorablc features were so
conspicuous last year that the spectators could not
heip becoming mixed up in the squabblcs feeling
oi disgust was the natural result The fact that there
was too much baseball last year was another reason
why the attendance at the games not larger.
lUere we're many clubs playing that 1t became
positive labor to keep track Of them ALL and tho public
reb"led There were three clubs in Brooklyn fighting
Tor patronage. and the followers Of the game In the
| city Of Churches lost interest in all the
teams. In Ncw-Yorl there two teams
and the patronage divided and the en-
thusiaSm simmcrcd down TO nothing. There was no
real championship and local pride not appealed
70. The ucws would be flashed the wires that
The New YORK League club had beaten the Boston club
dt Boston, and the enthusiasts would feel eated.
Then the Intelligence would be received that the New
York Brotherhood Club had beaten by the Boston
brotherhood Club and then the average Ncw-forker
would throw up his hands and give it up. There was
d" raj rivalry between cities, and as local pride was
not appealed TO, nobody cared who won or lost People
were not dSgusted with baseball but with the manner
IN which The srort was run.
The conditions for the coming season will be entirely
different. ana il /, confidently believed by baseball
men that more people will witness the games Of the
Sew York club next season than went
10 the two rival grounds in Harlem last year. There
L.. og,,t -X,ri nd OH I'm
bsoohyn, and the rivalry between those two teams
Will undoubtedly be great. Each club will use every
honest means to beat ont IT. rival, and every time
that Ewinss Giants and Wards BrdegroomS come to-
-othcr lively contest will be assured \ weak base
ball team never ha- many friends. and the fact that
there was not really frstclass team In the field
last season had much to do with The fallng-of in
interest. Both Ncw-Yorli teams were weak in GER
tla department. fact neither team was 50 strong
team, which have represented this city I'm recent
seasons. Iy combining the TWO teams. d' has been
dome. Ncw York Will have the strongest aggregation
II baseball talent ever IN this city. 1t Will be
team 20 proud d. II the natives OF the metrOpoi
tan district are not proud Of the team. then all signs
viii fail New WORKERS. demand the best Of everything.
and they will certainly have it in baseball llnc dur
ing the coming season
In brooklyn the same conditions will prevail Al
thOu-h tie bridegroom, won the League champion
. ship last year. the rcsm viii have 10 be materially
-lfN- lfltd - nave All! 'HA'o AOi p'HH"'' ''"'''
for the coming season. The Brdegrooms fortunate
IN getting Ward, who not only adds great strength
t. the team a ball player but whose acquisition VIII
give tine team a competent field captain ana leader,
-omcthug il ha, never had before The pitcher. Hem
mu-. and tuc catcher. ku-ow, are also valuable
addition, "a the team. IT seems highly improbable
now that the Bridegrooms will be able To secure
erbaucr who came forward suddenly last year a.
model second base man. The club has not abandoned
the idea Of getting Bicrhaucr By any means, bit U
secure him means AZ least large outlay Of money
With Ilcrpa,cr At second Collins could be ranNfred
to ccutrchcd. and such a change would mean mo
material sire sthcnng Of both the in and dut Held
Followers Of the club IN Brooklyn recognize with the
manas cement that the team viii have t. be SuVhsuF
eu,d especially IN batting, 10 have any
chance IN the League race this year. The
League pcunaAt stsug Of 80 and that VI 81 are Ell
igciy different thas,. The BrdeeTooms won the 'hai'
plou hin LAND is last .st,On and dGscrvc credit Tor to
| victory. The writer doe, not wish to oeItue INC
club across the river, bat merely to put te u"V'eI
! IN the proper light. rhe club needs ahothef soou
pitcher. but ought 10 be strong enoish III inc c@'H
INK department With Daily, Clark and kinsow' fouI@
Is all excellent ns man, yet some OF tho friends
OF the club would favor the securing OF Brou'herS
| from the boston club, II such a thing Is possible
| Blouthcrs is not 30 good bascrunner ~ fout%'
but he Is Il better blttcr and almost u good hi't
| base In ca.c BicrbAacr cannot De sc'"Ie"'
| IL might be wise for Ward to cover Sccohd-Da'e'
| allowing Collin, to - to the outhcd smith can De
improved upon 4, batter, but not a. Shoft'toP'
Van iIaltrcu, Collins AID Burns would make good
| outncld lat ii Van llaItrcn cannot be secured
O'Brcn, Collin, and Burn, Will have to DO fre'l
| dent e.. ii. l.. me ana Manager j. NJ Ward VIII nor
| thank ANYBODY Tor svus them suggestions for ulc
makeup oil their team. but the above remarks arc
made q friendly spirit. and MessFs. Byrne and
| Nald can act upon tllsm or not, As they see IT.
That New.lorls city viii have the greatest team
| ever put upon the field by any club seems assured
Individually, the team viii Dc superior to Tie WorId
| ,lAnpiOu GIANTS 81 80 aud -, being strengthened
by those wonderful players "ldsNoo'A Denny, huI'o
| lnd buckley, while Clark and Whistler Will be tio
| l,st scncidl substitute, the club has ever had.
INTO n,gnincancr before sew DIRK, aggregation lor
the coming season. Ia fat. the Giants look moro
| formidable than even An>On's famous cham
p1on, al several years ago. oh paPcr NV CIV
io.lfs team cannot BE- improved, but Just now mo
team will upon the Held Is matter OF conjecture
feeling OF hostility between certain pty.rs NJ M,
already been shown. aud If the management does hy
act promptly, the teams record neat summer VIII
'uler The player who causes the iirSt friction De
| tween Brotherhood and old League players ought 10
great PLAYER hc H. Buckley Is SaId 10 be one OF lo
players objected to, and there Is strong pobabhlN
,haj he may bc released II h. i allowed to 70. tho
| management VIII make gricvous mistake. buckley
I, far superior |, either rown or CLARKE, and there
understands the young giant Iirslc thoroughly ana II
ut writer /, not much mistaken. Rualc ana Buckley
Nll make one uf the strongest batteries In the country
th, There certainly was not better battery In
the League last year.
The publication In The Tribune Of Thursday Of the
.allrc, of the Giants for 1s7D aud the prospective
aarc, Tor I-gf caused much discussion IN baseball
circles, The local club in the end will be able 10 sign
1t, PLAYER, all right but many OF the players VIII enter
"A urntcst against the reductions I'm salagie, con
tcmpatci sun the PLAYER, who Will suffer most are
these who rNoucd last year and whose actions cau'cl
.n,h tn,pc,I lass II .alaIies have got to como
down. those are the players who ought 20 be tnc
sufferers. ~ least. that j. the We" lahch by 'ht
half a million doa~s by the Brotherhood revolt, but
ruu, % forced TO pay great salaries to the players
who remained faithful T. the old League. That IS
granted sill without the Ticrnans, AnSOns, ozark
.ons Clements Casscock-. BENEFITS, BurnscS, WecheS
and othnr ,le National League would have been forced