The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-21
NgHB FROM OLD NICK.
President Young Revives the
Spirits of the sRooters."
sLUMP SEASON sAFELY PASSED.

Now the Frightening Prospects Encour-
ago tho Mugnntcs and Eniiven tho
Players New Stars Ia the Bassbala
Firmament.
President Nicholas Emanuel Young, OF
the National league, has Just permitted
himself to be interviewed I'm the interest of
baseball Il have known Mr.. Young ever
since his first official connection with the
National league, which was when be was
elected its secretary at its inception in the
spring Of 1875. and in all OF these more
than sixteen years Nick has never refused
to respond to the interviewer when tapped
for baseball encouragement, which has oc-
CURED regularly and annually at intervals
OF about two months.
MIR. Young Is o small man physically,
but giant in optimism. There is great
light shining before his eyes always, no
matter how the dark clouds lower over the
discouraged magnate or the disappointed
crank. He sees some good in every ap-
parent calamity, and IL the Asiatic cholera
strikes this country and carries Off some
OF our most Promising baseball stars, I
haven't the least doubt Of Nick's ability to
demonstrate the exact benefit tho game
will thereby receive.
From his observations at Washington
President Young sees n wonderful interest
everywhere in baseball, especially in the
League cities. Now I admit that his
glasses" are far more powerful and cor
rect than those which any other one Of us
have. They cannot deceive. for they count
every paying spectator who enters q
League ground. To be plain, Mr.. Young,
as treasurer Of the League also receives
after each League game 10 per cent OF the
gross receipts to form sinking fund. He
Is therefore the only being in the world
who can have positive knowledge OF the
exact condition of patronage in the Ma
tional league.
Consequently when no says, and says 10
boldly, that he is surprised at the great in
terest which is being taken in baseball at
this season OF the year, we are bound to
believe that this great interest really OK
lists or that Mr.. Young is, to use m ex.
pressive piece Of slang, giving us taffy.
Tho average attendance has undoubtedly
more than held its own since July 4. and
that Is rather unusual. The month of Au-
gust has always been the hardest month
financially to baseball clubs of the entire
season. Mr.. YouDg's expression Of graft
fcation over the present condition of affairs
In the League therefore is probably well
founded. Such revival now would mean
permanent good to the great game, because
the improvement in public interest would
probably continue to the end of the season
and extend into the opening Of the season
next year.
An attendance OF 5000 people upon a
Saturdays game in Cleveland is one of the
events no one would have anticipated prior
to the midsummer holiday. Yet that has
happened.
There may seem to be radical "fopn in
my opinions concerning the alleged revived
interest In the game as expressed by my
letter this week and last. Upon close com.
parison, however. no such sudden differ
ence exists. Last week I wrote from my
observation and Judgment, and this week
from that OF President Young. I admit
that Mr. Youugs means of estimate are
truer than mine, and il he has not been civ
ing us Jolly" his judgment should be the
better. Besides, within the week some as
tonishing changes have been made in pa
tronage. Cincinnati crowds jumped from
500 to 5000, and in Chicago and Cleveland
almost as great an Improvement has been
marked. This makes the general average
excellent, and If it continues we may safely
say that the game has passed the SLUMP
stage.
The great showing made by the Cleve-
land team is another proof Of the glorious
uncertainty of the national game The
general belief existed prior to the eastern
clubs western trip that the first four
teams to face the Clevelands on the lat
ter's grounds-viz., the Bostons, New
Yorks, Philadelphia and Brooklyns-
would together check their triumphant
squirt. But they did not. They were as
pygmies In the Clevelanders' hands Such
playing If continued through the rest of
the season as the Clevelands did in those
three series would land them winners in
October dozen games before their nearest
rival 1t is long way to the wire still at
this writing Every element of chance
favors Cleveland in the race as against
the club of any other city.
Some very promising young players are
coming to the front since the midsummer
reorganization. Some of them were in
League harness prior to that time without
having good chance to distinguish them
selves OF such we have Doyle of the New
Yorks. Young and Cuppy OF the Cleve-
lands, Kennedy of the Brooklyns, and Par
rott, Dreber and Root Of the Chicagos. or
the new ones who came in with the second
season Ward and O'Rourke Of the Balti-
mores, ClaIsen of the Louisvilles, Hawley
of the ST. Louis Browns and Abbey of the
Washingtons may be prominently classed.
Hawley is the Fort Scott pitcher whom
MI. Won der Abe recently engaged upon the
strength of u record which he made against
the Little Rock club, when he pitched
fifteen successive innings without permit
ting his opponents to make q hit. This
feat stands next to that of Mullane's, who
pitched sixteen successive innings against
the Cincinnatis in 1889 without q hit as l
have related before. Mullane's task was
much more marvellous than Hawley's be-
cause his batters were more powerfuI
Still Hawley's second entitled him N tho