, 1891-09-05

Lots OF Fun In the Situation II You Are
Not In 1.-THE Pruning Knife Swings
with n Sweeping swish-IneIdents of
the Day in the Minor Leagues
The American association has been mo-
nopolizing the attention OF the followers of
baseball during the last ten days, and there
have been new tales served daily before
breakfast The Cincinnati problem has
been solved, but not in the way expected.
indianapolis had been elected" to sue
coed the elephant on the river bank, but
before Chris Won der Abe and John T.
Brush could announce the official returns,
Milwaukee was taken undo the wing OF
another faction of the Association, and
Mr.. Won der Ahe's plan was relegated to
the might have been" class.
Milwaukee had what is known in select
sporting circles as a ''cinch" on the west
ern pennant, and Frank G. Bancroft, the
brainiest, wtttiest man on the C~incinnati's
old roster, has assumed business control of
the club, and will bill them as the cham
pions OF the grasshopper country. There
was keen disappointment over the failure
of Pitcher Vickery and Catcher Schriner
to take up new contracts with Milwaukee,.
Uncle Arson got that battery. The new
recruits retained Howard Earle, Bob Petit,
Abner Dalrymple, Gus Alberts, Davies the
pitcher and Burke the centerfielder. From
AihB hSl . huSlltTS JhCk carney, u. L.
Caravan, Willie Mains, Harry Vaughn
and Frank Dwyer were selected. The rest
scattered out, Captain Kelly returning to
Boston, for 1t was with that club that his
original contract had been signed. He had
simply gone to Cincinnati-"farmed out"
as it were-for the cause. The players
"let out" by C~incinnati's d~isbandment
were Emmett Sury, Charles W. MARI, Ed
ward N. Crane, John keenan,, William
Robinson. Dickey Johnston and Arthur
Whitney. Milwaukee's debut will be re-
membered by St. Louis, for another blow
fatal to Captain Comiskey's chances for
the flag was delivered. In this matter OF
fact age it is poor policy to cut off ones
nose to spite his face. The Association
may be criticised for abandoning Cincin-
natl, but with a city like Milwaukee clam
oring for admission it would have been
folly to I've chung to a clammy baseball
corpse.
Interest in baseball In Cincinnati has
been deadened by the presence of two clubs,
and it is doubtful whether there will be a
revival there this season, despite the fact
that the League now has the field to itself.
When the Association deserted New York
the old metropolitan franchise was billed
MS being alive. Unless the Association has
a fortune to squander in a confict that
can only end in the utter Generalization of
the game, Cincinnati will nave to be con
tent with the knowledge that it has a
franchise in 1892.
Once, for a time-in 1873, to be exact
Milwaukee was in the National league,
and for several years past the enthusiasts
up that way nave been hungering and
thirsting for'another taste of major league
ball. Milwaukee's threats to desert the
Western and join the American have been
numerous. but they have had about as much
effect upon that city's confreres as did the
cry of wolff after the foolish shepherd
boy had led the villagers n few wild goose
chases, Milwaukee, however, was as Ill at
ease in western society as Cincinnati and
Brooklyn were in the councils of the
American association. The latter stepped
into the Leagues parlor during the regu
lar month for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
while Milwaukee's movement was in tn
nature of a midsummer jilt.
For six years after the disastrous league
experience of thirteen years ago Milwaukee
was "out of the game" When the North
western league, out Of which came such
players as John G. Clarkson, Dave Foutz
and n score of others equally famous, was
organized in 1884, Milwaukee was a mem
Der, and when the Northwestern persisted
the club Joined the Union association.
Back to the Western the club drifted the
next season and it has been in that cir
cult ever since.
The American association has been busy
sorting over its talent. st. louis has re-
leased Jack Munyan and Catcher Xeis, the
lllinois-Iowa ~youngster, who was a Brown
Leg just about long enough to get ac-
quainted. Captain Comiskey has three new
men on his staf-a trio picked up while
Minneapolis was in the throes. They are
Dell Darling, the catcher; Martin Nc
Quad, the second baseman, and brother
of the League umpire and Rettger, a
young pitcher of more than ordinary prom.
Use. Louisville has signed Count Kuehne
and an amateur named Long for the out
field. Boston and Baltimore have Topped
off the heads of Jack McGeachy and Louis
Hardie, respectively, and Columbus filled
out walking papers for w. II. Clarke, com
monty called dad" To keep tab on
teams in these days one must move with a
~Bethunelike step.
The League clubs have been doing n little
neck twisting themselves. Cleveland has
dropped both Ralph johnson and Jerry
Denny and signed Martin Sullivan. Pitts
burg has taken that star among all field
ers, Pop" Corkhill. The Phillies dropped
Pitcher Cassian and Eddie Mayer and then
took the latter back. Uncle Arson turned
Catcher Bowman adrift and signed a New
Englander named Merritt to succeed him.
The national board took Halligan away
from Cincinnati and declared his Omaha
release fraudulent. New York and Boston
ure DOJh giving SnlcaBo an argument Tor
first place, and Philadelphia has drawn
dangerously near the leaders.
Out west that association will go on with
six clubs If the iddler's bills continue to
be paid. Minneapolis may absorb Lincoln
and the pick of the two teams will give the
Minnesota metropolis an A No. l club.
Kansas City, now that Milwaukee is out,
will come very near taking the champion
ship.
While the Western has been trembling
the Eastern association has faced a crisis
just as severe. Providence and New
Haven have given up the ghost and with a
curtailed circuit the remaining clubs will
struggle on. Buffalo's surrender of Pitcher
Bob Barr to New York weakened the
Bisons considerably and they have been
losing a few games.
The New England league has died and
the bell seems to be tolling for the New
York and Pennsylvania league. Even the
North Pacific league is affected, and from
northern Michigan comes the cry that one
club of the snug little Upper Penisular
league has succumbed. The signs of the
times all point one way. II peace is not
declared the market will be glutted with
ball players in search of berths and mourn
ing because they have them not.
Rem MILFORD, JR