, 1892-04-01
AN ERA OR EXPERIMENT
That's What Rem milford Calls
the Baseball Situation.
THE SEASONS EARLY OPENING.
Nay Day Used to Be the Time, but
We've Grown Too Rapid for That-Ths
California Leagues Big Schedule
General Gossip of tho Game.

General Gossip OF the Game.
The era of experiment" would be a
proper classification for baseball as 1t pro
f~essionally exists today. Leaves in new
books are already to turn, and the outcome
of the several campaigns will be awaited
with universal interest. The enthusiasts
in the north are growing restless, for out OF
New Orleans have come several scores that
told OF games of that sort which make the
cranks rise in their seats and stir their pal
ates with mighty shouts. The Louisville
contingent that ventured into the home OF
the old flock of Pelicans ound whitewash
prominently listed, and in two contests
blanks were drawn. The last score, l to
o. has attracted attention to Lecourage,
who is booked to pitch for New Orleans in
the new Southern league. He will be eyed
from this time forward unless there Is a
premature explosion
Outside the circle there are pessimistic
guerrillas ready to charge the moment there
is a wayering IN the ranks The spirit for
more mischief seems willing, but the peck
etbook, it is to be hoped, is weak. New
York's internal squabble is one pin upon
which those who opine that there will be
further trouble now hang their hope.
There Is one truth that cannot be ques-
toned. The metropolitan press seems to
be unanimously busting the jacket of
Walter Spading. Their victim has been
Roaded into writing a card-a dangerous
symptom of unrest. John B. Day has the
call with the scribes, who seem to take de
light. however, in picturing his grand slide
down the chute and out of the game. This
quarrel is not a healthy one.
There are those who dream of another
revolution, and they gloat over the broil
in the camp of the Giants. A L. johnson
mysteriously hints Of another uprising in
1898. Rumors, however, are not very Ian
gerous now. II the League conducts its
affairs with adroitness the drafts OF all
these advance agents of disaster viii never
be honored.
The League-Association has a mission
Discipline will and should be enforced In
the ranks and roisterers banished from
the field. That salaries were boosted far
beyond the limit Of reason is a fact, but
there has never been any call for the scare
about a sweeping and farreaching reduc-
tion. Talent will always command a good
figure, and II there Is a boom all along the
line this year the future need not be
dreaded by the ball player.
II "Old Probs' is 30 disposed he can d.
much mischief during April's showery
days. The season opens unusually early.
THE 18th" is really too early. In the
olden time May Day was considered the
IEOptI hliht iOI CIOW nlDB bhc quttEl Ailu
incidentally placing King Baseball on his
throne. Last season the Association began
on the sth of the month. and snowfakes
were offered as souvenirs at several parks
to cranks who didn't appreciate the inter
ference of the elements. The California
league will be the first to get down to
championship work. The new schedule
calls for no less than 76S games and the
season stretches over eight months, begin
ming March 90 and ending on the 27th of
November. That is the longest schedule
ever framed by any league.
1t Is rather amusing to note that the
North Pacific league, embracing the four
original cities in the circuit, has adopted
the double championship season idea. Just
what call there is for such a departure.
from the Die method is not apparent. The
twelve club organization wanted to escape
from a threatened mass c~onvrlation OF tail
enders, a danger hat the Pacific people
couldn't possibly be called upon to face.
The Western league proposes to start. the
race the same day that the big one com
mences. There is no especial call for such
action, however, and it might bebetter for
the Westerns health to knock around
among the little fellows for a few weeks
longer and give the dandelions and the
spring beauties a chance to blossom.
The first drawing of the Western will
take place very soon at Chicago. No
blanks will be found in the hat OF Mr..
James A. Williams. The result OF the
Westerns experiment is just as prob
lematical as the success OF b double head
ed season. It will receive nearly II not
quite as much attention as accepted
solution of the question, How IN inter
est in tail nders be revived In mi, aasoni"
There are some very good men in \ lists
~ plo frnr, xrhfrh tho atnht r1thu NJ
the Western are to De made up. Memories
Of fights for ~pennants in the League and
Association are recalled by a glance over
the names. Veterans will touch elbows
with youngsters in that struggle.
The Eastern will lose one remarkable
figure from it's councils this season-C. w.
Freeman, who carried the Lebanons along
while other magnates in larger cities were
painting for dnancia breath. Mr.. Freeman
Is credited with being a wealthy enthusiast
who ran the Lebanon club Just because he
loved the game. He still dotes on 1t, but
not to the extent Of reducing his bank roll
at the rate OF sl25 a day just for the sake
OF seeing his pets tramped upon by the
opposition. There was a gentleman at
Jamestown who had the same sort Of novel
experience of holding the bag for the ben
fit of his fellow townsmen just because he
liked the game. He, too, has reformed
and Mr.. Tew and Mr.. Freeman drop Out
together, mourned but not blamed for
turning from paths so hot that their feet
were blistered.
While the season of 1891 was in its death
throes Scandal reared her head above the
scene OF battle and, Officially coached by
those who should have now better,
breathed suspicion upon the game. That
was only last fall. How soon one forgetsl
1t would have been safer perhaps had
:he rulemakers of the League thrown up
breastworks that would rave made impos
sible such attacks as emanated from Chi
cago last September, aimed at New York
and Boston
The events of that month need not be
twelt upon now, and may be dismissed
with the assertion that the dumping" Of
70 many games won by Boston gave Chi
cago the horrors, a state of fearful mind
that encompassed their downfall. 1t would
have been much better had the League
taken some action which would e~ffectually
veto any more eleventh hour spurts built
rponp ostponements. 1t is not too late to
90 SO now. Before any other animals es-
cape the door which opens out into the
wheat field had better be securely bolted.
There is a menace to the game In the old
bappy-go1ucky system that has been In
yoeue 30 long. Rem MULFoRD. JR.
NO.