The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-22
THE LEAGUE is DEAD.
All Four Clubs Decide to Quit a
Losing Game.
SEATTLE GETS THE REMNANT,
Champions OF Second Season-League
Pennsnt to Be Played for With
Portland.
SEATTLE GETS THE PENNANT.

ing held in Tacoma last night declared the
playing season closed and awarded the
championship of the second series to the
Seattle team.
For some days past the step taken last
night has been impending, owing to the
clamor of the Tacoma and Portland clubs
to quit. and the meeting was called TO bring
matters to determination. Yesterday
afternoon meeting of the league direct
ors was held and the battle was
fought out there. President Hardy,
of the Seattle club, worked hard
to have the season played out,
and was at first backed up by A. T. Saw
yer, who represented Spokane, but Ia
coma and Portland were so strong in their
desire to throw up the sponge that the
other clubs finally gave in.
Last night at the league meeting the
step decided upon in the afternoon was
taken without dissenting voice, and the
pennant of the second season was formally
awarded to the Seattle club, it being now
in the lead in the race. The interests of
the players were also looked after, and
each club gave its guarantee to President
Rockwell that all of its men will be paid
in full to date.
The Tacoma and Spokane teams will be
paid off and disbanded at once but the
intention is to hold together the Seattle
and Portland teams, each of which has
now won pennant, to determine by
series Of games which is entitled to the
championship of the league. The idea is
to arrange a series of eight games, to be-
gin at once, four of them to be played at
Portland aud four at Seattle, with one ad-
ditional game if there should be tie.
This action of the directors of the league
in declaring the season closed has been
brought about by force of circumstances.
A great deal of enterprise was shown by
the different clubs in bringing such fine
talent to the Coast at heavy expenditure
and in furnishing to the baseball public
the strongest minor league ball in the
country but their efforts have been poorly
appreciated. The attendance has been no.
where near the figure it should have
reached, and there has been a constant
drain upon the pockets of the hackers of
the clubs. In consequence the Tacoma
club was finally forced to the wall, and
Portland, although better Off, at length
also decided to give up such an unequal
fight.
1t will be many years before the Pacific
Northwest will have as strong league as
this one has been for the past three sea-
sons, and the lovers of the game will have
good cause to regret the disbanding of the
organization. Since the second champion
ship season opened the Seattle club has
won sixteen out Of nineteen games on the
home grounds and has put up wonderful
ball. Yet the attendance has been barely
sufficient to pay the guarantees. and the
hackers of the club have had to pay the
salaries of players and other expenses.
The close of the second season of 1892
finds the Seattle team two games ahead of
Tacoma. which comes next in the race.
Portland comes third, with two less victo-
ries and three more defeats than Tacoma,
while Spokane is a bad tail-ender, having
won only seven out of twenty eight games
played.
Seattle certainly deserves the position it
has been awarded, having won a majority
of its games with each of the other teams.
With Tacoma it has taken six out of
eleven, with Portland three out of four,
and with Spokane nine out of twelve.
Tacoma has won the series with Portland,
seven out of twelve, and has taken four
straight from Spokane. The olly team
that Portland has beaten is Spokane, from
whom she has won eight out of twelve
games. Spokane has, of course, lost its
series with each ofthe other teams.
Too much credit cannot be given Seattle
for the splendid work it has done in the
second season, which it started with
badly crippled team, just following the
disastrous first season. 1t has won eight
cen out of twenty seven, or twO-thirds Of
its games. Out of nineteen on the home
grounds 1t has won sixteen.
OF the last eleven it has
won nine. This has been due not only to
good fielding and batting. In both of
which departments it probably leads the
league, but to excellent team work. 1t
has had two steady, effective pitchers,
Camp and McGinnis, to alternate in the
box. backed up by set of earnest, hard
working players, under the able direction
of Manager Hatfield and Captain Earle.
The following table gives comparative
statement of the work of the teams to
date: