Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-29
Coed Results That May Follow the
Recent Meeting of League
Baseball .Aagnates.
PROSPECTS OF THE LOCAL TEAM.
The Shameful Treatment of Pitcher Mark
Baldwin by Won der abe and His
st. Louis Minions.
TALK ABOUT SMITH AND PRITcHARD.
Probabilities q Rses Between parfin frd Petst Prdey
in This City.


in sight of the starting point Of the great
baseball race of 1891. When teams begin
TO 60 abroad ito get into condition." and
when the annual baseball guides begin to
food the country, it is a sure sign that the
commencement of the season is not far on.
Well, as the opening day gets nearer, base
ball affairs seem to get pleassnter. When l
say this 1 am mihdful.of the fact OF the ex-
istence of the dIsgruntled Association; but
10 me the Association amounts to very little
indeed, if all talk about this "war" busi-
ness were to cease, the Association would
soon be forgotten. 1t has no foundation
and just as sure as structure
Just as sure will the Association fabrication
Topple over. When it does 1t will be a
blessing to baseball, because there will then
be some hope of rebuilding it on safe and
solid basis. Whatever ills and miseries
overtake the Association will simply be the
resultof the stupidity and fsnstism of its
leaders. am glad to note that the National
League is going ahead in q business like
way, and it is safe to say that as result of
the meeting of magnates in Cincinnati, an
account of which appeared in The DIS
PATCH of Yesterday, the League will once
more be absolutely solid and well prepared
10 have good season.
Affairs in General.
Judging from the tone of the magnstes
who met in Cincinnati Friday, the Leagues
prospects are generally very bright. That
there will be an excellent team in Cincin-
natl seems certain, and it is just as certain
that Cincinnati patrons of baseball will ap-
preciate good team. This being so, all op-
position to a League team In Cincinnati
will soon vanish, that is, if there ever Is
any to begin with. Most asSuredly that
city has had more than its share of turmoil
and humbug, as far as baseball affairs are
concerned, and II seems to me certain that
Jne patrons of the game there Will be quite
ready to iadorse the best club and the best
opposing clubs that will cater to them. I
cannot believe that the rank and file of
baseball patrons in Cincinnati desire to have
two clubs in their midst, and if two are
planted among them they can soon kill the
inferior BY Withholding their patronage
from it. And just as sure as eggs are eggs
this is what will be done. l don't think
that l am going outside my province when
say there is no sound reason at all why
the Association ever should have attempted
TO pat second club into Cincinnati. This
feature should not be lost sight of Well,
with matters all right in Cincinnati, all
that is now needed is for the officials of
each club to get their teams into first
rate form, because, depend upon it, there
will be some great bali playing this year.
For club to hold a good position in the race
it must be in fine form from start to finish.
The public expects good Kork, and s-dissP-
pointment will be very great loss.
Prospects of the Local Team.
In some respects it may be premature to
come 10 any definite conclusion regarding
the baseball team who is going to do battle
for the heretofore unfortunate cranks in
Pittsburg this year. Now and again the
advice of Josh Billings, who advised us
neTer to prophesy until after the event, is
worthy OF acceptance and particularly in
But in this instance l am willing
10 run all risks and reject the admonition Of
Mr. Billings, but l am not going to "go the
" hole hog" On, no; / mean TO talk Of our
teams future in a very qualified way, be-
cause, as l have just said, baseball is
awfully uncertain; indeed, good deal more
so than the historic Jumping frog. Well, 1
deem it quite safe to say that we have on
paper the best baseball team that has ever
been in Piitsburg; that is, that has ever been
known as the PIttsbIrg club. l am aware
that il is not as strong, at least it does not
appear as strong as it could be, but still we
have the strongest team we have ever had.
But it may be we'll to remember that when
this is said, it is only what the players ap-
pear to be on paper, and after we are all
satisfied on this point we must still wait to
Zee and Judge of the work of the team. This
is the troublesome point; this is the feature
over which we will probably have some very
opinions. While may feel GER
tain that the teams work will be first-class,
many patrons of the club may think quite
different, and time only will shew who is
right. Now am not going to say that we
have an aggregation OF pennant winners,
because experience has proven to us that the
very best nine that can, on paper, be gotten
together can be very badly beaten in actual
conflict. My readers will remember what 1
said regarding the great Chicago ?, L. last
wear. / am just as reluctant yet in looking
u pom an aggregation of "stars" as sure win
ners. But while l decline to 'spot" our
team as sure pennant winners, / am prepared
10 say that they will make those who do win
the pennant 60 through the season at very
lively gait.
A Few Comparisons.
If we begin TO examine our, team indIvid-
ually ! think We'll find that our representa-
tives stand as we'll as those of any other
CITY. ! am not unmindinl of the TACT that
we have an experiment at very important
position. l refer TO Miller at short. Only
few days ago very experienced player ex-
dressed to me the opinion that Miller would
aot be a success at the position. This pre-
diction may be true, but l am inclined to
think that Miller will come out all right if
be will take care of himself. But putting
Miller to one side fail to see where any
other club in the country appears 20 be any
stronger all round than the PIttsburg club
is. When l say this am taking everything
into consideration, hitting, pitching, field
lng and base running. Certainly the New
York team has the appearance of an ex-
traordinary one, and in some respects am
free to admit that they are the superiors of
our lot But 90 not admit that the New
York team appears to be as strong as the
PittsbHrg team in batting and in pitching,
snd / Question very much whether New
York win be any stronger in catching
than PlttsbAvg will be. 1 have referred
to New York amply because it seems to be
generally conceded that the team of that
city looks TO be stronger than any other
team. Well, \ all goes well will not be
surprised to see wen New York come off
second best as compared with Pittsburg.
This then suggests the question: What
figure will the Rittsburg team cat in the
race? L will be exceedingly disappointed
& the local team is not amoag the leaders
rom the start, and this means that we will
{or once get tar beyond that miserable sixth
place. One thing is sue, and that is if our
team does not keep amdug the leaders, the
players must be lar below their past records;
il other words, if they play Up to their form
ehsy cannot well be lower than second or
third, And It seems to me that the success i