Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-25


great deal of uncertainty about the pennan
race. There have been many remarkabl.
features about the pennant contest thi.
year, but for lack of space we cannot tall
about them to-day. 1t is yet a remarkabl,
contest, and how it will end none OF us car
tell, except that the Cleveland team 1,
likely to get first place. Then they will
have to play the Boston team for what is
called the worlds championship.
There is one thing about baseball thai
none of us can have failed to observe, viz
the lack of interest there is in it just now
except in one or two cities The msgnate
may try to persuade themselves that the
game is all right in the estimation of tn,
people, but it is not and the sooner this
fact is tackled the better. The 12-clut
League and double season has been nothing
more nor less than failure and great loss
to Pittsburg
Locally baseball is all right and 1t was
pleasing to see such large crowd greet the
return of the team Thursday despite the
bad weather. The players are doing well
and are worth the best of patronage.
Of course none of Us will readily forget
Thursday. Probably there never was such
disgraceful performance on the part of q
team as there was on the part of the Chi
cago players that day. They deliberately
refused to put the local players out SO as to
prolong the game until rain came and
stopped the contest 1t is, indeed, a pity
that some severe penalty cannot be imposed
on that club. Pittsburg is one of the best
cities in the League, and three times this
year we have been fooled by the illegal con-
duct of the visiting teams Surely some
thing can be done to stop this The
local club will be the sufferer.
although it is not to blame at all
More Trouble Among Amateurs.
Those of US who had thought that the
prospects of harmony among our local ANA
teur athletes were getting better were
very much disappointed the other day to
learn of the second suspension of Messrs
McKennan and Paul of the Three AS.
This latest act of rindictiveness, for such it
is beyond all doubt, will most assuredly
make the breach wider here than it has
ever been. / have had the entire history
snd facts of the case presented to me and I
cannot avoid the conviction that the perse-
cution OF Messers Paul and McKennan is
the result OF very small and very spiteful
spirit.
The two gentlemen named are to be sus-
pended for six months for taxing part in the
open contests at Detroit They had been
relieved from a suspension they were al
ready under. Before they started in the
Detroit contests Secretary Page, of the
Three AS, secured the opinion of Secretary
James E. Sullivan, Secretary of the A. A
q. on the matter. The latter gentleman,
who knows more about amateurism than all
the Atlantic division put together, pointed
out that the two young men could compete
under protest providing the games COM
mittee at Detroit would receive thsif entries
after knowing all the, facts the case.
The COMMITTEES were told the whole story
and did accept their entries, and as result
we have the two best amateurs of Western
Pennsylvania suspended until we'll into
next year.
Depend upon it amate urism has received
blow here by this unfair and ungenerous
treatment of Messrs Paul and Mckennan.
Their entire case shows the existence of Q
little narrow and mean spirit that should
never be found in amateur ranks. Bear in
mind these young men are not charged with
violating any fundamental principle. Their
charges are of the fimsiest and the most
bicoted sort. The trouble was all caused by
leaving the East End Gyms and joining the
Three AS For this they were tried by the
Athletic Division wisescres without being
given The chance of making q defense.
They were suspended three months, al
though those who are bounding them have
tried and are irving to persuade the public
that they were only suspended for 80 days.
Real Leaders Should Take Hand.
o. course an appeal will be made to the
A. A. Q. direct, and 1 nm fully convinced
that the gentlemen who guide the doctrines
Of that organization will soon perceive
there is a desire on the part of some peo-
PIE to reap personal revenge rather than
make amateurism better. Nobody wants
smateurism to be purer than d o, and I
venture to say that nobody has argued
more for ii than 1 have, but do claim that
persons who have the welfare and the sue
cess of the sport at heart never stoop to
little rettv, personal and vindictive perse-
cutions.
just as sure as we are here the results of
these prosecutions will be iui iuricus ali
round. If the Three AS were to stoop low
enough, they could easily make cou inter-
charges, and it is to their honor that they
don't. The stability or the integrity of
amateurism is not at stake. but only the
envy of few people. Why, bless us, there
is room enough IN the locality, both for the
East End Gyms the Three AS and many
other similar organizations, and the intenser
honest competition is, the better it will be
Cor all, but envy, jealousy and desire to
iniure each other will only prompt
trickery and vicious feelings and ultimately
drag smsteurism down lower than some
branches of professionalism.
By all means let the leaders of the A. 4.
.. take hold of the matter because 1t is of
great Importance TO the lovers of outdoor
sports and recreation of Pittsburg. Those
expressions of mine are only prompted by
desire to see wholesome and manly spirit
perYade our amateur ranks
The Proposed Swimming Club.
John 7. TAYLOR and a number of other
young nen, Of this city, have set themselves
TO work to organize swimming club, and
H. is gratifying to know that they are sue
ceeding WELL 1t is likely that before this
week is out the club will be thoroughly or
ganized with a membership of nearly
90 members 1 am believer
in swimming clubs, particularly where
there are public baths, because this enables
one of the most healthy and one of the most
interesting of sports or exercises to be car
ried on during winter months. And what |
is more the more organizations we have tor |
physical exercise the better it will be for |
our young men. Give me sn ardent stu |
dent OF any physical exercise and I'll show |
you q young man who takes the utmost |
care of himself and whose great object is |
TO steer clear of dissipation. This is just |
as true as sunlight, and in years of
observation L have never seen
II fail do not preach !