Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-17

the week they have shown that they are
capable of playing an admirable game and
they are both young. We may need them
both, besides club that want victorious
team should always have good reserve list
of players. Already there are teams badly
handicapped because of scarcity of extra
men. Well, altogether, am quite satisfied
with the local team as it is, and it seems to
me that the team will fulfill our most san
guine expectations. There has already been
one fact demonstrated here, viz, that Pitts
port well winning team. We have so long
been accustomed to deal with a tail-ender
that "top-notcher" is novelty that will
tickle all of us.
The League Race.
A few words, and very few, about the
League race may not be out of place. 1t
is some time since we had such an exciting
start for the pennant. Metaphorically speak
ing hat will nearly cover the first six or
seven teams. This is as it out to be, and
hope that it will be kept up. Certainly,
some of the teams are not settled down yet,
and it would be dangerous to make an def
mite predictions about the general results
But so far it appears to me that the final
struggle will be between Pittsburg, New
York and Boston, and it may be that Presi-
dent O'Neil's luck will land his team win
ner. Certainly if the local team plays in its
best form its chances Of victory are as good,
and maybe better than those Of any other
team in the country. Brooklyn is not class
enough, and although Chicago has a steady
lot of players it is only expected that when
ha ctr ra1., H. -
cago will suffer defeat Anson's team can
not get much better and they are far from
being in the class of pennant winners at
present. The Cleveland team is over
matched and will be very much surprised
1ndead If they ever get near the top again
during the season. Cincinnati continues to
have hard time Of it, but the team will get
better.
The Amateur Players.
One of the best signs of the popularity of
baseball is the very large number of anna
teur teams. This season we have scores of
them in and about the city; teams made up of
youngsters, not far from their childhood to
citizens who are no longer 'young men." !"
This is all very pleasing, and, as q result,
we ought to have some great players in the
city by and by. And among the amateurs
are our school and college youths, who are
probably as enthusiastic as anybody. They
are making matters lively this season, also.
There is feature of these college" mines
to which my attention was drawn the other
day by a member of the Western Univer-
sity Of Pennsylvania team. In a commu-
nication he informed me that for several
years the team of which he is q member
have been playing teams from other col
leges, or teams supposed to be composed of
young collegians. But he goes on to say
that in all this time his team have never |
faced college team entirely made up of |
students of the particular colleges. On |
all occasions, he AYERS, outsiders |
have been rung in, and as result the West !
facing picked nine. This is the statement |
of my fri end, and l suppose there is some
truth in it. But 1 ask, is not this system a |
get together baseball team of picked men
from the outside and foist it on the public |
as team,of the college students 1t would
be better and more honorable if |
the truth were told on all occasions, and if |
a picked nine is being used, call it picked
nine. The same questionable system is in
operation in many teams other than among
college teams. A season q so ago knew |
of local "amateur" battery and an infelder !
or two who were counted as members of al
most all local clubs; at least, on special oc-
casiens they were hired by any of the clubs.
[ am not obiecting to these players playing
when they like, but do say that their ap-
pearancs N any particular nine makes 1t
picked nine, and therefore the regular name
of that nine is misleading. There are good
reasons why college mines when playing
against each otfer should consist only of
students of the college.
The Louisville Derby.
How the glory of the Louisville derby has
departed! II has dropped from great race to
,ne of comparative insignifcance and one
which leading owners care little or nothing
bout The Derby which was run the other
lay was little more than farce, both as to
The time made and the horses entered. There
must be- something eradically wrong with
he race or its arrangements. Of course there
IS not sufficient money in it for an owner of
| real "fyer" to start his horse to win it
Ind these incur penalty for something of
more Importance. But the arrangements
md general conditions of the race must be
aulty, or certainly the Derby would attract
more attention than it does. During the
asst few days it has degenerated. so rapidly
hat it would seem to be near an entire col
apse. Most assuredly it does not now rise
o the dignity of a national Derby and the
Louisville race authorities ought to try and
lave it revived. Kingman's victory was a
one as it was the slowest on
ecord That fact alone will keep Kingman
emembered for many years, as it is hardly
possible for any horse in this generation to
win in slower time than 2.521x.
The Professional Rowers.
After all it may be that we will not have
the champion sculler, among us
his year. The latest reports from 'down
lnder" state that Mclean has agreed to row
again for the championship in
July next. Articles are signed, according
o report, and if this is so it is not unlikely
hat, should Stansbury win again, another
ace will be ready for him in Australia. At
present there is more money for the scullcrs
n Australia than there is here and the sport
S much more popular The truth is nobody
n this country seems to care anything about
t. would like to see one of the Austria
ian frst-raters come here and row a
match, only to see how they
Tould perform on American waters.
70 far English sprinters who have
ONE here have performed very badly, and
may be that the Australian scullers would
ot be so fast here as they are on their own
ative streams. If the last race between
tansbury and Mclean was on its merits it
rould seem that the latter has a very poor J
how of turning the tables. But it may be
I. i