Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-15
Some Remarks About Johnson's
Business Deal With the National
League Magnates.
THE AMATEUR LEAGUE PROSPECTS
Reasons for the Alleged Collapse of the
Proposed Trip Of American Crick-
sters to England.
jim HALLS OFFER 10 PAT FARRELL.
Comment On the Burke and Pr.tehsrd and Kil.sn and
Godfrey BattIsA


Just now venture to say. But bg whatever
plan the difficulty is bridged over, trus
that no national agreement organization
win condescend to recognize the instigator:
of the present unjustifable break on the
part Of the Association. The events OF the
week have gone strongly against the Asso-
citation, and 1 am fully persuaded that they
are convi need they have a very bad case in
hand. Jobnsou's sell-out was q blow 10
them that had disastrous effects. Nobody
can blame johnson, as he only acted in &C
cordance with the latter-day policy OF base
ball magnates. The Association mag
mates were not clinging to the Cleve-
land man because of any love they
had for him. They only associated with
him to use him as a means of trying to
gain their own selfish ends. Had they not
been in the most wretched difficulties, they
certainly would have cared no more about
the interests o. johnson than they care about
the interests of anybody except themselves
And l further venture to say that had mat
ters ever turned in way that would have
made it profitable for the Association to
tlrow johnson to one side as useless ma
teral, be would have been pitched out bag
and baggage. The record of such baseball
characters as that lager-beer vender and con-
Epiracv-monger Won der Abe proves what l
say to be true. This being tine case, then
nobody need be surprised at Johnson's
washing his hands OF such a rag-tag-and-
bob-tail lot as make up the Association
black flag adherents. johnson, under the cir
cumstances, did well, and the most pleasing
feature of the business is that his withdrawal
put the Anarchists in greater difficulties than
ever. But amid all this wranglng Cincinnati
baseball patrons should remember that if the
Association renegades could possibly get any
other city they would drop Cincinnati as they
would : hot brick. 1t is not because of any love
FOR Cincinnati that Won der Abe & Co. are fight
ing for that city They cannot get any other;
and il will be a pity if Cincinnati allows itself
50 be disgraced by such gang.
Very Quiet at Home.
Matters are very quiet al home; indeed l am
beginning to think they are a little too quiet.
i is time that our local magnates were up and
doing. as next month Will soon be here and
there is large amount of work to do. 1t has
NOT yet been decided what players will be re-
leased and IL will require some careful thought
70 decide that point The outfeld is not com.
pleted yet although I am inclined to think
veil have Pete Browning here. The grounds
need e great deal of repairing End Whatever
players are selected for the team will need lots
OF practice. Altogether the sooner the work
Of getting things into shape is commenced the
better.
The Local Amateur League.
Patrons of baseball mean those who are
patrons entirely because of their love of the
game. will be exceedingly glad to note that
efforts are being made to organize local base
ball league. 1t is always a hopeful sign when
there is plenty Of activity among the amateurs,
because # is from their ranks that the profes-
sionsl members are recruited. Had 1t not been
for what We call amateur clubs being SO numer-
IN md oh
have been so many professional ball players
representing PittsburG as there are. We can
End Pittsourgers all over the country. Well
then, if it were only for the good results of
bringing ball players to the front the proposed
amateur league ought to be in all respects en-
oouraged. / feel confident 1t will be 60, as
there are six good clubs on the list now and
two or three more are willing to join the league
THE proposed circuit is a convenient one, and
the expenses cannOE be very big. But what
wish to call attention TO is the
Sanger OF calling it an amateur
league AS far as my Knowledge OF
the various clubs and many of the players
who are members Of those clubs goes the league
cannot certainly be an amateur league. This |
being SO it might be well to dispense entirely
with any name that is misleading. Even the
provision that no player who has played profes.
kional ball after June shall play IN the league
does not help the matter any. Certainly the |
fact Of players being in the league who have
played for money Is no argument against it.
Not at all; indeed, in my way of thinking it is
much better that professionals are allowed to
start in il, and l think that if had space just
now could prove the great benefits that would
accrue from allowing profess! onals to join the
league at all times. When an organization
can not be made bona i1de amateurs it is use
less TO make 1t half and half because, accord
ing to rule, there is no intermediate state be-
tween an amateur ana professional A person
or a club is either amateur or it is not That's
oil there is in it, And the fact is that in many
instances these alleged amateur organizations |
10 considerable harm to bona fde amateur or
gsnizations without doing themselves, the al
legged, any good.
Worthy of Public Support
But aside from the features Of emateurism
or professionalism, want to point out that the
proposed local league is certainly worthy the
patronage Of all true friends of the game. Or |
gsnization, that is good organization, always !
has u tendency at least of accomplishing salu-
tary results, and in one particular am glad to
think that the new league will do good in help
ing to abolish system that during the last wear
or two has developed here and threatens to do |
much harm to baseball. refer to the system |
of clubs playing for stake money. This should |
IN ali respects be strongly condemned by every. |
body who cares anything about the welfare of |
the game. The evils of playing for stake money /
are numerous and far-reaching as have more i
than once pointed out in this column. Well |
tnenr the proposed league would do we'll to /
prohibit any of its members or its PLAYERS from
taking part in games for stake money Let all |
offenders De discarded entirely If this is done |
! am fully persuaded that the public will ac- |
knowledge the good work. There is one thing
that the promoters of The new league must
never lose sight of, that is, that every effort |
made in the direction of keeping the national |
game pure and wholesome is appreciated by |
the public. The great bulk OF baseball patrons |
do not want to see any gambling features about |
the game at AZ because no national game |
shouldbe dragged down to such low degree.
That Cricketers' Trip.
Probably many people would have been sur
prised the other day to learn thar the trip OF the
American cricketers to England has been aban-
doned. The report may be false, of course, but
have never seen it contradcted, and the state
ment was made by no less parsonage than
Mr.. Alcock, OF England. Well, to tell the
truth, IwOuld have been somewhat surprised il |,
the plan as proposed some time ago had been
carried out. An element of selfshness 30
strongly pervaded the entire business that it
would have been a pity il the trip had been
commenced. 1t seems to me that the great
cause Of the collapse has been the ''greediness"
of our Philadelphia wielders of the willow
There was more or less honor attached to going
TO England to represent the United States In
cricket, and the Philadelphia patriots were 90
eager to represent the Stars and Stripes in
this instance that they wanted to do it |
all themselves. Now to say the least of il this
was very selfish, particularly when the cricket |
team going from there was to be called "All-
America" OF course have no objection, nor
have any right to object to all the cricketers
in Philadelphia going where they choose. but
have a right to grumble If they 90 away from
home as representatives of Pittsburg when
there is not Pittsburger among them. 1t is
useless 10 talk about the best IL or y players in
the country all being in Philadelphia. They
Sre not There are good men in Philadelphia,
but three four players from other cities
could be added to the best in Philadelphia and
Ma Nl.f Eofr a |