Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-22
HIS ONLY HOME RUN.
o. p. Caylor Tells of the Greatest Event in
Sam Cranes Life-What 1t Cost the
Pitcher-Other Baseball and Sporting
GOssip.

Sam Cranes Life-what 1t Cost the
Pitcher-Other Baseball and Sporting
Gossip.
| rcoRREsPoNpEScK OF THE DlsPATCH.I
NEW YORK, March 20.-It often comes
to pass that one mans glory is another
mans damnation. That is TO say, we often
hear OF some genius who steps up to fame BY
using his fellow man as a stoop. 1t is even
so in baseball.
Sam Crane, the old time ball player, told
me in sadness the other day that he never
made more than one home run in all his
professional career, and that one cost the
suffering pitcher his summer job. The home
run eventuated one afternoon about ten
minutes after o'clock, and the dazed pitcher
was by sundown 'at liberty" His name was
| Sweeny. alias Dennis, alias Mud.
But Sam was not entirely at fault in this
pitchers tumble from the pedestal of fame; he
was only one of seven Detroit players who
helped themselves to home run that day.
Seven four-baggers in an afternoon was more
infamy than the suffering pitcher could stand
up under.
St Patrick's Day has come and gore; blue
this morning while it wlnked its weather eye
Still we have not seen any weather to remind
the fain that the baseball championship season
is only 80 days off in the future. Nevertheless.
there are undoubted signs abroad that 1871 Is
going to approach 1889 in enthusiasm.
There was a good deal said last year, while
the factions were warning, about the race track
weaving former baseball admirers from the
patronage of the dIam:nd. 1 have never be-
lieved the race track could hurt baseball as
rival business.
Surely the Developments in turf circles OF
the metropolitan districts during the last win
ter have not tended to turn the steps OF men
who admire honest sport toward the race
tracks. Let us see why.
The managers of one track over in Jersey
were convicted of misdemeanors. their track
closed and themselves sent to the penitentlary.
Another track not only admits people free, but
runs free trains to their gates as an 1nducement
for suckers to go over and get feeced. The
dumps at Guttenburg have been daily scan
dals for months
Bookmakers in and around New York have
become notoriously rich in few years. How
did they make their money, do you thnkf One
bookmaker who all ball players of this section
know can draw his check for Sl0O, 0OO. three OF
four years ago was sweeping out the saloon at
Third avenue and One Hundred and Ninth
street near the old polo grounds. Buck Ewing,
Joe Gerhardt and other ball players knew him
well in those days.
Even when races are run upon the square
they are very little detraction from baseball.
especially in localities where there are more
race days during the season than baseball
games To attend the races requires half
day from business and So or 81 for expenses,
even if You back no horse; and that is more time
and money than the average business man can
spare.
q Then. too when you go toithe races without
an intention to bet the waits between the heats
are exceedingly tiresome. There is not that
constant action to attract your attention which
one sees at a baseball match.
Much as the magnates may quarrel and trick
among themselves prior to the opening Of the
season. the game itself, when the championship
fights begin, is above suspicion. 1t is a sport
which has stood unchallenged for honesty for
more than IL years. And that is one reason
why the American people like It, and always
will like it.
1t is too square sport for the poolrooms.
and booksellers will not touch il. Booknakers
have no use for it, because there is too much
uncertainty in the chance of each contest. One
never hears Of free admission. nor yet of free
transportation to the grounds. Such things
are not necessary to get people to 60 and see
You and 1, Mr. Editor, will be gray-haired or
bald-headed in heaven before the race track
will rob the ball field of its enthusiastic patron
age.
One good outlook for this season is this: The
little scrimmage between the League and
American Association will be forgotten as soon
as the championship race begins. Last year the
scrapping lying and backcapping kept up all
through the season. and the championship
races were almost forgotten. There must be
none of that this year. AS soon as the umpires
yell ''play'' every newspaper should close its
columns against the "suff' and recrimination
of the few magnates who would sacrifice the
game for their own cheap notoriety.
Cincinnati at this time seems 10 be good
deal in the same condition in which the South
was found to be at the close of the late Civil
War. Non-residents. you know, took posses
sion of the political machine of those States,
and not till they were run ont did prosperity
and order return. Now, hold that as soon as
possible Cincinnati should get rid of its baseball
carpet-haggers and agents on both sides, let
Cincinnati people manage club affairs
Cincinnati will not support two clubs That
is as sure as death. One of the two must 60, and
that means big loss of morey to some one. l
am sorry to see this condition of affairs in my
old home. But it is the old story of spite and
revenge taking the place of sound business
sense. 1t never pays to bite of your nose to
spite your face. and it is not wise man who
tries to whip another fellow twice his size, and
who besides wears brass knuckles.
A little wisdom just now from the brainier
men of the Association would be golden if
properly applied.
Let me congratulate the Pittsburg club in
getting away from Catcher O'Connor. There
is a player who is as devoid of honor as Mexi-
eau dog is lacking in hair, and he isn't far
ahead of Mark Baldwin in that respect. Both
are good ball players, but L told Mr. O'Neil
while he was here IN New York last that
didn't believe either of these two players would
add strength TO his team.
/ don't deny BaldwIn's right to repudiate his
American Association contract after the Asso-
citation by its own act nullified the contract.
But after he telegraphed and wrote protesta-
tions of fidelity to the Columbus people it
would have been better had he stood by his
pledges. o. P. CAYLoR.