Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-05

team will be improved by the change. But
whatever the result may be 1 am inclined
to think that better fie1ders than Browning
or Maui are not picked up at every turning
of the road. Of course, I am aware that
everybody connected with the club is doing
his best to make success of it; but don't
think we need look far beneath the surface
to find that there is invariably an
overdose of theory in the clubs
transactions Some men may be equipped
to advocate the theory of anything, but most
assuredly the carrying out of the practical
is quite another matter. While q gentle
man of Micawber's oratorical talents and
characteristics would undoubtedly make q
success of Mrs. Jarley's waxwork show he
would not be the man to manage and pro-
nounce upon the practical affairs of base
ball team What we need mostly is practi-
cal men to manage practical affairs, and
when that is not the case we may always
look out for trouble.
The League Pennant Race.
Still the struggle for the National League
pennant is as exciting as it ever was. Prob
ably there never was such a close contest,
that is for the contest to last such long
time. Of course the end is very far off yet
and none of us can tell how matters will
end. But still pin my faith to the New
York team, while for the time being every
thing is favorable for the Chicagos. mean
the New Yorks will be away from home for
two weeks or so. Still it is safe to say that
the New York team will do much better
this trip than they did last, and 1 will not
be wide of the mark in saying that had mis-
fortunes not befallen the Giants SO
thick aud fast during the early part
of the season they would have been far in
the lead now. Lately they have been
hampered more or less again with difficult
ties and they are not in my way of thinking
in as good condition as they were when the
Western teams were East Still they are a
very strong team and L see no reason why 1
should change my mind regarding their
chances of victory. Anson is certainly max
ing a wonderful struggle with his team and
| dare say every lover of baseball will be
glad TO know it, While it may be true that
his team are putting up a strong game, I
will be surprised if they can hold their own
from now on against New York, Boston,
Brooklyn and even Pittsburg Many things
lead me to believe that the Boston team are
a lot who viii be very hard to down. There
are some excellent players in that team and
1t is, indeed, difficult to see how they can
finish below second place. In Clarkson and
Nichols there are two pitchers who are hard
to beat and if they can keep all right very few
people will beat Boston. Philadelphia con-
tinues to be the very uncertain, and very in
teresting factor in the race that it has always
been. 1t is hard to tell where the Phillies
will land. While there is a little prospect of
their getting to the top it is hard to say
in what position they will finish. 1t may
be great race between them and the Brook
lyns The Clevelands continue to play a
very plucky game, but 1t seems to me that
they won't hold out, and that the sluggers
OF Pittsburg will beat them out; indeed, if
the Pittsburgs could play in their form
steadily from now on, they would finish
very near the top. But they are an uncer-
tain lot. The Cincinnatis, fear, because
of internal dissensionS, are destined for last
place.
The Professional Scullers.
The announcement published in the news
papers the other day to the effect that Nc
Lean, the Australian, and Peterson, of the
Pacific Coast, have been matched to row q
sculler's race, brings professional sculling
once more before our notice. l confess that
i was very much surprised to learn that Nc
Lean was going TO row man of Peterson's
class, or rather that Peterson was gong to
row man of McLean's class OF course,
say this assuming that the Australian
scullers are as good as We are, or have been
lea TO believe they are Peterson has not
yet, and l don't think ever will prove him.
self worthy of being ranked among our first
class men here, that is such men as Hanlan,
Gaudaur, Teemer and O'Connor. We ali
know that Mclean has proven him
self a very great sculler in Aus
tralia although he was defeated
lately. But / am not, indeed, concerned
about the proposed race between Mclean
and Peterson any further than it holds out
h.,
tralian sculler here, and one who will, if he
rows here, give us some idea of the standard
of sculling in Australia. This we have not
had since perhaps We had Trickett here
But L don't hesitate TO say that there is
better class of scullers in Australia now
than there was in Trikett's time, and there
certainly are much better scullers here now
than there were then. But L want to point
out that if a sculler like Peterson has any,
thing like a reasonable chance to defeat
Mclean, | don't think the best sculler in
Australia can come here and defeat the best
rover that can be found. 1 don't want to
be understood as meaning that the standard
of Australis's sculling is below the standard
of sculling in America: not at all. What 1
definitely mean is that would like to see
the best sculler that our friends from down
under can produce come to this country and
row the best sculler that we can find 1t
seems to me that the Australian scull-
ers of to-day are not so anxious to
leave their native heath as were the former
scullers of thai country. 1 can remember
when sculling in Australia was nothing at
all compared to what it is now, and vet
Green and Everson were sent abroad to try
and win laurels for the country. Whenever
an Australian comes here depend upon it he
will win lots of money if he defeats our best
Al l. IL. L
should be done in the meantime to see who
really is the best sculler we have. Of course
l include our neighbors, the Canadians.
The Grand Circuit Races.
Next week the races of the Grand Circuit
will be inaugurated for this year in this
city. There is always something interest
ing in the Grand Circuit events, mostly, L
think, because these events in the trotting
horse world are looked upon as something
classic. The very best trotting and pacing
blood in the world is to be found in the |
Grand Circuit, and that means a great deal; |
and allow me to remark that when say the |
whole world mean it. Well, the inaugural |
meeting of that circuit is the meeting at |
Pittsburg, and 1 am told that the prospects |
Of great meeting were never brighter in |
the history of the local track. Everybody at |
all interested in trotting and trotters knows |
that the number and quality of the horses |
this year are better than ever and that more |
than one very good authority thinks that |
even the remarkable records of the present |
time will be lowered. But whether there is |
any record breaking or not, it is safe to say
that there will be some wonderful going. |
The circuit classes are all well arranged and |
there is bound to be some phenomenal rae
ing The directors of the local track are |
leaving no stone unturned to make their |