, 1891-11-15
BASEBALL GOSSIP.
Mirth and Mourning Among
the Players.
SOME MARRIED; OTHERS DEAD.


Death and Cupid nave both been playing
early winter cards in the baseball king
dom. When Larry Corcoran died there
passed away the first pitcher who ever
shut out an opposing team without a hit.
Edward NJ. Daley was laid to rest at Wash
ington some days after Chicago's once
famous twirler had been consigned to his
last home. VIII d. SuIalley is another OF
the players struck out by the grim reaper.
He came out Of the west after the Brother
hood uprising anu was installed at third
$50 by Cleveland. Corcorau mad been in
retirement for some years, but ~singularly
enough, both Daley and Smalley were on
the roll of the Washington club this year
"A club that had about as many "on and
off men" as the famous Nomads, known in
1890 as the j. Palmer O'Neill Folly com
pany.
On the other side of life's stage the scene
is brighter. Captain Hugh Duffy made a
catch far more brilliant than any ever wit
messed In the outfeld. Down in the Paw
tucket valley he was welded to a pretty
Rhode Island girl-Katie Gilland. He is
not the only ball player who has faced Gu
pid's delivery this year, and II both Dame
Rumor and Mr.. Jenkins are to be believed,
the bachelor days of Phil Knell, of the
Columbus club; John Healy, the Balti-
more pitcher, and Jack Carney, the first
baseman of the Milwaukees, are almost at
an end. One goes to California for his
bride, the second has surrendered to a st.
Louis maiden, and Carney lost his heart to
IA Manchester On. H darling. The kings
of the diamond have their little romances
just as other people do.
It is whispered that Jerry Hardngt&h,
the good natured catcher on Ctuctnnaki's
roster, has been haunting the stores vhsss
seal skin sacks abound Coupled with
that story is ano.ss<~that there y , fair
maid vf heokuk waiting for his coming.
BE that as 1t may, 1t is certain that Jerry
is not fancy FREQ. On thstrips Of the Reds
one of the first things that ''the big boy"
takes out OF his kit is a photograph of a
pretty girl. and it is made chief among the
adornments of the dresser. The seal skin
route is likely to lead straight to Hymen.
Most of the cold stagers" have long
sailed on matrimonial seas, but there are q
few exceptions. Two of the best known
second basemen have never signed con-
tracts OF that sort-John A. McPhee and
Fred Pfeffer. Once upon a lime it was
said that the Cincinnatian had met his fate
in the Golden State and would return with
a miners daughter. That was all very ro-
mantle, but Mac spoiled the story by
coming back alone. He is devoted to a
good mother and sister and is the "head of
the house, in the Queen City.
Over in the League camp all has been
quiet. There nave been no thunderous vol
leys of noisy rhetoric fired into the air, but
it is barely possible hat all this calm pre-
sages a storm. On the 18th of November the
parent body-the oldest baseball organiza,
tion in the land-will meet in sixteenth
annual session at the Fifth Avenue hotel
in New York. There may be some sensa'
tional revelations made at that gathering
and again it may prove no more prolific oil
news than a Jersey Quaker meeting,
Parlor has sheltered the greatest states
men and the greatest baseball moguls OF
the land. Had these walls ears many well
kept secrets might be told. In chronicling
the doings of a company of magnates the
Rider Haggards OF journalism find a rich
field. Few seeds OF fact are sown upon
the reportorial mind, but the harvest is
always a. wonderful one. Rumors are
universally as plentiful at a baseball as
semblage as those plaguy little pests
chiggers-are at a Tennessee camp meet
ing. This picture is not fanciful. l have
"camped OUT too often at all hours of the
day and night, while mysterious magnates
toiled long, only to hear the announce
ment: n business of Importance was
transacted. We were just discussing a
few little matters of immaterial note"
In union there is strength. This is not a
now proposition, and 1t holds good in base
ball as well as in other affairs of life. Un-
less the American association chooses to
admit the value Of the national agreement
as a bulwark of protection to professional
ball, the value of the instrument is i'm
paired. The Associations platform is not
one of peace and good will to all. The
Western association was wrecked by trail
tors within its own lines who had heard
the jingle of the tempter's coin. Omaha
WAS betrayed, and Washington harvested
what proved to be a crop of dead sea fruit.
The National league has been An aid to
the minor leagues in the past, but IL Secre-
tary Davis Hawley. of Cleveland, voices the
ideas OF a majority of the League people,
it is possible that the National league may
meet the American association on equal
terms during the coming campaign. Two
wrongs, however, do not make one right.
The Association does not recognize the i'm
portance of keeping life In the kinder
gartens of the game, and IL the League
denied them the guarantee Of protection it
Is probable that few minor organizations
would get in line next spring. To be at
the mercy of one foe much stronger than
they is bad enough, but to face another
enemy would mean absolute ruin. The
League can better afford to continue in its
role as n champion of the weak than To
hoist the black flag, Never has the old
body sailed under those colors. Never be.
fore has the smaller fry needed defend,
ers so badly as now, and the Cleveland
plan is not likely to carry.
The Association has nine live franchises
on its hands, and that is one more han II
knows what to do with. All the legisla
ton at Chicago was aimed at the life Of
Columbus, Louisville and Milwaukee
Under the new ruling each club must b.
self supporting. The guarantee and per
centage system was wiped out, and travel
ing clubs will have no need of a treasurer
The home clubs keep all receipts. Such I
rule will wreck the American association
in less h a year. While it is in fore,
Boston and the Athletics will take most o
the cream. If the fear Of the breaker
ahead causes one club TO falter and drol
out, the Association will doubtless returl
at once to a live and let live policy. TIL
game of freeze out, however, may fail.
Rem MULFoRD, JR.
Pitcher Rusie is to come high next set
sou. as 6, 800 and q, 900 are alleged to hav
been bid for the young Hoosier giant
services. He will probably remain wit
New York AT Fl 600 salary