The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-10-13
SOUTHERN BALL.
Why the Game Degenerated in
the Sunny Land.
SALARIES BIGGER THAN RECEIPTS

The Result OF Extravaganza Was Disas
ter-Many Players Waiting for Some
thing to Turn Cp-Radboorn and Hi
War Time Experience-Two Pennan
Races Practically Ended.
| If old Father Time keeps "notching up'
the baseball fzzles his stick must resembl
the business end of swordfsh Depart
ing magnates have left behind them foot
prints and depleted purses. The south i
the greatest of ali the morgues, but al
though professional ball IS dead in tht
| land Of cotton and cane the amateurs keeI
| interest in the game there alive There j:
whisper that with the coming of peac1
and Thanksgiving dinner in the nationa
agreement family the Southern league
viii be revived next spring. There wa:
1 always too much enthusiasm about the
| control Of baseball affairs in the south
| Salaries were always far above a reason.
| able limit, and that IS what killed the
game in Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta
Charleston, Chattanooga, Mobile, Birm-
ingham and New Orleans. The percent
age of home talent in southern leagues OF
the past was very small, and many of the
| players were veterans who had outlived
their usefulness in other leagues, but who
demanded kings ransoms before they
would deign to accept positions.
recall one incident of the extravaganza
which prevailed in Memphis latter days.
Kirby was one of the old League twirlers
whose arm had lost its cunning. After the
G. or-f= Id h.
Cleveland picked him up and gave him a
chance to pitch for MS life against Cincin-
natl. The game was commenced but never
finished. Hits ratified off the Reds bats
like acoIns from an oak during an October
blow. The runs soon reached double fig
ures, but before five innings were com
pleCed a storm stopped the slaughter
Memphis eagerly snapped Kirby up and
paid him 800 a month! Contracts like that
sapped the financial life of the Bluff City's
club and their diamond is covered with
moss and black eyed Susans. 1t was such
follies as that which encompassed the ruin
of the game in the south The players are
not to be blamed for working the angels
for all they could, but it was poor way
TO perpetuate the game.
From J. Walker Ross, one Of the erst-
while baseball authorities in southland,
have received this message: Baseball is
recovering slightly in New Orleans, and
you may be surprised if / tell you that
there is some little talk Of a league next
season. There must be a big change in
baseball government, however, before we
can hope to make a success of the game
professionally in these parts"
There are several states in the land Of
the sun that have never had representa-
tive in any professional league, and North
Carolina, Florida and Mississippi are all
in that class. The Texas league was the
healthiest state organization that ever sur
viyed several campaigns, but it, too, fell
upon evil days when salaries larger than
the gate receipts were demanded. Then it
was that the Sand Grabs and other Lone
Star celebrities joined the Pelicans and Sea
GUlls as baseball extincts."
There are but few southerners now ia
League and Association company. VIII
Nash, of the Boston leaguers, is native
Virginian, and he served his apprenticeship
with Richmond when that club spent sew
eraI months in the Association. Uncle
Arson found John ?. Luby down in Gal
weston, where he was known as THE Texas
Steer" Mr.. Luby came from the earth
quake city, Charleston. Little Duffee, OF
the Columbus team, is from Mobile, and
Sanders, Of the Athletics, is a Tennesseean.
These are about all who are very promi-
nent
There are enough players emulating the
example Of Mr.. Notwithstanding for
something to turn up-to provide talent
for a fine southern league, not to mention
rejuvenated western and eastern associ-
atoms. Never in the history Of the game
were there so many players with reputa-
tons warbling, I'm sitting on the style,
Mary" Many Of them have been waiting
for months, and they will wait a good
while longer if the baseball factionists
agree to longer disagree. Some well known
men have gone into possible final retire
ment this year. Fred Dunlap was the
first. Only a few brief years ago and be
was the king Of the second basemen. Dun |
lap was not a scholar, but he possessed the
faculty of discerning the value Of money, /
and he has = rent roll that is big enough TO
keep the wolf from the door.
Deacon James l. White was the second [
old timer TO give it up. He had drifted /
into some little club in the New York |
league. Charles Radbourn holds the third /
TAIN IL ILLS 4A=L anu LOU DGE OF the IELlFe- /
ments can be termed voluntary acts. One /
of the delightful little h0els Of the year /
was that Radbourn was an army veteran. |
1t was whispered that Rad was a mem |
Der Of The Last Illinois," and the after /
moons during which he oficiated at Gin /
cinnati were called Grand Army Days" /
Radbourn enjoyed the story as much as 1
any one else, and during the BrOoklyns .
first western trip he was drawn into de-
bate with Pinkney on matter that oc-
CURED in the '70s.
How do l knowi" queried Pink I'm
not quite as old as Methussleh"'
'Old?" retorred Radbourn. "Well,
you're 10 spring chickenl ! can remem-
Der when you was a drummer boy in ny
regiment, The Last nlinois?"
The revelation" tickled the BOYS and
served to make Pink red not. One OF
the most laughable scenes Incidental %
game occurred at Cincinnati this summer.
Radbourn was in the box, and he was
beng touched up il a lively manner At
the end OF one inning, after the batting
had beeu exceedingly warn. Old Pad
dropped the bal just as somebody began
10 whistle a familiar air Il was taken CD
II the grand stand and pavilion too. IN
less than a minute thousand pairs ot lips
were puckered. and Rad walked il 70 (
the shriil impairment OF Marching
through Georgia"
RsGboura, Ike both Dunlap and White,
5 a man OF means, and De has sought a
quiet nook AZ Bloomington, Ils-, % e1joy
.he fortune that was the fruit az a valuable
baseball Combinations good arm and
wise head.
One more sezz-n y fast drawing TO a
LOSE, and the races n Lsaz1e and Asso-
.sE-+or a. cwa- - "a - - -fur~S--7-- - /