Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-05
those who desire to give undue Importance to
a Very Quiet Week.

tnose VINO oeslre 70 give undue importance W
the Association.
a Very Quiet Week.
If baseball affairs in general have been quiet
affairs of the local club have not been lively.
The public has heard very little indeed regard
ing the local players who went South few
days ago. don't know, at least am not pre-
pared to say, whose fault it is that little has
been told to the public concerning the club
during the week. but do know quietude az
this stage is very bad policy for the clubs in
terest Before We barely have time TO turn our
selves round the opening day will be here and
in the meantime no chance whatever is given
the public to familianze itself with the team.
have known periods in the clubs history when
news and gossip concerning it would certainly
have been daily before the public. The Off
Gals of the club would have taken precious
good care of this. But in the present instance
We have our champions taken away and tenn
porarily buried down at Jacksonville and fewif
any of US know correctly how things are going.
Well, as L have just said, this Is very bad busi-
ness for the club The monotony of the week
has been broken a little by the appearance on
the scene of Maui, Laroque and phenomenal"
Smith. l use the word phenomenal in no
disrespect to Mr.. Smith; use it merely as
term to distinguish him from the very many
other Smiths. Now that these three men
have been sent to Florida it would
seem that they are to stay with the
club. But on this point 1 am very. very skep-
ticaI, indeed If we are to have Baldwin, STRAIT
ton, Staey and CALVIN as pitchers. fail TO
see why Smith will remain; and II Mr.. Smiths
LOT is to be cast with the Pittsburg club it is
reasonable to expect that one OF the other ourJ
Will be dispensed with. Or course, am still
of opinion that the law will not force Bald
win from us, but cannot help thinking that if
there is a desire among club officials to retain
Smith there must De a concurrent desire to re-
lease some other pitcher, and l cannot avoid
the conviction that that some other pitcher is
nj wiz n fhaSa mi
tions, but they are built on what seems to me
a fact: the fact that the club will not keep five
pitchers. The appearance of Laroque also
prompts speculation, because it is not likely
that both he and Maui will be retained. Pres
ident O'Neil has a very high opinion of La
rOques abilities as player, and doubtless
there is much reason for this opinion. Laroque,
believe, is a very good man. and the fact that
he has gone to Florida means that there is
nothing definitely settled yet as TO whether or
not he will De kept on the team. When the
team returns home, The matter will be dealt
with definitely, and then, expect efforts will
be made to secure purchase money for the re-
leased players. This will only be fair.
Few Words About GaIvin's Case.
There is every reason to believe that the
baseball public of Pittsburg was highly satisfied
when Jimmy Calvin was signed to play with
the new club. And if he had not been signed
there would have been considerable dissatis-
faction. Now, there are many things suggested
by these features to which have Just referred
and the most prominent is the question: How
far has the public right TO interfere with the
management of ball clubf l deal with this
question because it is fact that Calvin was
signed to play with the club simply because the
public desired Ii. Well, now L am going to
contend that the public should, indeed, be very
careful III what may call sticking" up for an
old player, be he a favOrite or anything else,
and while am contending this want it under
stood that am in no way opposed to the re-
uention of Calvin. To deal with the matter
clearly let us cite supposed case. A player
has been member of club for long time
and there comes a stage when the officials of
the club think the players usefulness has al
most exhausted itself. It's determined to re-
lease the player. The public then steps in and
in very emphatic manner demonstrates in
favor OF the retention OF the player. The
public clamor is bowed to by the club ufhcials
and l contend that from that point on the
officials of the club are not responsible tor the
entire work of the club. The public is RESPONSE
ble but when reyerses come the public will have
none of the responsibilities; they must then be
shouldered by the officials of the club. argue
that this is not fair. Those who are to be ro-
sponsible for the work of the club should by
all means have the absolute selection of the
players; besides, as general thing, those who
have the management ot a club know great
deal more about ball players than the public
does. But ii is difficult to convince large por-
ton of the public this point. We all know
that not day goes past without the public
putting together on paper very much better
team than the one actually i'll harness. mean
the public thinks its team better, and these
"better' teams are changed every day, just ac-
cordlng to the fancy of the pu bic. Amid all
this, then, il would be wise for |ie management
of a club to just stick to its work, and 90 ahead
with its programme regardless OF the public
whlms which, as rule, are only sentiment.
But am very glad that Calvin has been signed.