Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-22

ever there is time when kind words are o
more good than at another, it is when the
are spoken to friends in trouble. By al
means don't let us tear our hair out becaus,
our baseball team have suffered q few de
feats
The Efforts to Sign Tommy Burns.
A few straight defeats have caused tn
directorate of the local club to make on
more strong effort to sign Tommy Burns
Up to present writing nothing definite ha'
been done; that is Burns has not really
| signed a contract
His demands are sweeping. He wants t.
be assured of a three-vears' position nj
matter how things go. The local club di
rectors may consent to this, but if they do
they will simply be doing what very few
other people would. Tine demand of Burn'
is unreasonable, to say the least of it. Wha
In the world has he done to make him sc
important? He is not able to play, and a.
to looking after players he has had preciou:
little experience. / know that opinions are
that he is ''brainy" man, but his record
ought to be one of deeds before he asks fol
an iron-clad agreement for three years.
am aware that it was reported that Man.
agcr Buckenberger was to be released. Prob
ably there were good grounds for such re.
| port, and judging from what Anson said
when here think there were. But Presi.
| dent Temple, of the local club, assured me
| the other dav that he had no notion what
ever of releasing Mr.. Buckenberger. Mr..
| Temple said: +.
''On my honor as gentleman 1 have en-
gagged Buckenberger to manage our team
and he will certainly remain with US !"
Well, this sets at rest all reports and con-
lectures on that point and as one patron OF
the club 1 am very glad of it. For the life
of me | cannot see what reason there is Tor
anybody to even think of releasing Mr..
Buckenberger. If "a few defeats form the
only reasons, then the Philadelphia club
have a stronger reason to discharge the vet
eran Harry Wright. o
There are, indeed, Many rays of hope for
the success of the team vet Better batting
must come, because such good hitters as are
on the team cannot continue long at the
bottom of the list. The team is certainly
shaky as far as pitchers are concerned, but
if Woodcock ful6lls expectations he will
add considerable strength to that depart
ment. He has made verv good impress
sion, but we'll wait and see more of him be-
fore saying anything more about his merits.
An Interesting Local Feature.
Now and again it is quite interesting to
talk about any public personages or char
acters, whether they be mixed up with our
amusements or recreation as with the more
serious items of life. So far as the local
baseball season has progressed patrons of
the game will have observed one of the
noisiest and one of the most original men
just under the entrance gate of the ball
grounds. He sells score cards and his name
is Harry Stevens, and it is unnecessary. for
me TO mention his name to any Pittsburg
crank because no man enters the ball
grounds without having occasion to ask:
"What do they call that man selling the
score cards" Really, 1 have heard that
question asked scores of times.
Well, our mutual friend Stevens is a base
ball character, and / question whether
he has an equal in his business and L
really take pleasure in putting myself on
record on this point. Nobody is more re-
liable; nobody is more humorous, and GER
tainlv Blaine is not more eloquent, particu-
larly when Mr.. Stevens dashes off a perora-
tion ending with something about the score
card being the ''alpha and omega of all that
pertains to the game" Well, after all, men
of the kind named are very pleasing fea-
lures at ball game and they are useful
when like Mr.. Stevens, they Keep the spec
tators informed up to date as to the score
and all changes that Nay take place among
the players.
Judge Morrow's Brooklyn Victory.
One of the great events of the week lust
ended has been the victory of Judge Nor
row in the Brooklyn Handicap. Itis long
time since there was such general interest
in an American turf event as there
was in that of Monday last The national
enthusiasm concerning the event certainly
70 chotr- hat he,
races is greatly on the increase.
. There seems to be a widespread opinion |
hat the victory of Morrow was a surprise |
fail TO see it, True it was a surprise to |
many of the talent, but surely if the bet |
ing quotations are to be taken as guide 1t |
wasn't much of surprise. The awful de- |
eat of LonSstreet was a surprise sure |
enough and only goes to confirm what 1 |
aid last Sunday about backing horses in |
Dig handicaps down to about to or even |
money. But how the victory of Judge |
Morrow could be surprise at all fail to
zee, because some time ago he was backed
lown from 80 to 1 to to l. That means
hat very large amount of public money
vas invested on him, and his starting price
vas about to 1. Surely that figure does
lot look as if few people did not expect him
o win. The truth is that he was well
'acked, the price being such that the public
we're induced to speculate on him.
The race was good one, and doubtless
he terrific pace set by Fairview ruined the
hances of Russell and Longstreet. The
'ace was desperate, and as it turned out
Tas Just the thing for Judge Morrow and
'essara. Little Major" Covington had
eal to do with the victory of Morrow, and
is effort at the finish stamps him as one of
he very best of the lightweight jockies
&c oil ~ L i |
+ Control not placed an embargo on such
orses as Judge Morrow running at Gutten-
urg during the winter he probably would
ave been an absolute wreck by this time.
lie was almost ruined last season by con-
nual racing and many people wondered
hat the horse held out as he did. The
'inter's rest has done him considerable
ood, and his owner may now know that he
worth taking care of. He defeated some
reat race horses and on track that was
OF very bad. Doubtless, we'll hear from
ne Judge again.
Good News for SuIIivdn's Friendx
A day or two ago readers of THE DIS
ATCH would see a DR.. Shready's state
lent that John L. Sullivan is in pertect
ealth, extraordinarily strong and able to
mock any man out on earth. This ought
} settle all differences of opinion as to The
utcome of the proposed battle between
ohm L. and James j. 1t may be that in a
w days we'll have some other doctor MAX
lg affidavit to the effect that James ]. Cor
EFT is physically the most wonderfully
ade man that history has known, not even
1cepting Samson, and that the sssaid
ames j. Corbett is able to knock any two
ensout that can be produced on earth"
Why L say this is because there would be
st as much reason for the one as the otbor
hese doctors examinations are entirely for !
feet and advertising and were never heard
ii OF until the show business was a feat. I