The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-15
BASEBALL CRITICISM.
The Views Of Two Scrsbes Regarding Al.
legged Funny Stories.

The Views Of Two scribes Regarding Al
legged Funny Stories.
A writer in Pacific Field Sports Of last
week has The following criticism On scribes
who evolve jocOse thoughts in writing their
accounts Of ball games:
While il may seem pTesumptuous to criicize
the attitude OF The local press on b8, e-bali ets
during tie season Of 1891. yet l am not ab.e 10
refrain from maNlng the assertion That some Of
The scTibes helped TO throw the game 10 lie
dumps. Instead OF writing I'D the contests from
spOTIsmau-ike standpoint, 10 many Instances
the accounts paTtOOk OF a buTlesQue character,
and The plays and players were Tidicu!ed. In
the language Of Que uewsDaEe man The game
vas 'jJ.Aed" 10 death. Every pOss bic chance
10 Mshulsciule iun Was taken "a vantage or, ana
Instead OF being FURNISHED " n . descriI ton OF
- Z game, lie Ie. CerS were Treated 20 discourse
% how Jimmy BiUHG's uniform didn't Fl him,
or how Manager SO-ahd-SO went through various
peculiar movements on the bench while watch
ing lis men on The field. 4 Dbl. le Of this HumOr-
Gus writing Is ali n gilt, bul ike pastry, too much
OF u becomes u1palatabe, While II j. true MAT
many Of the games last season were yellow.
eOlGTed, there were scores OF good contests
played, aud the truth Should have been said
about them.
If any Of the frivolous baseball items
printed IN this paper have wrought harm
the author begs forgiveness. He didn't
know he was loaded, aud is therefore ire
spOnsble. But if the articles in question
have q tendency to dump the national
ter were copied verbatim in Eastern papers
almost exclusively devoted to baseball
interests? Perhaps the editors were looking
for weapon with which to eXterminate the
chief Of American sports.
Il is true there may he nothing particu-
larry eleVating in one Of those giddy baseball
sketches, free from techDicallties and ma
tuTed thought, but they harm neither game
nor player, and time has shown that patrons
much prefer them to those pulse-oUicken-
ing descriptions which start off thus: The
San Franchises aud the San JOses played
q game Of baseball at the Haightstreet
grounds yesterday afternoon. The runs
were made as follows" and then go on with
painful accuracy to tell just how they were
manufactured.
10 fact the patrons, with the exception of
few pronounced cranks, perhaps expect
a humorous or s0-called funny account of
tie game next morning. They were pres
ent at the contest and therefore enjoyed the
hne points Of the play with thrill which is
quite difficult, in tact almost impossible, for
q hOllOW-eyed scribe te produce in cold,
pUlSeless type. They don't care To wade
down a column blistling with technicalites,
but IN reviewing the performance as seen
by the funny scTlbes they often strike
something that is really entertaining Wien
they come 10 think of il. Then there is an
other class Of readers who never go to ball
games, who know nothing Of the points aud
uOu L CdlC " lrdiu 4uc5 l6dQ AuuuY DdSb-
ball stories and enjoy them, or say they do,
whereas II the matter was purely basel hall
they would as soon think of taking a dein-
quent taX-!ist for light, airy reading.
In one place the writer says-and says
Tuly-that many Of the accounts partoOk
Of q burlesque character. Those who re-
liglOusly read the morning papers last sum-
mer Will readily agree with him on this
point. These same people will also unite
In saying that many Of the games were Of
buTlesque, not to say spectacular nature,
and 1t was this unhappy condition Of affairs
and not the funny Write-ups that brought
on the dumps. There was nothing mean or
vicious in any Of the articles, which were
all written in a spirit Of gentle sarcasm and
the hope Of doing good. ii a mans clumsy
Efforts to play ball hold him up TO Tidicule
he should be ridiculed ia defense Of the
public, which pays its money to see him
perform. Several Well-meaning but in
capable young men were Tidiculed last sum-
meT, but that they did not take it as per-
EOnal matter is evidenced by the fact that
none Of the scTibes were invited to come out
and get licked.
But with all this ridicule there was never
q good play, or bright, spirited game th at
did not receive due credit as such In the
public prints. Yet the critic says there
were scores Of good contests, regarding
which the truth should have been told. II
was told. but the opportunities for adverse
criticism so far eciipsed those for favorable
comment that meTitoTiOus mention had no
show 10 speak of.
The above are the views Of two men on
humorous baseball writing, and it is now in
order for our esteemed contemporaries to
get up and say something.