The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-17

Tafinrc of the western League he
Victorious Bosions-Prospects of Wig.
orous Contest for the Second Cham
plonship.
The National league had an easier
time putting their new wage scale into
operation than was experienced az Home
stead. II was 20 per cent. cut. and the
old Of the Pinkerton police was not en-
listed in It's execution.
| never knew Of more than one ball
player who thought he was offered more
money by his club than he merited. The
one exception was Charley Snyder lie
PLAYED with and captained the Cincinnati
team in 1889 at salary OF sl,lOO, having
jumped the Boston clubs reserve list. The
club won the American association cham
pjonsbip that year, and the officials were
60 well pleased with Snyder's work that
they not only presented him with gold
watch and diamond studded locket, but
offered him an 81, 500 contract for 1888 He
osked the club 70 take 500 Of the 81, 800
offered and add it 10 the salary Of an out
fielder whose services he desired Tor the
next seasons team. This request was
granted
Since that day nothing Of worth has been
known 10 have been rejected by ban
PLAYER. SNYDER and Caesar stand side by
side. with Snyder shade in front maybe,
for though Caesar refused the throne three
times he finally took it, while Snyder re-
fused bis contract but once and didn't
get It,
II is a pity that the players and the
hackers cannot meet on a permanent busi-
ness basis and put the profession upon a
safe foundation financially. But the his
tory of the game shows that whsn the
players got the advantage they became
ruinously. extravagant in their salary de
mands, and il will now be proved as 1t has
been proved before that when the mag
mates get their feet upon the players neck
they'll tramp him into the mud. There is
too much Of desire upon both sides to
exploit the game for every dollar there is
in IL regardless Of the future.
The present cut Of 20 per cent. on all
League salaries which were not guaranteed
Is but q beginning. The slaughter will
come next year. The failure of the West
ern league under $4,000 salary limit and
the monopoly Of baseball in twelve Of the
largest cities by the League places the
players practically at the mercy Of the
magnates. The latter have lost small for
tunes during the last three years 10y reason
OF the revolt Of the players.
Therefore / can see no hope for the pro
fessional ball player 1t really looks as
though he may be compelled to play next
year for as little as ten dollars day. The
oppression against him may be carried so
far as to compel him TO travel from city TO
city in day coach and put up at a three
dollar-a-day hotel at the clubs expense.
Among the few players who kicked
against the pricks were Hoy, of Washing
ton, and Tony Mullane, of Cincinnati. The
former was too full for utterance. True
he is a mute, but had he possessed the
tongues Of all the ancient Greek orators he
would have failed to do justice 10 the
occasion as he saw il.
And Mullane absolutely refused TO work
for fifteen dollars day. That would be
bringing him down TO the level Of a SUI
preme court justice or a United States
senator. Submit Neverl Not as long as
there was a free lunch in his native city
It was a sublime bluff, but the weather
was too warm 10 hold it long
The mighty Clarkson tool Last year he
drew $4,000 from the Boston clubs treas
ury He goes TO Cleveland for s., 800 after
being cast adrift by the Bo5tons
As Rip Van Wrinkle said, How soon we
are forgotten when we're gone"
The first League season being at an end
with the Boston club the winner, there
will be considerable curiosity in watching
the teams during the first month of the
second season. There is much ground for
the belief that the Philadelphias Brook
lyns and Cincinnatis are just at present
playing as strong, if not stronger, ball
than the BOstOns The latter fell away in
their work during the first two weeks in
July, end nothing but strong lead landed
them champions, so there are excellent
chances that the winner of the second
championship will be another club, and
that will give us a series Of finals late in
October
The distress which / predicted would
come 10 the Western league after July 4
was promptly on time. The season for
those clubs was started with loud promises
OF prosperity, because the league was to be
run on the millennium plan, with $4,000
salary limits TO each club One-half a sea
son has been enough to prove that the old
plan is better than one of the millennium
kind. Lovers of the sport do not swell
with enthusiasm over a team which is
picked out for them by Pooh Bah in a far
of place and sent TO their city TO represent
them in the baseball field. They especial
ly look upon a team with coldnesS which
cannot be strengthened or changed with
out the consent of some one man who lives
In another city ora committee whose mem
bers are n0nresidents.
In a word, local pride in baseball is nee
essary, and TO muster local pride YOU must
have local power and local management
absolutely behind the club.
The Philadeiphias will undoubtedly
hold the record Of straight victories for
the year. Their chain Of sixteen successive
games won knocked out Anson's unmcky
thirteen, and it is not probable and hardly
possible that the feat viii be equaled again
for several years
To the Cincinnatis goes the credit of
taking part in two Of the most remarkable
games OF the season, viz. fourteen innings
and 10 0 with the Bostons and that TWEEN
By inning 10 : game with the Chicagos
No more remarkable contest than the lat
ter has ever been known. Il was especially
noticeable because the fourteen runs and
most of the batting came in the first five
innings, and during the rest of the long
and memorable struggle not a man could
reach the plate from either nine In the
three hours and twenty minutes during
which the game lasted there were offered